Archive: May 2016 - Verified Volunteers

For years, the City of Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Department depended on the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and local police department to screen its volunteer candidates. As Colorado Spring’s population grew and its volunteer community topped 4,000 annually, the City decided to engage in a more thorough background check process.

Did you know? Even if you’re running the highest quality criminal background checks available, there still may be a gap in your volunteer screening program. It’s possible that your volunteer could be submitting someone else’s name and/or social security number in order to run their background check. Prevent this from happening by using identification validation tools. And access the article below for recommendations on how to use identification validation products as part of your screening program.

As a former volunteer manager, I can empathize that one of the most difficult parts of the job is telling someone who wants to help that they can’t.  We spend our time convincing folks to share their time and talents for our cause, and it’s difficult to turn help away! But when you frame these decisions in terms of the strong safety net you are providing for the people your organization serves, things get a little clearer!

Christina Sbatella, Verified Volunteers’ Vice President, Product Management & Global Operations, and I recently held a webinar where we discussed the potential gaps that can exist in volunteer background screening programs. We focused, in particular, on one gap that many folks do not even realize exists – even if they are running the highest quality check possible on each and every one of their volunteers. What is that gap?