Santa Cruz, Sept. 09, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nonprofits Insurance Alliance (NIA), the leader in insurance and risk management for the 501(c)(3) nonprofits sector, today announced it has been awarded the National Safety Council (NSC) Training Center of the Year for Defensive Driving. Every year NSC Defensive Driving Team recognizes training centers for the most drivers trained in NSC programs.

As the nation’s leading insurance carrier focused exclusively on 501(c)(3) organizations, NIA provides its nearly 20,000 members with extensive risk management resources that help mitigate risks nonprofits face in their daily operations. NIA first introduced driver training in 1996, recognizing an unmet need nonprofit organizations had to prepare their workforce. Using its own claims database to understand the causes of auto accidents reported by members, NIA determined that one in three incidents involved only the drivers’ vehicle. In the ensuing years, thousands of NIA member organizations have benefited from free driver training classes covering passenger cars, vans, and straight/box trucks. Not only are nonprofit employees better prepared to drive safely, but nonprofits themselves benefit from fewer claims and less disruption to operations.

“Keeping nonprofits healthy and in business is why we exist and investing in valuable training for our members is an important part of our mission,” said Melissa Yarnell, Chief Risk Officer at NIA. “Receiving the training center of the year award from the National Safety Council for our driver safety program is great recognition for the work we do in keeping our members, their clients and our communities safe.  Driver training can be very costly for our members, so we proudly pay for the service so that our nonprofits can spend their resources on crucial services for our communities.”

The National Safety Council recognizes excellence in safety through a variety of safety awards and recognition programs. “To be recognized with a National Safety Council Award is validation of the hard work by many in the name of safety both inside and outside the organizational setting,” said Amy K. Harper, PhD, CSP, SMS, Director of Workplace Strategy & Consulting Operations, National Safety Council. “It is our hope that recognition of excellence in safety will not only encourage other companies to emulate what works, but provide a benchmark and inspiration for what is possible.”

National Safety Council is the nation’s leading safety advocate, working to eliminate preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road. To make the greatest impact, the Council focuses on opioid misuse and overdose, defensive and attentive driving, automotive technology advancements, teen safety, worker safety and fatigue.

NIA is marking its 30^th anniversary in 2019. Founded during an insurance market crisis, NIA has demonstrated the ongoing need for the nonprofit sector to have its own organization, one focused on the exclusive risks and needs of 501(c)(3) organizations.

About Nonprofits Insurance Alliance

Nonprofits Insurance Alliance (NIA) is a cooperative of 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit insurers whose sole purpose is to serve 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofits. NIA provides a stable source of reasonably-priced insurance tailored to the unique needs and budgets of nonprofits. NIA also provides risk management resources exclusively to 501(c)(3) nonprofits to help prevent incidents that disrupt nonprofits’ services to vulnerable communities. The NIA group is comprised of Nonprofits Insurance Alliance of California (NIAC), Alliance of Nonprofits for Insurance, RRG (ANI), National Alliance of Nonprofits for Insurance (NANI), and Alliance Member Services.

About the National Safety Council

The National Safety Council (nsc.org) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to eliminate preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. Founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress, NSC advances this mission by partnering with businesses, government agencies, elected officials and the public in areas where we can make the most impact.