Insurance for Churches and Religious Organizations

Liability insurance is important for almost all business owners and organizations, including churches and other faith-based organizations. General liability insurance is designed to help mitigate financial risks by paying for injuries and property damage sustained by third parties on your property. This coverage can assist with legal fees, settlements, judgments and more in the aftermath of a covered incident.

Directors and officers coverage is designed around the liability involved with serving as a director or officer of a business, non-profit or other organization, such as a religious organization. Directors and officers insurance can help safeguard individual church leaders from financial loss due to a lawsuit and help to cover legal fees and related costs your organization may incur due to a lawsuit.

Also known as commercial property insurance, this coverage can help protect your property, buildings and the assets stored within. From broken stained-glass windows to weather damage and more, commercial property coverage can help you get back to normal in the wake of a fire, storm, vandalism or other peril.

Your church might be using digital tools to manage operations, share bulletins, collect donations and more. Although these technologies can make communication more efficient, they can also increase the risk of cyber threats. Cyber liability insurance can help with the costs related to cyber incidents like data breaches and attacks, including notification costs, legal expenses and recovery efforts.

Also known as errors and omissions (E&O) insurance, professional liability coverage can assist with claims related to counseling or pastoral care services that are provided by your church, such as lawsuits alleging physical or emotional harm inflicted by a church leader.

If your faith-based organization owns or operates buses, vans or other vehicles, you may need commercial auto insurance. Like your personal auto policy, this coverage can help pay for property damage and bodily injury sustained by an employee-involved accident.

As an employer, your church has a responsibility to provide a safe workplace for its staff. Workers’ compensation insurance can help cover medical bills and lost income for employees who experience job-related injuries or illnesses. In addition to being a safety measure, it’s also legally required in many states.

Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) can help with claims involving employment-related issues like wrongful termination, harassment or discrimination. Adding a third-party enhancement to an EPLI policy is often recommended for churches; this enhancement provides coverage for claims that are brought by a third party against your church or employees.

Student accident insurance can help with the costs of a student injury sustained on a field trip, special event or other faith-based organization-sponsored activity. Picking up where general liability coverage ends, student accident coverage can pay medical bills, legal fees, settlements and more.

Considering that churches and faith-based institutions often work with vulnerable populations within their congregation and outside ministry, sexual misconduct and physical abuse coverage is wise for a religious organization to consider. This specialized insurance can help with the costs of responding to allegations of sexual abuse. And, if you conduct a licensed youth camp, Higginbotham can help you navigate this highly regulated risk with compliance and prevention services.

If your faith-based organization hosts community gatherings, fundraisers or other public events, a standard general liability policy may fall short of providing adequate coverage. From dances to festivals and everything in between, this specialized coverage can help with the costs of property damage or injuries sustained at your event. Special events insurance can also include coverage for lost deposits and other fees if you cancel an event at the last minute.

If your faith-based organization sponsors international outreach activities, you should consider adding international operations coverage to your insurance policy. International operations insurance can help limit your liability and cover the costs of lawsuits filed against your organization abroad.