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The closer the role, the deeper the check.
Look at what each role can reach: the people you serve, their homes, or the money. Every step closer adds a search.
People
Time with the people you serve.
Group volunteers
Events, food drives, and front desk shifts, with staff close by.
ID and address history, a national criminal database search, and the sex offender registry.
Volunteers with vulnerable adults
One on one with older adults, people with disabilities, or residents.
Adds county and statewide criminal searches, references, and Chex365 daily registry checks.
Drivers
Gives clients rides or drives your vans.
Adds a driving record.
Homes
Inside the places they live.
Drop-offs at the door
Meals, groceries, or supplies left on the front step.
ID and address history, a national criminal database search, and the sex offender registry.
In-home and client visits
Repairs, companionship, or case work inside a client’s home.
Adds county, statewide, and federal criminal searches, references, and Chex365 daily registry checks.
Money
Donations, accounts, and donor records.
Board members
Approve the budget and oversee the people who spend it.
ID and address history, a national criminal database search, and county, statewide, and federal criminal searches.
Donations and finance
Handles cash, bank accounts, and donor records every week.
Adds employment history and references.
A common starting point, not legal advice. Your state, insurer, funders, or national office may ask for more.
What each check looks at.
Each search answers one question about a person. At Bchex, about 85% of eligible searches come back within 24 hours.
Identity and history
ID and address history
Confirms the person is who they say they are and lists where they’ve lived, which decides the courts we search.
Employment history
Confirms past employers, job titles, and dates for anyone who will handle money or records.
References
Short calls with people who have seen the person work or volunteer. About reference checks
Criminal records
National criminal database
A wide first look across many states at once. Any record it turns up is confirmed at the source before it goes on the report.
County and statewide criminal
Felony and misdemeanor cases from the courts in each place the person has lived.
Federal criminal
Cases tried in federal court, including some fraud cases, which county searches leave out.
Registries and driving
Sex offender registry
Registrations in state sex offender registries across the country.
Chex365 daily registry checks
Sex offender registries in all 50 states and the national NSOPW database, checked every day, with your team notified automatically if someone on your roster is added.
Driving record
License status, suspensions, and violations from the state motor vehicle agency. About MVR checks
Chex365 checks sex offender registries in all 50 states and the national NSOPW database every day. If someone on your roster is added, your team is notified automatically with a detailed alert to review.
Your team reviews each alert and confirms it’s the same person before taking any step. Where available, Chex365 can include criminal record monitoring too.
“We have found Bchex to be a wonderful option for our small non-profit. The service is fast and easy plus we are saving money compared to what we were doing before.”
No single federal law requires it. State laws, insurers, funders, and national affiliates often do, mostly for roles with vulnerable adults, clients’ homes, or money. When you check paid staff through a screening company, the Fair Credit Reporting Act sets the consent and notice steps.
Which background check does each nonprofit role need?
Match the check to what the role can reach. Group volunteers usually start with ID and address history, a national criminal database search, and the sex offender registry. Roles with time alone with clients, inside homes, or with money add county, statewide, or federal court searches and references, and anyone who drives adds a driving record.
Should volunteers who visit clients at home get a deeper check?
Usually, yes. A home visit puts a volunteer alone with someone in the place they live, so many nonprofits add county, statewide, and federal criminal searches and references to the basic checks, plus Chex365 to check sex offender registries every day.
Do board members need background checks?
Many nonprofits check them, especially board members who sign checks, approve spending, or meet clients. County and federal criminal searches matter most here, since some financial crimes, such as fraud, are tried in federal court.
Who pays for volunteer background checks?
You decide. In SecureVolunteer your organization can pay for each check, volunteers can pay when they apply, or you can split the cost between you.
How often should a nonprofit rescreen?
Set a cycle for each role and hold everyone in that role to it; every one to three years is a common range. SecureVolunteer shows every clearance’s expiration date in one place and sends renewal reminders, and Chex365 checks sex offender registries every day in between. More on rescreening volunteers.
How does a nonprofit know if a volunteer is added to a sex offender registry later?
Chex365 checks sex offender registries in all 50 states and the national NSOPW database every day. If someone on your roster is added, your team is notified automatically with a detailed alert to review. Your team confirms it’s the same person before taking any step. Where available, Chex365 can include criminal record monitoring too.
How long does a nonprofit background check take?
At Bchex, about 85% of eligible searches come back within 24 hours. A county court that pulls its records by hand can add a few days, so start screening before someone’s first shift.
Do volunteers have to consent to a background check?
Get written consent from everyone you screen. For paid staff, federal law requires a stand-alone written disclosure and the person’s signed authorization before a screening company runs the check. SecureVolunteer collects consent online with each application.
Bchex is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Check your state’s rules, your insurer, and what your funders or national office require. Last updated November 2026.
