FAQ: Insurance for Make Music Vermont

Do I Need Insurance for Make Music Vermont Events?

Short answer: Probably not, especially for smaller chapters. But here's how to think about it.

Understanding the Risk

The reason to get insurance is so that if something goes wrong (someone is injured at an event), and someone sues your Make Music chapter, you have coverage to pay out.

But Consider This

Most smaller Make Music chapters don't have assets to seize. If your organization consists of a banner and some flyers, there's nothing to collect. Plus, when participants sign up through the Gemini platform, they agree to terms making clear they're responsible for their own events.

Types of Insurance

Directors & Officers Insurance (D&O)

What it covers: Protects board members personally against lawsuits arising from organizational activities.

Cost: Approximately $1,000/year (varies by location)

When to consider: If your chapter has a formal board structure and handles significant money.

General Liability Insurance (GL)

What it covers: Injuries, property damage, and other liability claims.

Cost: $5,000–$11,000+/year depending on scope

When to consider: If you're producing large centralized events or if partners require proof of insurance.

The Practical Vermont Approach

For most Vermont chapters, insurance isn't necessary because:

1. Events are decentralized — each musician/venue is responsible for their own event
2. Many locations already have insurance — businesses, libraries, and public parks often have coverage
3. Risk is minimal — acoustic porch concerts aren't high-liability activities

When Partners Ask for Insurance

Sometimes a venue or town will ask: "Can you add us to your insurance policy?"

A helpful conversation:

Partner: We need you to add us to your insurance policy.

You: Do you already have your own insurance?

Partner: Yes, of course.

You: And you're producing this event at your location, right?

My own advice is the following.

Partner: Yes.

But the thing is, you probably don't have any assets. Is someone going to take your vinyl sign and a couple of t-shirts? I mean, no one will ever sue the organization because there's nothing they can collect. Plus, when people sign up with the Gemini platform, they click to "sign" a terms and conditions form that makes it clear they are responsible for their own concerts, not you.

You: So you're already covered then.

The way to guard against this is to get Directors and Officers Insurance (D&O). This covers all of the board members personally against lawsuits arising from MMN activities. And it's a lot cheaper than event insurance. To give you an idea, MMNY spends about $1,000 a year on the D&O policy, versus $11,000 a year on our general liability insurance (GL). In Nashville, your D&O will probably also be around $1,000, and I'd guess your GL policy would be at least $5,000. Although that's just a guess. You'd have to talk to a local insurance broker and see what things are like in your market. (It's also not a purely linear thing. The cost for covering 1,000 concerts is less than double the cost of 500.)

Partner: Oh... right. Never mind.

This works because Make Music Vermont doesn't produce events — individual venues and artists do. We coordinate and promote.

Recommendations by Chapter Size

Key Takeaway

The decentralized nature of Make Music Day is actually protective. Each event is organized by the participants at that location. Make Music Vermont coordinates and promotes but doesn't "produce" events in the traditional sense — which means liability typically rests with the individual organizers of each event, not with the chapter or statewide organization.