Did you know you could get your homebrew club’s insurance policy paid for entirely by the American Homebrewers Association (AHA)?
A major benefit for homebrew clubs registered with the AHA is our homebrew club insurance program. During the 2020–2021 policy period, more than 394 homebrew clubs covering nearly 18,000 homebrewers have opted for general and liquor liability insurance ($1 million per occurrence; $3 million aggregate), which collectively covers both club meetings and club-sponsored events for up to 1,000 attendees, all at a cost to the club of just $4.40 per club member.
Of those 394 homebrew clubs, 62 opted for Directors and Officers Insurance. The D&O insurance policy provides liability coverage for the club’s directors and officers for decisions they make while serving the club in that capacity. Individuals can be held personally liable for these decisions while representing their club and the D&O insurance provides coverage that includes costs to defend the directors, officers, and the club against a lawsuit.
Disclaimer: Great American Insurance Group has provided West’s Insurance a $0.15 increase in premium per member, bringing the cost per member to $4.40 for the 2021–2022 policy term. The premium rate increase is a typical market increase based on the type of insurance (General Liability) and the exposure around alcohol. The American Homebrewers Association continues to not take any marketing fees or commissions from this program, ensuring our members enjoy the absolute lowest premiums possible.
Free Club Insurance
In 2017, the AHA began reimbursing these insurance premiums for homebrew clubs that report at least 75% of their club membership as American Homebrewers Association members (applicable to only annual memberships).In the first year, 12 clubs qualified for free insurance, and today that number has grown by more than 400 percent to 52 qualified homebrew clubs representing more than 1,400 homebrewers.
Because every homebrew club should have free insurance, we put together the following tips to help your club reach that 75% AHA membership threshold to qualify for reimbursement.
1. Set up an AHA membership station at club meetings
There’s no easier way to sign up folks in your club for AHA membership than simply having a computer available during club meetings with the AHA sign-up page. Bonus: if your club participates in our membership referral program (it’s free!), then you will receive a portion of the membership dues for every person who joins the AHA through your club’s referral page!
2. Include your club’s membership referral link in all of your newsletters
Hosting a permanent link to your club’s AHA membership referral page on your website is great, but most of your members likely read your newsletter more often than they visit the website. You’ll want to make sure that the referral link features prominently in every newsletter and post it often in your club’s social media groups.
3. Request a list of current AHA members who are in your club
Most of the homebrew clubs that received free insurance started by requesting a list of AHA members in their club so that they knew which club members still needed to sign up. To request a list, just send us an email at any time!
4. Encourage your club members to add Household Members
An easy way to see a big jump in your club’s AHA member ratio is to encourage them to add a Household Member to their AHA account. No matter when your AHA membership expires, the Household Members on your account gets the same expiration date for just $29!
5. Ensure that your club members add the club to their AHA profile
This is a critical step to take for all homebrew club leaders! Always encourage your club members to update their AHA profiles to list their club affiliation. This easy three-step process only needs to be done once.
Have more questions about the homebrew club insurance and AHA membership? Don’t hesitate to send us an email!
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