Legal & Insurance

Rebekah Miller - Publications & Websites Manager

Do you need a contract reviewed and signed? Is your church asking for insurance for your student event? Need a copy of our non-profit status information? You have come to the right place! Below you will find key information on Legal & Insurance matters, including links to all the forms you need.

Legal, Contract Procedures

Liability Insurance

Legal

Contract Review and Approval Procedures

ALL contracts MUST be reviewed and approved by an authorized representative of International Students, Inc.
Please do not sign a contract of any kind.
Send ALL legal contracts for student events, retreats, use of church meeting space, etc. to the Director of Operations (Alex Tovar) for review and approval.

- Liability Insurance -

What is liability insurance and why is it important?
• We realize that information about liability insurance may not be your greatest priority. For that reason, we have made every effort to make the liability insurance process as smooth as possible for you—so that you can focus on reaching international students.
• Liability insurance simply refers to insurance that protects International Students, Inc. during certain activities where there is a higher risk of injury or property damage claims and/or lawsuits.
• Our ministry-minded insurance broker provides coverage with insurance companies that understand our operations and how we do ministry. This has allowed us to provide our field team with a streamlined process for insurance-related matters.

Following is a list of Q&As to help you navigate this important process:

What types of “covered” activities can I do with international students?

Our liability insurance has an expanded list of covered student activities, including routine events (ICFs, Bible studies, etc.) as well as camping, hiking, ice fishing, and many more.

Please download the ISI Activities List to confirm your activity is covered. If you are unsure about coverage for your activity, please contact the ISI Home Office in advance. (Also, please note that some covered activities require that you notify the ISI Home Office in advance.)
Keep in mind that signatures and Home Office notifications are only needed for certain trips, retreats, sporting activities, etc. or activities with a risk of injury. No signatures are needed for your weekly or routine gatherings for study or fellowship at your home, church, school, etc.

What happens if a student gets injured during an ISI event?

If a student or volunteer is injured, please seek immediate medical attention.
Notify the ISI Home Office as soon as possible for the necessary forms and procedures to file a claim with the appropriate insurance carrier.
Our liability insurance provides “primary” liability coverage for events held in your home or a volunteer’s home. "Primary" means that our policy will cover any damages and/or claims (within limits) for bodily injury first—before a homeowner’s insurance policy.
We also have limited coverage for injuries to students or volunteers during official International Students, Inc. events (at retreats, sporting activities, etc.). Note: This limited coverage is “secondary” and the student’s or volunteer’s personal medical insurance policy will need to cover medical expenses first. Our policy would cover costs that the student’s or volunteer’s policy does not (up to a predetermined limited amount).

My church or event center is requesting proof of insurance. What do I do?

Please contact the ISI Home Office with details about your event (type, dates, etc.) so that we can request a certificate of insurance for your event.
Note: If your event requires a contract, please note that all contracts must be approved and signed by the ISI Home Office.

Need to rent a car for an ISI event?

While our insurance is “primary” on hired auto vehicles (car/van rentals), we highly recommend that you purchase the additional insurance provided by the rental car company.
Rental car contracts usually have hidden costs added in, and you could be held responsible for costs above ISI’s insurance coverage and limits. Further, the claims process in the event of an accident or damage involving a rental car can be burdensome, often taking many hours and months to resolve.

Is insurance coverage for childcare available?

Childcare insurance coverage is provided with some limitations. Please read the Guidelines for Ministry Workers provided by Brotherhood Mutual for additional details.
In general terms:

If childcare is provided by ISI, you must have two workers above the age of 18 for any childcare provided at your event.
Background checks must be performed for anyone working with minors. Contact the ISI Home Office for instructions.
If you are using childcare from a church or organization, check their policies carefully to confirm that background checks were performed on anyone working with minors.
We encourage you to utilize childcare workers known by you personally, other staff, or a volunteer. Check references as needed.

Do I need to ask students to fill out any forms to participate in ISI activities?

Our insurance policies require that we obtain a signed Release of Liability Form for all activities that may involve a “risk of injury.”

“Risk of injury” activities may include certain trips, retreats, sporting activities, etc. In general, no signatures are needed for students participating in your weekly or routine gatherings for study or fellowship at your home, church, school, etc.

2. If you are hosting an event with a “risk of injury” involved, please download the Release of Liability Form and complete one (1) form per student per year. You may add each activity the student participates in throughout the year on the form.
3. Electronic signatures are allowed, and you DO NOT need to submit this form to the ISI Home Office. Simply manage this process locally, making sure you keep the forms with you for at least one year.

For example, a student or volunteer may sign this form at the beginning of the year for all events and then as the student attends an event, simply add the “risk of injury” event on the back of the form. Be sure to keep the current school year’s forms on file and then discard them when the next school year begins.
Note that you cannot change the actual wording of the release form.

Do I need to have an emergency response plan for Student events?

Yes, you should plan to have a comprehensive Emergency Response Plan for all ISI student events. This plan should include procedures for who, when, what, why and how you and your team will respond to medical and other types of emergencies. Discussing this with your team ahead of time will ensure that any chaos during your event is mitigated as much as possible. For practical tips and guidelines, please view the recommendations from our insurance carrier, Brotherhood Mutual by clicking HERE.

Still have questions?
Contact the ISI Home Office if you have any questions. We are here to help make this process as smooth as possible for you.

- Music/Video Use Information -

A reminder regarding the music and video copyright issues pertaining to your local ministries: Don’t forget that if you are using choruses, songs, hymns, video clips, or movies in your ministry gatherings or websites, you must obtain the appropriate license to do so. Whether these items are projected via PowerPoint, distributed as paper copies, or shown in your home versus another venue, copyright laws specifically restrict your group use without a license.

For more information, check out the following websites:
Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI)
Christian Video Licensing International (CVLI)

- Social Media Policy -

Please download the following excerpt from the ISI Handbook related to international student information on social media and the Social Media Message (for additional tips and guidelines). Before posing images of students, the students must read and sign the media release form below; email the signed copies to Rebekah Miller.

Social Media Policy (ISI Handbook)

Social Media Message

Liability and Media release combined

- Use of Student Event Photos -

We are excited to announce some new and easier guidelines related to the use of student photos taken at international student events. Below is a list of Frequently Asked Questions to help guide you through this important topic. If you have any questions, please contact Rebekah Miller.

Can we post photos of students on social media, online or in other publications?

Yes, with the following guidelines:

You provide notice that photos will be taken at the event in advance. This should include a notice in any promotional materials and posting highly visible signs at the event (usually at registration). Be as clear as possible regarding where the photos will be posted (e.g. “Photos of our retreat will be posted on the group Facebook page”).
It is highly recommended that you assign a specific ISI team member or volunteer to take official event photos and that only those pictures are posted online.
Group photos may be posted as long as you do not identify individuals by name.
If a student or other individual requests that their picture not be used, or that it be removed, you must comply with their request immediately.
Never post pictures of minors unless parents give specific written permission via a media release form.

Are students required to sign a media release form?

Media release forms are now only required if you plan to use a photo/video of a specific student or group of students who will be identified by name.

Photos/videos that include minors (e.g. children of international students and/or ISI team members) always require written permission.

Where can I find the media release form?

Please click on the link to download the Liability and Media Combined Release document.

Can I “tag” students in our Facebook posts (or other similar feature on Social Media)?

NO. ISI team members may not “tag” students in photos unless a media release has been obtained by those students you wish to “tag.”

International students, however, may “tag” each other.

What are some other best practices?

Refrain from posting photos of students whom you specifically know may face a significant security risk.

Immediately remove photos of students who request their photos not be used. This may include group photos.