Insurance solutions for your charity or not-for-profit organisation

We listen, we understand, we deliver

It's vital that charities work with a broker who has a genuine understanding of the way charitable organisations operate, their activities, and the risks they face so that they receive well-informed advice and the right protection.

As a social enterprise (we're part of Scouts) and a specialist charity insurance broker, we know the way charities and not-for-profit organisations operate, making us the perfect choice to arrange your organisation’s insurance. We offer wide-ranging charity insurance policies at affordable prices, and make sure your charity takes out the right cover for the risks it may face.

Unity offers a detailed picture of your organisation’s threats and risks and advice on how to address them through risk management practices . We work with market leading insurers in the not-for-profit sector and specialist charity underwriters who provide great flexibility for our customers.

With all of this in mind, we’d prefer to say we’re not just an insurance broker; we’re your insurance partner.

We don’t just arrange insurance for the not-for-profit sector, we support it too.

You may be interested to know, as a social enterprise, we also gift aid 100% of our profits back to charity benefitting the lives of young people across the UK. 

What our customers think of us

• 84% were very satisfied or satisfied with the service from us.

(based on 411 replies to our surveys from June 2021 to May 2022)

Why your charity needs insurance

If your organisation suffered a serious loss such as major damage to its buildings or a large claim, which wasn’t insured, you’d have to cover the loss from your own funds.
 
This could have a devastating effect on your organisation. In the worst cases, you may have to close, cut back or stop your core activities. The loss may not only be the cost of replacing physical assets such as buildings and equipment, but also the loss of income while these are replaced. It could also be the cost of medical expenses following an accident. The costs of claims made against your organisation could be damaging, both in terms of finance and reputation. 

Your risks can be reduced, but not removed

Risk management can identify the risks associated with your operation, and how they can be managed. But risk assessment alone only goes so far. You can minimise the risks, but in some cases you don’t want to or can’t eliminate the risk completely, e.g. outdoor residential courses to develop young people’s skills and confidence or family hosting schemes. Unfortunately, some threats to your organisation are outside your control.

Insurance can mitigate those risks you cannot completely control or remove. Insurance safeguards individuals, organisations and/or their property against the risk of loss, damage or theft, accidents or liability claims. 

Your legal requirements 

Some types of insurance cover are required by law. If you employ people or own motor vehicles or a minibus, you must take out the necessary insurance. 

Just like running your own car, motor insurance for charities is a legal necessity. Every organisation that owns, leases or uses vehicles must have a minimum of third party cover.

In addition, anyone who is an employer must have Employers’ Liability insurance to cover a claim for injury to an employee.

What cover your charity may need

With an overwhelming array of insurance products on the market, how do you get the right policy at the right price? 

Asking yourselves the following questions should help you narrow down what you need and avoid unnecessary costs. 

What insurance must you have by law?

Some cover is required by law. Firstly, if your charity employs people, you must have Employers’ Liability Insurance. Secondly, if your charity owns, loans or rents vehicles, you must have motor insurance.

What risks do you face?

Each charity has unique insurance needs according to their activities and assets. Think about what could go wrong and where. A thorough risk assessment of your charitable organisation should highlight the risks it faces.

What claims could be made against your charity?

Your organisation could be exposed to compensation claims and, in an increasingly litigious society, you can never be too careful. Public Liability Insurance can cover many risks involving members of the public, such as harm caused by the actions or negligence of your staff or volunteers. If you give advice or training, Professional Indemnity Insurance covers you if your services result in some financial loss or other grievance.

Do you own a building?

If a serious disaster strikes and your charity’s offices or premises are damaged or destroyed, the right building and contents insurance policy can help pick up the bill. 

Do you want extra protection for your people?

Many charities work on a tight budget and rely on the dedication of their staff, who accept lower wages, and their volunteers, who accept nothing. You can give them extra peace of mind with Personal Accident insurance, which will cover their medical expenses if they're injured.

Do you want to protect your trustees?

Your trustees could be personally liable to make good the charity’s losses. Trustees Indemnity Cover can provide protection to trustees where they may be held personally liable.

Do you organise events?

If your charity or group is organising an event, such as a fundraising activity, you may not be covered under your annual insurance policy for the event.  In which case you would need additional event cover .