Background Check Information

Volunteers are screened for many of the same reasons employers conduct background checks on employees. The ultimate goal is to verify identity and filter out potential problems, especially issues that could arise from an undisclosed criminal history or questions about past behaviors.

Why volunteers and employees should be background checked?

If you are a parent or legal guardian you have a legitimate right to assurance that your child is safe, whether at an after-school program or a trip to the ball game with their mentor. If you have an elderly family member, you would want to know your loved one is not a target for abuse and is being cared for by a vetted individual or group of vetted individuals.

Failure to maintain security can be devastating to an organization. This could result in a loss of community support, funding cuts, or even a lawsuit for negligent selection of a volunteer. Even when faced with an unfortunate incident involving a volunteer, an organization will fare better by having made a good faith effort to conduct a background check. Background checks are best practices in mentoring. It does not make sense to run an organization that has volunteers and employees without them. It is your way to guard yourself and your organization against predators and improve the overall quality of mentoring.