Charity insurance

Specialist cover for small charities, community groups and not-for-profits from £3 a month*

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No hidden fees or cancellation charges

Charity insurance covers against many of the risks facing small charities, local community groups and not-for-profit organisations.

With over 25 years experience insuring charities, we have an unrivalled reputation for expertise in the charitable and voluntary sector, providing policies including small charity insurance, charity event insurance, non-profit insurance and more

Why do charities and nonprofit groups need insurance?

As a charity or nonprofit group, you're open to a number of risks - whether that's an attendee injuring themselves at a fundraising event, a child in your care being injured while attending a group session or an accusation that charity funds are being wrongfully spent.

So why is charity insurance important? Few charities have the finances to cover costs, damages and any awards made against them in the event of a claim. Our specialist charity insurance provides cover against these scenarios, giving you the peace of mind that if something unexpected happens, your organisation is covered by an expert.

What does charity insurance cover?

Our charity insurance can provide cover against a whole range of risks facing your organisation, including:

An accident involving a visitor at a fundraising event that results in a personal injury claim being made against your charity (public liability charity insurance)
An allegation of wrongdoing against a charity trustee and a subsequent investigation by a regulatory body (trustee indemnity insurance)
A volunteer injuring themselves while working for the charity and being unable to work (employers' liability insurance)
A service user alleging the charity provided sub-standard services and seeking compensation (professional indemnity insurance)

Any one of these situations could have disastrous consequences for your charity – so it’s wise to get the right type of charity insurance cover for your needs, but if you’re wondering ‘what is charity insurance exactly?’ it can be confusing, as the term covers so much.

Why choose Markel Direct for charity insurance?

At Markel Direct, we have an unrivalled understanding of the risks facing small charities and community groups. That’s why our specialist charity and non-profit insurance policies are tailored to protect you and your organisation. Below are just some of the reasons why you should take out a charity insurance cover policy with us:

✔ Affordable policies
Premiums start at £3 a month*, providing your organisation with affordable cover

✔ Cover you can trust
As part of Markel International, a Lloyd’s and London market insurer, we accumulated gross premium totals of £1.09 billion ($1.49bn) in 2020.

✔ We care
Since 2008, we’ve donated more than £150,000 to our supported charity, Carers Trust, and supported charity awards including the Third Sector Excellence Awards and Britain's Best Volunteer in partnership with Small Charities Coalition.

✔ Quick quotes
Use our online quote form to get a quote in 90 seconds, from £3 a month* for charity insurance cover

✔ Positive customer reviews
We’re highly rated by our customers at Feefo.com and are trusted by over 200,000 customers.

When it comes to insurance for small charities and non-profit groups, you can trust Markel Direct to deliver.

Call us on 0800 640 6604 and our experts will help you choose the right cover for your charity or group.

*Price based on a small charity requiring £500,000 of professional indemnity and trustees’ liability insurance.

How much does charity and not-for-profit groups insurance cost?

The cost of insurance for small charities and non-profit groupsvaries depending on the type of charity or group. For instance, if you run a youth club, children’s and youth club insurance will be relevant to you and will come with its own costs. Other factors that influence the cost are:, along with:

• the income of your charity or group
• the level of cover you need
• the activities your charity undertakes

With our charity insurance, you'll receive instant proof of cover, meaning you’re immediately protected.

If your circumstances change and you wish to cancel your policy with us, there are no hidden fees or cancellations fees.

Premiums start at £3 a month* - get a quick quote now or call us on 0333 242 9086.

You can read more charity FAQs here. Alternatively, you can read our charity guides here.

How to buy charity insurance

Markel Direct makes buying charity insurance simple. Just answer a few questions about your organisation and we’ll offer you a range of options including insurance for small charities and non-profit groups. You can choose to buy some or all the cover quoted, and you’ll have the option to spread the cost of your insurance over 10 interest free monthly payments, or pay it in one sum.

If you need to consult your charity's board or committee before arranging charity insurance cover, we can help. We'll email you a copy of your quote instantly and give you up to 30 days to choose whether to go ahead.

Get an online quote now in just 90 seconds and find out how little it could cost to cover your charity.

Our support for the charity and voluntary sector

We’ve raised over £150,000 for our supported charity, as well as being involved in other projects supporting the voluntary sector. We understand the value small charities and community groups have in society.

You can read more about our support of the community and charity sector here.

We’ve also put together a hub of content for charities covering a range of topics from legal tips to marketing how to guides and more. You can access our help and guidance for charities here .

*Price based on a small charity requiring £500,000 of trustees’ liability and charity professional indemnity insurance.

Customer reviews

4.8/5

Rated 4.8 stars from 351 customer reviews at Google

Policy Documents

More charity & community organisations we cover

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Cover starting at £3 a month

Tailor your charity insurance policy and buy online

Public liability insurance and employers' liability insurance

To ensure comprehensive protection against claims, we group our public liability insurance and employers' liability insurance together.

Public liability insurance covers the cost of defending your charity if someone is injured, or their property damaged, due to your negligence. Without cover in place, the legal fees alone could cost your group thousands of pounds. Cover for £5m.

Employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement if you employ staff or volunteers. It covers against allegations of injury or illness suffered by staff during their employment. If your charity has employees on a full-time, part-time or volunteer basis, this cover is essential. Cover for £10m.
Trustee indemnity insurance and professional indemnity insurance

Trustee indemnity insurance covers the legal costs and expenses of defending against disqualification as a trustee, investigations or extradition proceedings, protecting the trustee’s personal wealth. If your charity has trustees, you should give serious consideration to trustee indemnity insurance. Cover from £250k to £1m.

Professional indemnity insurance covers the cost of defending your charity against allegations of professional negligence, such as giving poor or incorrect advice to a user of your services. This could be someone undergoing counselling with your charity, for example.

Entity defence covers your charity against identity fraud, investigations (other than by HM Revenue & Customs), corporate manslaughter and breach of contract. Entity defence is included in your policy at no additional cost when trustee liability insurance is part of your policy. Cover for £25,000.
Property damage insurance

Property damage insurance covers your buildings, general contents (including stock), computer equipment, tenant improvements and glass (for which you are responsible) against accidental damage (including theft) whilst on your charity's premises. You can also choose to insure your charity's equipment (such as laptops and mobile phones) on a worldwide basis, and insure against additional trading expenses following an interruption (for example, a flood that means your charity has to operate from another premises).
Legal representation and employment disputes insurance

Legal representation and employment disputes protects your charity or not-for-profit organisation against employment disputes, official investigations and other serious matters, including crisis management, identity fraud, official investigations (excluding HMRC), corporate manslaughter, pollution and data protection issues. Cover for £100,000.
Money and personal assault

Money and personal assault covers loss of money for fixed limits up to a maximum of £250,000 for non-negotiable money (e.g. crossed cheques) and £2,500 for negotiable money depending on the nature of the loss. In addition to this if you, or members of your family, or employees, or members of their family, are injured during a robbery or attempted robbery, we will pay you either £5,000 or £50 per week for 104 weeks (depending on the nature of the injury).
Cyber and data risks insurance

Cyber and data risks insurance protects your charity in the event of a targeted cyber attack, paying the costs of restoring data and equipment, informing clients, meeting ransom demands and loss of your net profit. It also pays your legal defence costs and damages you are legally liable to pay to other parties. If your charity holds confidential or sensitive data about its service users, donors and volunteers, you should consider arranging this cover. Cover from £50k to £250k.
Fidelity insurance

Fidelity insurance protects your charity against dishonesty or fraud by volunteers or employees. Unfortunately fraud against charities and not-for-profits has become a common occurrence, with fabricated invoices, fraudulent expenses and donation theft occurring at organisations of all sizes. Fidelity insurance pays any losses your organisation incurs as a result of such dishonesty or fraud. Cover for £50k.
Occupational personal accident insurance

Occupational personal accident insurance helps your charity's volunteers and employees if they are accidentally injured in the course of your activities. It pays a weekly amount for temporary total disablement, or a lump sum if they suffer loss of limbs, sight, speech, hearing, permanent total disablement or death. Charities that carry out any kind of activity outdoors should give consideration to this cover. Limits from £100 per week/£25k lump sum to £500 per week/£100k lump sum.

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Frequently asked questions

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Cover starting at £3 a month

Frequently asked questions

Can we get insurance if we’re not a registered club?

Yes – you don’t need to be a registered charity to get cover for your group. Many of our clients are small charities or community organisations that are new or are too small to be a registered charity.
Does the policy cover volunteers?

Yes - the employers' liability and public liability section of the policy provides cover for your volunteers. As long as you purchase this section of cover from us, your volunteers will be covered.

To find out more on insurance for volunteers, read our article here.
Does the insurance cover events?

Yes - the public liability section of the policy provides cover for charity events (such as fundraising) for up to 500 attendees.
We don't have a regular meeting place - can you insure us?

Yes. We cover hundreds of small charities, community groups and clubs that don't have a regular meeting place and instead rotate between different venues, such as members' homes, village halls and community centres.
Why should I insure with Markel?

Established over 25 years ago, we've gained an expert understanding of the risks facing small charities and community groups, and our policies are specially designed to protect you.

We actively support the third sector. Since 2008, we have donated more than £150,000 to our supported charity, Carers Trust, and have supported numerous charity awards including the Third Sector Excellence Awards and Britain's Best Volunteer in partnership with Small Charities Coalition.

We are a division of Markel International, a Lloyd’s and London market insurer that wrote gross premium totals of $2.4bn in 2023. Still not sure? Call us on 0800 640 6604 - one of our insurance experts will be more than happy to answer any questions you have and talk you through the insurance we offer so you can choose the right cover for your charity or group. Alternatively, get a quote now and call us later if anything needs clarifying.
How are Markel Direct regulated?

Markel Direct is a trading name of Markel International Insurance Company Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Find out more on the Financial Services Register.

We are a division of Markel International, a Lloyd’s of London market insurer that wrote gross premium totals of £2.4bn in 2023

What limit of cover should I choose?

Take into consideration the charity sector you operate, the size of your organisation and the effect a claim would have on it. Certain service providers, such as a village hall, may require you to have a certain limit in order to use their facilities, so be sure to check before arranging cover.
You can tailor your policy to include cover for as much or as little as you like, meaning you will only ever pay for the charity insurance you choose.

Our support of the community and charity sector

As a specialist provider of insurance for small charities and non-profit groups, we are only too aware of the importance of these organisations. That’s why we support the sector in a number of ways.

Britain's Best Volunteer award

Britain's Best Volunteer award, run in partnership with Small Charities Coalition, celebrates the achievements of those who volunteer their time to help small charities, local community groups and not-for-profit organisations. The winner receives a donation of £1,250 to their charity, while each runner-up finalist receives a £250 donation, as well as generating valuable awareness for small groups that may otherwise struggle to be heard above other, larger charities.

Carers Trust - our supported charity

Carers Trust work to improve support, services and recognition for anyone living with the challenges of caring, unpaid, for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems. Carers don’t choose to become carers: it just happens and they have to get on with it. We've raised over £150,000 for this deserving cause through cake sales, dress down days, sponsorship and challenges. In addition, each Christmas we donate around 100 hand-wrapped gifts to our local carers centre to give to isolated carers that are unable to travel far from home.

Third Sector Awards - headline sponsor

The Third Sector Awards recognise those who give back to the community and celebrates organisations and leaders from across the charity sector. As headline sponsors, we are proud to support the awards and the opportunity it gives charities to raise their profile and increase valuable awareness of their cause.

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Charity insurance