Volunteer Safety Benchmark (2026): Screening Gaps, Fraud Losses & Volunteer Participation Data
Sourced 2026 benchmarks on volunteer participation, background-check coverage, the expectations gap, and nonprofit fraud losses, with a downloadable dataset.
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Volunteers are now a larger part of American civic life than at any point in the last two decades, but the safety systems around them have not kept pace. This benchmark pulls together the most credible public figures on how many people volunteer, how many organizations screen them, what the public expects, and what fraud costs nonprofits. It is part of our statistics hub, and every figure links to its original publisher so leaders can check the numbers themselves.
Key takeaways
The scale of formal volunteering
The federal baseline is clear. AmeriCorps reported that 28.3% of Americans formally volunteered through an organization in 2023, a total of more than 75.7 million people who gave 4.99 billion hours. The Census Bureau and AmeriCorps joint release adds that hours per person kept declining even as more people signed up. The rebound is real, but each volunteer is giving less time.
The rate moved fast. According to the same federal survey series, the rate was 23.2% in 2021 and sat 1.7 points below pre-pandemic levels in 2023. For a program manager, that means a larger, newer volunteer pool that you cannot assume you already know.
Where volunteering is strongest: state variation
Participation is far from uniform. USAFacts, drawing on AmeriCorps and Census data, reports that Utah led at 46.6% in 2023, while Alabama (19.9%), Nevada (18.6%) and Rhode Island (18.5%) had the lowest formal rates. Screening rules differ by state too, so a multi-state network should map its obligations state by state rather than assume one standard.
How widely organizations screen volunteers
The most detailed national-scale screening survey we could verify is Sterling Volunteers' 2018 study of 967 organizations, which found that 92% ran criminal record checks and 73% ran sex offender searches. Identity verification was far less common, at 41%. Because the survey is eight years old, treat it as a floor on modern practice rather than a current rate, and see our volunteer screening policy guide for how to document your own coverage.
Identity verification and fingerprinting are the controls that tie a person to a record. The gap between "ran a criminal check" and "confirmed who this person is" is where an organization is most exposed. Our identity verification feature addresses that step directly.
The expectations gap
The public expects more than volunteer programs deliver. A 2022 Church Mutual Risk Radar survey found that 52% of people who frequent volunteer-reliant organizations expect volunteers to have had criminal background checks, yet only 33% of volunteers said they had one. The sex offender registry gap is wider: 41% expected that check while 16% reported receiving it.
For churches and faith-based groups, this gap is a communication issue as much as a compliance one. Our church volunteer retention statistics show how screening and onboarding affect whether people stay.
Ongoing rescreening: the weakest link
One-time screening is the norm, and periodic rechecks are rare. A Ministry Brands study cited by Shelby Systems found that fewer than 10% of churches rescreen volunteers and staff annually. The same account reports that between 4% and 10% of volunteer applications turn up a record worth closer review, which means a single check at onboarding is not a complete control.
Recruitment-stage ineligibility rules also vary. A Nonprofit Risk Management Center survey summary noted that 65% of surveyed nonprofits would reject an applicant accused of child abuse, but only 42% checked with state child protective services, and 12% did no screening at all. The survey is undated in the summary we reviewed, so treat it as directional.
What fraud costs nonprofits
Screening also protects money. The ACFE's 2024 Report to the Nations placed nonprofits at 10% of cases, with the lowest median loss of $76,000 (against $145,000 across all cases). That is a smaller typical hit than businesses take, but it is enough to sink a small charity. A CPA firm's summary of the ACFE 2026 report cites a $69,000 nonprofit median, which conflicts with the 2024 figure; we show the 2024 number because we could verify it directly from ACFE.
Fraud typically runs for a long time before it is caught. The ACFE's 2024 analysis put the median scheme at 12 months to uncover. Identity fraud is also rising in the wider economy: the FBI's 2025 internet crime report logged losses nearing $20.9 billion, which is one reason to verify who a person is before granting access to money, keys, or minors. For more on the data side, see our data privacy statistics.
Training and internal controls
Nonprofits lag on training. The ACFE 2024 data reported by Brinker Simpson show that 52% of nonprofit staff and 49% of management received fraud awareness training, against 82% and 81% at public companies. Training is tied to better outcomes: ACFE findings summarized by McDonald Jacobs link antifraud education to lower losses and faster detection.
Volunteers are part of this picture too. Our volunteer import workflow and check-running guide are designed so screening sits inside the onboarding routine, not in a separate spreadsheet.
Reading the benchmark: what is solid and what is dated
The participation figures are the strongest data in this report, since they come from a federal survey repeated every two years. Screening coverage is weaker: the best national-scale survey we could verify is from 2018, and the insurer and church figures are from 2022. Fraud figures are robust but describe reported cases, not all losses. Leaders should treat these as a benchmark to beat, and should collect their own coverage numbers each year. Our National Criminal History Records Check guide explains what a criminal check can and cannot show.
What this means for your volunteer program
The pattern across these sources is consistent: many people volunteer, the public expects screening, but actual checks, identity verification, and rescreening lag behind. The practical fix is to make screening a standard step with a clear policy, a documented identity check, and a rescreening schedule. VolunteerBadge offers FCRA-compliant background checks with identity verification for $5 per check and no monthly fees, so small teams can close the gap without a large budget. Review our pricing, see how we serve nonprofits, and use the VolunteerBadge Academy to train your team.
Start screening your volunteers today.
$5 FCRA-compliant checks with identity verification and no monthly fees.
Download the data
Every statistic in this report is listed in the dataset below, with its source and link.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How many Americans formally volunteer?
According to AmeriCorps and the Census Bureau, about 75.7 million people, or 28.3% of Americans aged 16 and older, formally volunteered in the year to September 2023.
Q: How many volunteer organizations run criminal background checks?
The most recent national-scale survey we could verify is Sterling Volunteers' 2018 study, which found 92% ran criminal record checks. It is dated, so use it as a floor.
Q: Why is there a gap between expectations and checks?
A 2022 Church Mutual survey found 52% of people expect volunteers to be checked, but only 33% of volunteers reported receiving one.
Q: What does fraud typically cost a nonprofit?
The ACFE's 2024 report put the nonprofit median loss at $76,000 per case, compared with $145,000 across all organization types.
Q: How often should volunteers be rescreened?
There is no single legal standard. Ministry Brands data cited by Shelby Systems suggests few churches rescreen annually, and many leaders treat annual rechecks as a good practice. Check your state rules and insurer requirements.
Q: Is this article legal advice?
No. This report is educational, not legal advice. Consult counsel on FCRA and state screening obligations.