Who’s lending a hand? A national survey of nonprofit volunteer screening practices
Date
2008
Authors
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Volume Title
Publisher
The National Center for Victims of Crime
Abstract
Findings are presented from the National Center for Victims of Crime’s telephone survey of 517 nonprofit human service organizations in order to identify characteristics of organizations that regularly screen volunteers, the screening methods used, and how information revealed by screening is used in decision making. The vast majority of the reporting organizations indicated that they conduct some form of screening of incoming volunteers, but not all of these organizations conduct thorough screening. The majority of screening organizations conduct an interview of volunteers, but fewer organizations check references, and even fewer conduct full background checks. Organizations with a larger volunteer base were more likely to conduct interviews, reference checks, and background checks. Most organizations that conduct background checks submit volunteers to a name-based criminal records check but use other databases, such as sex offender registries and child and adult protection services. Fingerprint and credit history databases are used far less often. Only about half of the organizations that conduct background checks on prospective volunteers do so in more than one State or use national databases. In addition, the majority of organizations never re-screen volunteers after the initial screening. The majority of organizations reported that they disqualify prospective volunteers for an arrest or conviction for a crime, and the majority of organizations indicated they would disqualify a prospective volunteer for a child-abuse or elder-abuse report. Most organizations do not disqualify persons for having a poor credit history. The survey was conducted between February and April 2007. The organizations surveyed represented the categories of tax-exempt entities deemed most likely to engage volunteers and work with vulnerable clients.
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Keywords
survey, volunteer screening, non-profit, background checks
Citation
Webster, M. W., & Whitman, J. (2008). Who’s lending a hand? A national survey of nonprofit volunteer screening practices. The National Center for Victims of Crime, Washington, DC (2008, April).