Ep. 549 Kidnap, Ransom & Extortion Insurance: A Board-Recruitment Advantage for Nonprofit

Rancho Mesa's Alyssa Burley sits down with Associate Account Executive Jack Marrs discuss how having kidnap, ransom and extortion (KR&E) insurance benefits board-recruitment for nonprofits.

Show Notes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Rancho Mesa's Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Director/Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alyssa Burley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jack Marrs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Producer/Editor: Megan Lockhart

Music: "Home" by JHS Pedals, “Breaking News Intro” by nem0production

© Copyright 2025. Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcript

Alyssa Burley: You’re listening to Rancho Mesa’s StudioOne™ podcast, where each week we break down complex insurance and safety topics to help your business thrive. 

I’m your host, Alyssa Burley, and today I’m joined by Jack Marrs, Account Executive with the Human Services Group with Rancho Mesa, and we’re going to discuss how having kidnap, ransom and extortion or KR&E insurance benefits board-recruitment for nonprofits.

So Jack, welcome to the show.

Jack Marrs: Thanks for having me, Alyssa.

AB: Now, we insure many nonprofit organizations and actually I myself have sat on a few nonprofit boards in the past, and prior to working with Rancho Mesa, this type of insurance really wasn’t a concern of mine. So, will you explain what kidnap, ransom, and extortion insurance provides for nonprofit organizations and their board members?

JM: Yeah, absolutely. I’d say the best way to explain it in plain English is, it's going to give you a team of professionals and a budget if something were to go sideways. There's kidnapping, extortion threats, wrongful detention, hijacking, or even a disappearance. You're going to get access to 24/7 crisis professionals who jump in right away, coordinating with local authorities, securing translators and counsel handling communication, and guiding the playbooks so you’re not improvising under stress.

Then it's also going to reimburse you for the real-world costs that pile up, which can be consultant fees, security, medical, travel, and where allowed ransom and extortion payments.

AB: Yeah, so it sounds like some of the bigger nonprofits definitely need to have this type of coverage and maybe even some of the smaller ones as well. So why is KR&E insurance such an important factor when recruiting high caliber board candidates, especially those with public profiles or international responsibilities?

JM: Yeah, that's a great question. I'd say KR&E coverage is definitely like putting a pretty little bow on top of the coverage. It's going to make your board members know that you're actually thinking of them and I guess the footwork to acknowledge that, hey, potentially there is a threat, you're looking out for their personal safety. And, you know, obviously we're hoping that nothing comes to using this coverage, but if there ever was a need, it's going to get them access to those professionals right then and there.

And then I'd also just like to point out, like, seasoned board members, they're not just going to blindly say yes to join your board. They're going to want to look at your D&O, your travel protocols. Then they usually ask themselves, well, you know, if I am targeted because of my role or while traveling, how are we going to be protected? And being able to point to your KR&E policy and provide them with the 24/7 response number is a confidence move. It's going to tell serious candidates you thought ahead and you can put real help in motion any hour of the day that lowers their personal risk and removes a big barrier, especially for public figures or leaders with international duties.

AB: Yeah, I think that that's something that maybe not every nonprofit is thinking about, that if you want to bring in high quality people onto your board, they're going to want those things. So will you describe the kinds of situations that put nonprofits at risk? And how does KR&E help in those specific scenarios?

JM: Yeah, absolutely. The hotspots are pretty familiar, international site visits or launches in higher risk regions, higher profile board and advisory members who might be targeted for influence or perceived wealth, and fast-moving donors or fundraising trips where visibility is higher and plans change. KR&E is built for exactly those moments to deliver expert help on the ground and covering the cost so you can focus on people and resolutions and not just scrambling logistics.

I'd also like to just point out and circle back, I guess I'd say again, is it's really just going to provide you with a team of professionals who are familiar with the country, speak the language, know the laws. And they're the number you're going to call when things go south, if things go south, and provide you with the team to really make sure that your board members or your executives are safe.

AB: Yeah, I could see how this would be important, especially if you are going into another country. Maybe you're not as familiar, but, you know, there are potential risks. You know, if your organization is working in multiple locations throughout the world and even here in the United States, it could also be an issue as well.

So Jack, if listeners have questions, what’s the best way to get in contact with you?

JM: Clients can contact me at my email which is jmarrs@ranchomesa.com or give me a call directly at (619) 486-6569. 

AB: Alright, well Jack, thank you for joining me in StudioOne™. 

JM: Thanks for having me Alyssa.

AB: Thanks for tuning in to our latest episode produced by StudioOne™. If you enjoyed what you heard, please share this episode and subscribe. For more insights like this, visit us at RanchoMesa.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter