Background Checks for Nonprofits: How to Choose a Provider
August 6 2026
Summary: Most nonprofits end up spending more on background checks than necessary, mainly because nobody walks them through the self-pay option before signing a contract. This guide covers what drives the cost of screening, how the self-pay model works specifically for volunteers, and how to spot a provider that won’t just hand you a PDF and disappear.
What to Look for in Background Check Services for Nonprofits
Every nonprofit organization that decides to conduct background checks needs a provider it trusts. A cheap price tag doesn’t tell you much about what happens when something concerning turns up.
Good nonprofit background screening providers follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the federal law that governs how you use results and what you owe a candidate in that situation. The best background check services for nonprofits explain what happens after a report comes back, since fast turnaround means very little if you’re on your own once something gets flagged.
Be sure to ask how a provider handles the screening process from start to finish. Speed matters, but so does support, since a lot of nonprofits don’t have a dedicated HR team and need a provider who picks up the phone when a report looks confusing.
Remember that background checks for nonprofits work best when the provider owns compliance rather than leaving it to you to figure out. That goes for background checks for volunteer organizations with five people just as much as ones with five thousand. Look for accreditation through the Professional Background Screening Association, a signal the company takes screening programs seriously.
What Drives the Cost of Background Checks for Nonprofits?
Background checks for nonprofits cost different amounts depending on what you’re screening for. A basic package covering criminal background checks and the sex offender registry costs less than one that adds credit checks or motor vehicle records. Screening packages for board members or anyone handling money usually cost more, since there’s more to verify, and background checks for volunteer organizations typically start with a lighter base package.
Volume matters too, since some providers charge per background screening which is suitable for a seasonal program, while others offer a flat rate for continuous background screening.
What tends to catch nonprofits off guard is that a cheap quote turns expensive fast if the provider doesn’t handle adverse action for you. Someone still has to review a flagged report, decide what to do, and send the right notices. If your provider treats that as your problem, you’re paying for it in staff hours even when the invoice looks small.
The Self-Pay Model: A Smarter Way to Cut Screening Costs
InfoMart’s self-pay model is especially useful for volunteer organizations where headcount spikes around one event and drops off right after. Screening costs flex with your volunteer numbers, so you’re not carrying a fixed line on your budget year-round. Instead of your organization covering every check, the volunteer, student, or vendor covers their own screening cost directly. Here’s how it works:
- The volunteer receives a personal invitation
- They submit their information and pay online
- InfoMart runs the search and sends results back, typically within a couple of days
For a lot of organizations, self-pay is what makes background checks for nonprofits affordable at scale, since most nonprofit volunteers don’t mind a small fee for a cause they care about, and it takes the cost off your plate entirely. It’s a poor fit for paid job applicants, and in some states it’s outright illegal, so keep that in mind if your nonprofit also hires staff.
Comparing Background Check Companies for Nonprofits
Lining up background check companies for nonprofits side by side, the price is the easy part to compare, and it’s also the part that tells you the least. A provider that’s significantly cheaper but leaves adverse action up to you hasn’t saved you money. They’ve just shifted the cost from your invoice to your staff’s afternoon.
| What to Compare | Why It Matters |
| Turnaround time | Slow results delay placements and frustrate volunteers who are ready to start |
| Adverse action handling | If the provider doesn’t send pre-adverse and adverse action notices for you, your staff absorbs that work and your organization carries the legal risk standard |
| PBSA accreditation | Shows the company meets industry standards for accuracy, compliance, and data security |
| Support access | A real person who picks up the phone matters more than a ticketing system when a report comes back looking confusing |
Ask each background check company for nonprofits how they handle a flagged report. Do they stop at disqualifying, or walk you through it and send pre-adverse and adverse action notices for you? That question tends to separate the providers who understand nonprofit work from those who are just running a criminal history search and calling it done.
Why Role-Based Screening Matters for Volunteers and Staff
Not every volunteer role carries the same risk, so it doesn’t make sense to screen volunteers the same way across every position. Background checks for nonprofits work best when the volunteer background check matches the role. A volunteer answering phones once a month doesn’t need the same scrutiny as a board member with signing authority.
Volunteers Working with Vulnerable Populations
Anyone working directly with children, older adults, or people with disabilities should get a thorough criminal record check plus a search of the sex offender registry, at minimum. These are the roles where gaps in screening carry the most direct risk to the people your organization serves.
Board Members
Board members often need a broader look than standard volunteers. That usually means a federal criminal search in addition to the standard package, since board members operate across jurisdictions in ways most volunteers don’t.
Anyone Handling Money or Driving
Anyone handling donations or funds should add a credit check. Anyone driving volunteers or clients, especially children, needs a motor vehicle record pulled. Some nonprofits also glance at someone’s social media, mainly to confirm past volunteer work matches what they’ve claimed.
Getting role-based screening right protects your community and keeps you from over-screening low-risk volunteers or under-screening the roles that carry real weight.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do background checks for nonprofits typically cost?
It varies by package and role. A basic criminal and sex offender registry check for a volunteer usually costs less than a comprehensive package for a board member, which might include a federal search or credit check. Self-pay options can bring your organization’s direct cost down to nearly nothing.
How does the self-pay model work for volunteer background checks?
The volunteer receives an invitation, enters their information, and pays for the check directly. Your organization still sees the results, but you’re not the one covering the bill.
What should you compare between background check companies for nonprofits?
Look past the price and compare turnaround time, whether adverse action notices are handled for you, PBSA accreditation, and how easy it is to reach a real person when a report looks confusing. Background check services for nonprofits that handle adverse action in-house save you the most staff time.
Do all volunteer roles need the same background check?
No, since someone working with children needs deeper screening than someone helping out at a single event, and how you run background checks for volunteer organizations should reflect that.
Who handles adverse action notices when a background check flags something?
Some background check companies for nonprofits handle pre-adverse and adverse action notices on your behalf, timed and worded to meet FCRA requirements. Others leave it to you, and if you miss a required notice, the volunteer has grounds to file an FCRA complaint, even if the screening decision itself was reasonable.
Stop Paying for Adverse Action Twice
Choosing the right partner for background checks for nonprofits comes down to three honest questions: what’s covered, who handles it when something goes wrong, and what the real cost is once staff time gets counted. InfoMart’s self-pay model and hands-on adverse action support handle all of it for you. Talk to our team.
About Tammy Cohen
Tammy Cohen, an industry pioneer and expert in identity and employment screening, founded InfoMart 30 years ago. Deemed the “Queen of Screen,” she’s been a force behind industry-leading innovations. She was most recently the first-to-market with a fully compliant sanctions search, as well as a suite of identity services that modernizes talent onboarding. Tammy revolutionized the screening industry when she stepped into the field, developing the first client-facing application and a due diligence criminal search that has since become standard for all background screening companies. Cohen has received national awards and honors for her business and civic involvement, including Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 25 Women-Owned Firms in Atlanta, Enterprising Women Magazine’s Enterprising Women of the Year award, the YWCA of Northwest Georgia’s Kathryn Woods Racial Justice Award, and a commendation in the 152nd Congressional Record.
About InfoMart
InfoMart has been revolutionizing the global background and identity screening industry for 30 years, providing businesses the information they need to make informed hiring decisions. They develop innovative technology that modernizes talent onboarding, including a first-to-market biometric identity authentication application and a verified sanctions search. The WBENC-certified company is a founding member of the Professional Background Screening Association, and they have achieved PBSA accreditation in recognition of their consistent business practices and commitment to compliance with the FCRA. The company is dedicated to customer service, speed, and accuracy, and it has been recognized for its success, workplace culture, and corporate citizenship with over 45 industry awards. To Get the Whole Story on InfoMart, please visit www.InfoMart-USA.com, follow @InfoMartUSA, or call (770) 984-2727.