Nonprofit organizations operate on a tight budget and rely on volunteers to deliver their services. They must be able to onboard unverified members, risking their reputation and wasting funds.
Nonprofits should consider running background checks on all their employees and volunteers. This will help them to avoid legal issues like negligence claims and maintain a trusted service.
Prevents Liability Issues
Nonprofit organizations often operate on slim budgets and lack the staffing resources to conduct thorough criminal background checks of employees or volunteers. Some do not perform a background check, while others may use an inadequate non-compliant search that fails to identify prior arrests or convictions. The failure to perform a proper background check can expose the organization to lawsuits for negligent hiring.
A background check must be completed before onboarding any new volunteer or employee. A background check can help ensure that the charity is only working with people who can be trusted. The screening process should include verification of the applicant’s claimed education, employment history, and credentials. The criminal history check can also provide additional information indicating a risk, such as an active warrant or a sex offender registry record. The good news is that tools and best practices in background verification have improved over the years, making it easier and less expensive to conduct a thorough screening. Nonprofit leaders need to take advantage of this technology to identify potential risks. They should work with a reputable provider that is an accredited Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA) and understands the local, state, and federal laws that govern background checks.
Prevents Fraud
Many not-for-profits work with vulnerable communities, such as seniors, youth, and people experiencing homelessness. Hiring someone with a criminal record that could abuse or defraud these communities can have disastrous consequences. Conducting background checks helps prevent these incidents by ensuring that volunteers and employees don’t have criminal records that would raise red flags in a screening process.
Donors or private background screening companies assisting nonprofit organizations may conduct background checks. The latter often have access to state and federal repositories that aren’t available to the public, such as sex offender registries. In addition to criminal history searches, these firms have access to various tools to help a charity with its risk assessment. These include credit reports, Social Security number verifications, and DMV records. It’s important to note that when a volunteer applicant is subjected to a search, the charity must obtain extensive authorizations and disclosures and seek legal counsel to ensure that it complies with local, state, and federal law. Not-for-profits typically operate on a tight budget and must allocate resources to areas with the biggest impact on their clientele and bottom line. However, this shouldn’t be used as an excuse to avoid proper criminal history background checks.
Prevents Abuse of Vulnerable Communities
Nonprofit organizations often rely on volunteers to help them deliver their services. However, some nonprofits need to do proper background checks or use an outdated service that doesn’t comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Thankfully, today’s screening tools are faster and cheaper than ever before.
A criminal background check can prevent bad hires and ensure that the right people are in key positions at a charity organization. It can also save charity money by deterring theft, fraud, and other financial crimes that might hurt the organization’s reputation and bottom line. Many not-for-profits work closely with vulnerable communities, including seniors, young people, and the homeless. These vulnerable groups are especially susceptible to abuse, so charities must vet candidates thoroughly to protect them from potential predators. Fortunately, a background check can help to identify and reject applicants with a history of abusive behavior. Furthermore, it can also flag candidates convicted of serious crimes, such as violent and drug-related crimes. For instance, a background check that includes state courts can reveal information such as convictions for misdemeanor possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and felony racketeering, likely to disqualify a candidate from working in some positions at a nonprofit organization.
Saves Money
Nonprofit organizations operate on a tight budget and must maximize their limited resources. This means that the screening tools they use must be able to provide comprehensive criminal history information for both paid staff and volunteers without consuming much of their available budget.
Nonprofits rely on the public to fund their operations, so they must be able to maintain public trust by only hiring authentic people. A background check is one way to do this, but the checks must be thorough and conducted in compliance with FCRA regulations. Otherwise, the organization could face costly lawsuits or class actions, jeopardizing its reputation and financial stability.
While it is possible for nonprofits to conduct background checks using a free online service, these tools typically only include a small snapshot of an applicant’s criminal history. They also may need to verify the accuracy of education or work experience claims. To avoid these issues, nonprofits should seek the services of a professional background screening company that offers various verifications, including employment, education, and identity. It is also important that the company has access to state and federal repositories, including sex offender registries.