Many nonprofits are surprised to learn that federal, state, and grant requirements often mandate volunteer background checks — especially for roles involving children, seniors, or vulnerable adults. VolunteerBadge gives your organization a fully FCRA-compliant screening process for just $5 per check, with no monthly fees, no contracts, and results in 24-48 hours.
VolunteerBadge handles the entire screening workflow so your team can focus on your mission, not paperwork.
Laws like the Volunteers for Children Act, state-level mandates, and grant conditions from funders like the United Way or federal agencies frequently require background checks for certain volunteer roles. VolunteerBadge is built specifically for nonprofits navigating these requirements, so your screening process is ready to satisfy audits, grant renewals, and board inquiries from day one.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires specific steps before and after a background check — including written authorization and a formal adverse action process if you decide not to accept a volunteer. VolunteerBadge automates authorization forms and adverse action notices, protecting your organization from costly legal exposure without adding administrative burden.
Most nonprofits screen volunteers on shoestring budgets. Competitors like NCSI charge $16-$35 per check plus a mandatory setup fee. VolunteerBadge costs $5 per check — period. No setup fees, no subscriptions, no per-seat charges for your admin team. Screen one volunteer this month and a hundred next month without any penalty.
No IT setup. No training required. Your first check runs the same day you sign up.
No monthly fee. No annual contract. No setup cost. No minimum number of checks. Pay only when you run a check — and only $5 each time.
It depends on your state, the population you serve, and your funding sources. Federal law (the Volunteers for Children Act) permits qualified entities serving children to access criminal history records. Many states go further and mandate checks for volunteers working with minors, seniors, or people with disabilities. Additionally, grants from federal agencies, foundations, and United Way chapters often include background check requirements as a condition of funding. Even when not strictly required, most nonprofit liability insurers expect documented screening practices for vulnerable-population programs.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act governs background checks run through a third-party consumer reporting agency — which includes most background check vendors. FCRA compliance means you must obtain written authorization from the volunteer before running a check, provide them a copy of the results and a Summary of Rights if you take adverse action, and follow a two-step pre-adverse and adverse action notice process before formally declining them. VolunteerBadge handles all of these steps automatically, so your organization stays compliant without needing to manage the paperwork manually.
Each $5 check includes a national criminal record search across 650M+ court records, sex offender registry searches, FBI Most Wanted, and OFAC sanctions screening. Every application also includes a free address history check, which helps ensure the criminal search covers everywhere the volunteer has actually lived. There are no hidden county add-on fees.
Most services designed for nonprofits charge significantly more. NCSI charges $16-$35 per check and requires a mandatory one-time setup fee. National Crime Search runs $13.95-$27.95 per check plus county fees. Sterling Volunteers requires a cost-sharing setup process. VolunteerBadge charges $5 per check with no setup fee, no monthly subscription, and no contracts — making it 3-7x cheaper than the major alternatives for the same national criminal screening coverage.
Create your free VolunteerBadge account in minutes and run your first background check for $5. No contract, no monthly fee — just compliant, affordable volunteer screening whenever you need it.
No credit card required to sign up · First check $5 · Cancel anytime