activities related to the day-to-day running of the organization such as: HR, legal, employees, administration & operations, training/orientation, etc.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has developed guidance for Volunteers and Friends should there be a partial shutdown of the Federal government due to the lack of appropriations. The Service has shared this guidance with CORFA and we want to make sure you have a copy.
Yesterday federal workers were notified that a partial shutdown of the U.S. government is impending. The US Fish and Wildlife Service has posted their Contingency Plan for a Potential Lapse in Appropriations. The plan includes what employees will continue to work, the closing of facilities, and law enforcement.
We suggest that you prepare for all facilities being closed and programs conducted by USFWS staff canceled. Friends, if your office supplies and other materials are on the refuge or hatchery site we suggest you make plans to get them off site before the close of business, Saturday, September 30th
What you can do now to prepare for the shutdown:
If you need assistance please message us at coalitionrefugefriends@gmail.com and we will try to get answers. We will provide updates on the shutdown as we get them on our Facebook group.
Webinar recording and slides now available in the Resource Center.
DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) training is a journey, not a destination. We all have a role to play in creating a more open environment for everyone to connect with our refuges and hatcheries. In this webinar we discussed how to “find your starting point” and ways to make progress as a Friends group, both as independent organizations and as individual ambassadors for our public lands.
You will also have an had opportunity to learn about how to participate in DEI video-training from Traliant. This is being offered to Friends by the National Wildlife Refuge Association.
Webinar Recording and Slides (8/16/23)
Wednesday, March 15th, 2023 at 2pm ET
In this webinar, you will learn about basic types of insurance important for small nonprofits, including General Liability, Directors & Officers Liability, and Volunteer Accident coverage. We will also discuss insurance matters specific to Friends groups, including the ways in which private insurance compliments partnership agreements and is important even with the existence of various immunity/liability protection statutes designed to protect nonprofits.
Presenter
Meghan Mullee
Vice President, Conservation Practice
Alliant Insurance Services, Inc.
Meghan Mullee is Vice President of Alliant’s Conserve-A-Nation® Insurance Program, the largest specialty program for environmental nonprofits in the country. Meghan’s work focuses on nonprofit clients engaged in land conservation, environmental education, watershed restoration, and wildlife habitat preservation. She helps conservation organizations to clarify and evaluate risk and brokers insurance solutions for conservation clients at the national, regional, and local levels.
Do you and your Board wonder about what kinds of insurance you need and how to assess your risks? Want to know what the Friends Partnership Agreement means by “Indemnifying the Department of Interior”? Some of the most frequently asked questions to NWRA and CORFA are about Friends insurance needs. Below are links to the recording and other materials from and mentioned during the webinar.
A huge thank you to our very knowledgable presenter, Matthew Lokan of Bliss Sequoia Insurance & Risk Advisors.