Your first 10 minutes

The fastest path from sign-up to your first cleared volunteer.

Your dashboard — volunteers, checks, credits, and quick actions in one place. · click to enlarge

Here's the fastest path from sign-up to a cleared volunteer. Most of it takes about ten minutes — and the check itself usually finishes in a few.

The short version

Create your account → decide who pays → invite your first volunteer → read the result. That's it.

1. Create your account & organization · ~2 min

Sign up at volunteerbadge.com and complete the 6-step onboarding wizard. A starter application template is created for you automatically. Full detail: Create your account & organization.

2. Decide who pays the $5 · ~1 min

Two options — pick either:

Your org pays: go to Billing → Buy Credits and grab at least one credit ($5).
Volunteers pay: turn on Settings → Screening → “Volunteers pay their own $5 fee” and you spend no credits. See Who pays.

3. Invite your first volunteer · ~2 min

From the Dashboard or Volunteers page, click “Send Application,” pick your template, choose who pays, and send it by email or a shareable link. (Already have signed FCRA authorization for someone? Use a direct check instead.)

Applications — send invites by email or shareable link and track their status. · click to enlarge

4. The volunteer applies and submits · ~2 min

They complete a short, mobile-friendly application that includes the FCRA disclosure and their signed authorization. When they submit, their profile is ready to screen. By default you start the check with one click — the big green “Run Background Check” button on their profile — so you stay in control of when each check is ordered. Prefer it hands-off? Turn on Settings → Screening → “Automatically run the check when a volunteer applies” and VolunteerBadge orders it for you the moment they submit. Either way, you're notified when the report is ready.

5. Read the result · ~1 min

Open the volunteer's profile. Clear means no reportable records — you're good to approve. If records are found, our CRA team reviews them by hand before anything reaches you (typically within up to 3 business days), and the Compliance center walks you through adverse action if you're considering declining. See Read & act on results.

A volunteer profile — verified identity, application, and the check result in one place. · click to enlarge

You just screened a volunteer 🎉

From here, make your program stronger: tailor your application templates, invite your team, or explore your Free Perks.