Nonprofit 101: Screening personnel for the organization
West Seegmiller explains that nonprofits are just like any organization. They have employees as well, who many times, come in the form of volunteers. And while nonprofits have limited budgets, they make do with what they have. As for their personnel, most of the time, nonprofit volunteers are hardworking, dedicated, and sincere.
However, there are rare instances when nonprofit volunteers don’t really have the organization’s mission and vision at heart. This can pose a problem, especially when volunteers will be in constant contact with children, seniors, and other vulnerable individuals, such as those with special needs. As such, a background investigation is needed.
West Seegmiller mentions that for many nonprofits, background checks aren’t mandatory. However, most of these organizations have policies on screening that do involve background checks as protective measures for the nonprofits, their clients, and their benefactors. A good example of this is churches. In many areas, churches don’t require background checks but still go through the motions, especially when volunteer applicants will be working closely with the community.
Background checks on nonprofit volunteers are usually the same as background checks of regular companies. Screening involves looking at several pertinent information such as criminal records, employment histories, educational attainment, references, and more, West Seegmiller adds.