Historical Institutions Insurance
Overview
The McGowan Companies’ Historical Institutions Insurance program is a specialty market designed for museums, cultural institutions, performing arts groups and related nonprofit organizations. As a managing general underwriter, McGowan offers tailored combinations of umbrella, directors & officers (D&O), employment practices (EPLI) and fiduciary liability coverage through a variety of admitted and non-admitted markets. Coverage options are structured to protect institutional assets, volunteer leadership, employees and the organization’s reputation from the unique exposures faced by historical and cultural institutions.
Ideal Accounts and Target Classes
This program targets not-for-profit and municipal/affiliate institutions with exposures common to museums, galleries and cultural venues. Typical classes we place include:
- Aquariums, planetariums and nature centers
- Arboretums, botanical gardens and natural history museums
- Art galleries, children's museums and general museums
- Historical societies & museums and heritage organizations
- Orchestras, theater groups and other performing arts organizations
Accounts with paid staff, active volunteer programs, and boards with fiduciary responsibilities are a particularly good fit.
Coverage Highlights
- Umbrella limits: $1M – $25M (available to follow form over specified underlying lines)
- Directors & Officers (D&O): $1M primary limits with broad features
- Employment Practices Liability (EPLI): $1M limits
- Fiduciary Liability: $500,000 limits
Key D&O features include defense costs outside the limits, coverage for monetary and non-monetary claims, personal injury offense coverage, third-party discrimination, defense of breach of third-party contract claims and publishers liability. EPLI wording names the organization, executives, employees and volunteers as insureds to reflect the makeup of cultural institutions.
Available Umbrella "Follow Form" Coverages
Umbrella follow-form capacity can be written over:
- General Liability
- Automobile Liability
- Employee Benefits Liability
- Directors & Officers Liability
- Employers Liability
- Liquor Liability
Underwriting Notes
Underwriting focuses on governance, risk management practices, claims history and exposures tied to volunteers and public events. Accounts with robust board oversight, formal HR practices, documented volunteer supervision and secured exhibition handling score favorably. High-risk features such as primary liquor exposure without controls, large unguarded populations, or significant special event admissions may require additional terms or decline.
Carrier availability varies by account and state. Please submit with current financials (if available), a description of operations and any recent loss runs to obtain market-specific terms. Minimum premiums and final placement terms are set by the admitted or non-admitted carrier selected for each risk.
Territories and Availability
This program is available in the following states: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, DC, WV, WI, WY. Carrier options and admitted status may vary by state.
Why Place This Business With The McGowan Companies
McGowan Program Administrators combines niche underwriting expertise with access to multiple markets, giving brokers flexibility to place complex cultural and nonprofit risks. The program is designed for efficient quoting and placement for accounts that need management liability, employment practices and umbrella layering that align with the operational realities of museums, galleries and performing arts organizations.
Example Scenarios
- You have a midsize historical society with paid staff, a 12-member volunteer board and annual special events — this program can combine D&O, EPLI and umbrella limits to address leadership, employee and third-party exposures.
- You represent a regional children’s museum that hosts classes, summer camps and ticketed public exhibitions — EPLI with volunteer coverage plus umbrella follow-form capacity may be appropriate to protect both day-to-day operations and special events.
For submission guidance and current appetite, contact McGowan Program Administrators. Provide a brief operations statement, current underwriting application, and loss history to begin placement.