Yes, it’s really a crime
How can a youth sports league protect itself from embezzlement and theft by volunteers? These crime rates are growing quicker than people may notice or care to see, and it’s no longer just a corporate problem. In a tough economy many people are losing their homes and vehicles, and desperate to find a means to pay for the lifestyle to which they’ve become accustomed.
Unfortunately, all too often their solution isn’t just an innocent rearranging of funds, but a matter of stealing from children. Although we have stressed the importance of risk management in local leagues for years, even national organizations such as the National Alliance for Youth Sports have begun an awareness campaign about swindling of funds in their publication, Sporting Kid Magazine.
When we speak to leagues about risk management and crime insurance for league funds, here are some of the responses we often receive:
- “It would never happen to us.”
- “We have measures in place for that.”
- “I’m the only one in control of the money, and I wouldn’t take it.”
Unfortunately, we can’t dictate people’s actions or decisions. We’ve seen too many cases of individuals who went to great lengths to appropriate funds and no one, not even the treasurer, saw what was was going on until it was too late.
Don’t let it happen to your organization. Call us at (800) 622-7370 so we can help you put the safeguards you need in place today.
