How to Run Volunteer Background Checks at Your Nonprofit

You've been meaning to start screening your volunteers for months. But the process feels complicated, the costs feel unclear, and you're not sure where to start. We get it.

The truth is, running background checks is simpler and cheaper than most people think. This guide walks you through every step — from understanding your legal requirements to choosing a provider, writing a policy, and tracking results in your volunteer management software.

Who Should Be Screened?

Not every volunteer role requires the same level of screening. Focus your resources on roles with the highest risk:

Always Screen

• Youth volunteers — Anyone working with children or minors in any capacity
• Transportation providers — Volunteers who drive participants
• Home visitors — Volunteers entering private residences
• Financial handlers — Volunteers with access to donations, bank accounts, or financial data
• Overnight chaperones — Volunteers supervising camps, retreats, or trips

Consider Screening

• Regular volunteers — Anyone serving more than a set number of hours per month
• Board members — Fiduciary responsibility warrants screening
• Event volunteers — Especially for events involving children or vulnerable populations

Lower Priority

• One-time group volunteers — Large groups doing supervised outdoor work
• Clerical volunteers — Administrative roles with no client contact

Step-by-Step: Running Background Checks

Step 1: Understand Your Legal Requirements

Background check requirements vary by state and activity:

• State laws — Many states require screening for volunteers in schools, daycares, healthcare facilities, and youth-serving programs. Check your state's specific requirements.
• Federal programs — If your nonprofit receives federal funding, check whether the grant requires volunteer screening.
• Insurance policies — Review your general liability and directors & officers (D&O) policies for screening requirements.
• Denominational requirements — Churches and faith-based organizations may have denominational screening mandates.

Step 2: Write a Screening Policy

Document your background check policy before you start screening. Include:

1. Which roles require screening — List specific volunteer positions and activities
2. What checks you will run — Criminal history, sex offender registry, driving record, etc.
3. Who pays — Your organization (recommended) or the volunteer
4. How results are evaluated — What disqualifies a volunteer? Who makes the decision?
5. Confidentiality — How screening results are stored, who has access, and retention period
6. Appeal process — How volunteers can dispute inaccurate results
7. Re-screening frequency — Annual re-checks for active volunteers (recommended)

Step 3: Choose a Background Check Provider

The three most popular providers for nonprofits:

Provider	Starting Price	Turnaround	Nonprofit Discount
Sterling Volunteers	$15–$25	1–5 days	Yes
Checkr	$15–$20	1–3 days	Volume discounts
GoodHire	$20–$30	1–5 days	Yes

How to choose:

• Volume — If you screen 100+ volunteers/year, negotiate volume pricing
• Speed — If you onboard volunteers quickly, prioritize fast turnaround (Checkr)
• Comprehensiveness — If you need multi-state searches, choose a provider with broad database access (Sterling)
• Budget — For tight budgets, basic criminal + sex offender checks ($15–$20) provide solid protection

Step 4: Obtain Consent

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires written consent before running a background check. Your consent form should:

• Clearly state that a background check will be conducted
• Name the screening provider
• Inform the volunteer of their rights under FCRA
• Be a standalone document (not buried in other paperwork)

Most background check providers supply consent forms you can customize.

Step 5: Run the Check

Submit volunteer information through your chosen provider. You'll typically need:

• Full legal name
• Date of birth
• Social Security Number (for comprehensive checks)
• Current address

Results are usually delivered through the provider's online portal within 1–5 business days.

Step 6: Evaluate Results

Not every record is disqualifying. Consider:

• Nature of the offense — Is it relevant to the volunteer role?
• How recent — A 20-year-old minor offense is different from a recent conviction
• Pattern — A single incident vs. a pattern of behavior
• Rehabilitation — Evidence of changed behavior and circumstances

Document your evaluation criteria in your screening policy. A consistent, documented process protects you from discrimination claims.

Step 7: Track Status with Software

Once checks are complete, record the results in your volunteer management software:

• Status — Pending, Approved, or Expired
• Date completed — When the check was run
• Expiration date — When re-screening is due (typically 12 months)
• Provider — Which service ran the check
• Notes — Any relevant details for coordinators

Alignmint tracks all of this on each volunteer's profile with color-coded status badges and automatic expiration alerts.

Cost Planning

For a nonprofit with 50 active volunteers screened annually:

• Basic checks (criminal + sex offender): $750–$1,250/year
• Comprehensive checks (criminal + sex offender + identity): $1,000–$1,750/year
• Enhanced checks (all of above + driving + education): $1,750–$3,500/year

Many nonprofits include background check costs in their volunteer program budget or allocate grant funds specifically for volunteer screening.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Screening only at signup — Re-screen annually. Criminal records can change.
2. Using free online searches — Consumer databases are incomplete and unreliable. Use a professional provider.
3. Blanket disqualification — Not every record should disqualify. Evaluate context and relevance.
4. Tracking in spreadsheets — Spreadsheets get lost, outdated, and shared with the wrong people. Use your volunteer CRM.
5. Forgetting consent — FCRA violations carry serious penalties. Always get written consent first.
6. Not having a policy — Ad hoc screening is legally risky. Document your policy before you start.

The Bottom Line

Volunteer background checks don't have to be expensive or complicated. Choose a provider, write a clear policy, get consent, and track results in your volunteer management software. The process protects your mission, satisfies your insurance and funders, and gives families confidence that your organization takes safety seriously.

Need a system to track background checks alongside volunteer hours, scheduling, and accounting? We include background check tracking on every plan — including the free Starter plan.

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Related reading:

• Nonprofit Volunteer Background Check Software: What to Look For
• Church Volunteer Background Check Requirements