Non-profit organizations hire volunteers on a regular basis, ensuring business conduction and cost reduction. Considering that most of the people volunteering choose to do so out of goodwill, is there really a reason to screen them? YES!
3 reasons why non-profit organizations should screen their volunteers.
1) They could be Criminally Insane.
In recent times, crime has continued to threaten our way of life and the last thing any non-profit organization needs is a criminal working for them. While it is understandable that many people have served their time, it is easier not to take such a risk. But how would you know unless you screen them?
As such, screening your volunteers is the only way to do so. Not only do you find out who a person really is, you obtain their complete criminal record, allowing you to see whether you should hire them or not.
2) They could be a Registered Sex Offender.
Sexual harassment is something taken seriously in every organization and is nothing to be laughed at. Many organizations go to great lengths to ensure such doesn’t occur in the office. While in some cases it still occurs, you can easily reduce the chance that it does. All you have to do is screen the volunteers.
Registered sex offenders rarely find it easy to attain regular jobs. As such, they may turn to non-profit organizations. In order to ensure they do not penetrate it, they should be screened. Despite their good intentions, there is a chance that you may hear about a sexual harassment case in your organization. DO you really want to take the chance?
3) They May Not be Reliable
When hiring any sort of employee, one of the first thing employers look for is reliability. Credentials and past work job records can only tell you so much. When it comes to volunteers, the lack of a background check may lead to an unreliable employee. As such, it may hinder daily business activity. Therefore, screening volunteers helps you find out if they are worth hiring.
While people may have good intentions when volunteering for a non-profit organization, you are, after all, running a business, and like any organization, you require reliable, apt, and worthwhile employees. The only way to ensure such is for nonprofit organizations to screen their volunteers.
