Tool lets nonprofits screen volunteers

November 21, 2008

A new partnership aims to make it easier and more cost-effective for nonprofits to conduct background checks on their volunteers.

The National Council of Nonprofits and MyBackgroundCheck.com now are offering a risk-management program to member nonprofits through a portal called Volunteer Tracking System.

The goal of the efforts is to help nonprofits keep predators out of their organizations' volunteer ranks.

More than one in four nonprofits did not conduct any type of background check on their volunteers, with most citing cost as the primary reason, says a study released earlier this year by the National Center for Victims of Crime.

With the new technology, nonprofits can compare potential volunteers to a "denied parties list" that includes people reported by other organizations for "adverse behaviors."

If applicants are found on that list, no further background check is necessary. When further checking is necessary, MyBackgroundCheck.com offers flexible packages conducted through an online interface.

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