Volunteers play a huge role in most nonprofit organizations. Serving at-risk populations and filling gaps where budgets just don’t stretch. While most organizations perform background checks for newly hired employees, where do volunteers fit in? Should nonprofits invest in background checks for the volunteer workforce as well as compensated staff?
While the benefits of having a volunteer force seem endless, NPOs must also consider the risk. It only takes one incident to damage an organization’s credibility, scare off clients and new volunteers, all while sending employee morale in a downward spiral.
Every nonprofit should play it safe when it comes to volunteer screening. Intellicorp, one company specializing in risk management, says “background screening should no longer be an option; it is a necessary practice to safeguard an organization and society.” While background checks are not always in the budget, there are low-cost and even free searches that can be used to screen volunteers. Local law enforcement agencies may also offer criminal background checks for free or for a small fee. Some organizations will also ask the potential volunteer to cover the cost. Depending on the information desired from the background check, the cost can range from $4 – $50.
If your organization services children, or even allows children to volunteer, a sex offender and sexual predator check is a must. These free searches can be done by state or at the National Sex Offender and Predator Website. Many organizations play it safe by having a no sex offender policy. Each organization should evaluate their policies on this important topic to provide their clients and other volunteers the safest environment possible.
Intellicorp suggests using a combination of national and local searches in order to be thorough.
Background checks can also help protect an organization from theft and other criminal behavior. Conducting a background check will tell an organization whether a prospective new volunteer has been involved in any questionable activity in the past. It can also raise a red flag to let the organization know if the applicant has been honest on their volunteer application.
In short, volunteers should be treated as a potential employee to keep everyone safe and protect the integrity of the organization.