From Camp to Headquarters: Holding National Organizations Liable for Local Abuse at Georgia Churches and Camps

Parents often assume that a local church program, camp, or youth group is backed by a strong national organization with solid safety practices. Many families feel reassured when they see a familiar national name attached to a local program.

But when abuse occurs at the local level, the next question usually feels urgent: Does the responsibility stop with the local staff, or can the national organization also be held liable?

Georgia law does give certain protections to volunteers and nonprofit leaders, yet those protections don’t reach every situation. And they don’t prevent a national group from being held accountable when its own decisions or lack of oversight contribute to a child’s harm.

How Georgia Treats Volunteer Immunity

Georgia shields volunteers, directors, and officers of nonprofit organizations when they act in good faith and within their roles. The law also protects volunteers in youth sports or safety programs, but that protection disappears when the conduct involves reckless or intentional harm. Immunity also doesn’t stretch further than the organization’s insurance coverage in some programs.

What often surprises people is that these protections apply to individuals, not the nationwide entity itself. A national office that creates safety rules, approves training, or provides hiring guidance can still face liability if those policies are careless or ignored.

When the National Organization May Be Responsible

To hold a national group liable, you need to show that it had a duty to keep children safe and failed to meet that duty. Courts often look closely at training materials, safety manuals, communication between national and local staff, and any history of complaints. If the national office had the authority to enforce rules or knew of problems and didn’t act, liability becomes more likely. If the local program operated almost entirely on its own, the national entity may be harder to reach.

We Stand With Survivors

If your child was harmed in a program connected to a national organization, you deserve clear answers about your legal options. The Williams Litigation Group investigates both local and national actors to determine who contributed to the failure. Call 866-214-7036 to discuss your case and take the next step toward accountability.