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Overview
Managing background checks is an important part of creating a safe and trusted environment for your volunteers and the communities they serve. In Better Impact, there are three different ways to track and manage these checks, depending on your organization’s location and needs. This article walks you through each option—using Qualifications, or integrating with Sterling (First Advantage) or Verified First—and highlights best practices, setup steps, and limitations so you can choose the method that works best for your organization.
Background checks play an essential role in protecting your organization, volunteers, and the people you serve. In Better Impact, there are multiple ways to handle them, ranging from simple tracking to full-service integrations.
Background Checks with Qualifications
This method is available to all Better Impact customers. Qualifications can be set up to indicate whether a volunteer has successfully completed a background check.
It’s a flexible, fully internal option that doesn’t require any third-party integration.
Using Qualifications, administrators can track, verify, and report on background check completion, set permissions for who can view or edit the records, and even require renewal dates if checks need to be updated periodically.
This approach is ideal for organizations that want a simple, customizable way to manage volunteer compliance.
Start by Creating a Qualification
Start by Creating a Qualification
Navigate to: Configuration >> Profile Customization >> Qualifications
Click the [+] button in the header bar or at the bottom of the page.
Enter a Qualification name (e.g., Background Check).
Configure Permissions (recommended setting for background checks):
Private – only visible and editable by administrators
Read only – entered by an administrator, visible to the volunteer, but not editable
You can choose the permissions that better fit your needs.
Set Type to Exact Match (e.g., Completed / Yes).
You can choose the type that better fits your needs.
(Optional) Add an Expiry Setting if background checks must be renewed periodically.
Add one or more Items (e.g., Completed or Pending).
Save your changes.
Best Practices for Background Check Qualifications
Use Private or Read only permissions, since volunteers should not enter their own background check results.
Keep options simple (e.g., Completed or Yes).
Use Expiry Settings if background checks must be redone every 1–3 years.
Use the Background Check Qualification on an activity to restrict activity visibility.
See this article for more information about Qualifications.
Background Checks with Sterling Volunteers
- a First Advantage Company -
Sterling Volunteers is a background screening platform that integrates with Better Impact. You can select the various packages you’d like to use and the background result types associated with them. This will give you the ability to manage volunteer background checks in Volunteer Impact.
⚠️ Sterling Volunteers’ is only available in the USA, and to use this feature, you will need to sign up for an account at: https://www.sterlingvolunteers.com/
You can also email them at: [email protected]
Once you have signed up with Sterling Volunteers, they will initiate the integration with Better Impact for you. Sterling Volunteers will provide us with the information needed to enable integration on our end.
If you are an Enterprise client, you can let us know whether or not organizations should be able to manage Sterling Volunteer checks.
To configure alerts for background checks, see this article.
Prevent Administrative Access to Background Checks
Prevent Administrative Access to Background Checks
To restrict access to menu options for background checks, go to People, then click on “Limited Admin Roles” found in the sidebar under Administrators, to create or edit a Limited Admin Role. You can permit or deny any of these options:
“Searching for volunteers by background check (see “Search” section)
“Manage Background Checks” and “View Background Checks” (see “User >> Background Checks” section)
Click the [Save] button when you are done creating or editing a Limited Admin Role
Initiate a Sterling Volunteers Background Check
If a Legal First Name is entered, this is used in place of the First Name.
Only the Primary Email Address (required) is used for the submission of the background check to Sterling Volunteers. (This address is also used to send the invitation from Sterling Volunteers to the volunteer.)
A valid State is required
A valid 5-digit ZipCode is required.
The volunteer must be at least 18 years old at the time of submission. This means that there must be a value entered in the Birthday field.
Validate a Profile for a Background Check
Validate a Profile for a Background Check
This is a way to check that the profile contains the information required for the check to be successfully initiated.
Click the person icon at the top of the screen and type the person’s name into the Quick Search bar
Click on the person’s name from the list that appears
In the “Main” tab, click on the “Contact” sub-tab
Check that the profile has the information needed to send in a background check
Click the [Validate profile for background check] button
Note: Only administrators with sufficient permission will be able to validate background checks.
Initiate a Background Check
Initiate a Background Check
Click the person icon at the top of the screen and type the person’s name into the Quick Search bar
Click on the person’s name from the list that appears
In the “Main” tab, click on the “Qualifications” sub-tab
Scroll to the “Background Checks” section at the bottom
A current list of checks will be displayed (there can be multiple)
Click the [Create Background Check] button
Generate a Sterling Link for a Volunteer
Generate a Sterling Link for a Volunteer
Note: Links can only be generated for background checks with the “submitted” status. When a check is initiated, an email is automatically generated and sent to the volunteer. This process can be used when the volunteer has not received this automated email or needs the link to be resent.
Click the person icon at the top of the screen and type the person’s name into the Quick Search bar
Click on the person’s name from the list that appears
In the “Main” tab, click on the “Qualifications” sub-tab
Scroll to the “Background Checks” section at the bottom
Mouse over the Options icon beside the submitted background check
Click on “Email Link to Volunteer”
Insert the link into the body of the email by copying and pasting the link from the box at the top of the page, or navigate through Insert >> Initiate Background Check Link
Click on “Email Link to Volunteer"
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Working with Sterling Background Checks
After you’ve started background checks with Sterling Volunteers, there are a few ways to stay on top of them. You can review current results, keep track of expiring or expired checks, run reports, and even search for volunteers by their background check status.
Review the Status of Background Checks
Review the Status of Background Checks
Organization Account
To review the status of current background checks, you can:
Click on the “Background Checks to Review” link on your Administrative Home Page
Go to People, then select “Review Background Checks” found in the sidebar menu under Volunteers >> Background Checks
Enterprise Account
To review the status of current background checks, you can:
Click on the “Background Checks to Review” link on your Administrative Home Page
Go to People, then select “Review Background Checks” found in the sidebar menu under Background Checks
Manage Expired / Expiring Background Checks
Manage Expired / Expiring Background Checks
Organization Account
To review expiring and expired background checks, you can:
Click on either the “Expiring Background Checks” or “Expired Background Checks” link on your Administrative Home Page
Go to People, then select “Expiring Background Checks” or “Expired Background Checks” found in the sidebar menu under Volunteers >> Background Checks
Enterprise Account
To review expiring and expired background checks, you can:
Click on either the “Expiring Background Checks” or “Expired Background Checks” link on your Administrative Home Page
Go to People, then select “Expiring Background Checks” or “Expired Background Checks” found in the sidebar menu under Background Checks
Reporting on Background Checks
Reporting on Background Checks
When running the Personal Profile Raw Data Report, you can scroll to the “Background Checks” section to export the background check information about your volunteers.
Search for Volunteers by Background Check
Search for Volunteers by Background Check
Go to any option that requires a search (i.e. Communicate >> Send Email; People >> Search, etc.)
Module and Status, Communication and Group Filters select status(es) and option(s) to include
Click the [Add Search Criteria] button
Search Type: Select “Background Check” from the dropdown list
Select the Match Type (The options displayed will depend on what type of background checks you have set up with Sterling Volunteers)
Click the [Add] button to add additional options to your search, or click the [Add and Go] button to run your search
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Using Sterling Volunteers with Activities
Sterling Volunteers background checks can also be tied directly to Activities and Activity Templates. This ensures only volunteers with a “Passed” result can participate in certain roles. You can set requirements on individual activities, apply them in bulk, and display the requirement to volunteers and prospective applicants on your public opportunities page.
Use Background Checks in Activities and Activity Templates
Use Background Checks in Activities and Activity Templates
You can specify that a background check is required for an Activity (or Activity Template) in the “Qualifications” tab of the Activity.
If your organization has more than one background check type set up with Sterling Volunteers, the “Background Check Type” will be displayed along with the options. Please select the desired type from the options listed.
Volunteers will need to have the status of “Passed” in the background type selected to qualify for the Activity.
You can also use the Bulk Activity Updates feature to:
Add a Background check requirement to multiple activities
Remove the background check requirement from multiple activities
Assign a Volunteer to an Activity / Shift
Assign a Volunteer to an Activity / Shift
When assigning a volunteer to an activity or shift, you’ll be able to see why a volunteer is (or is not) qualified for the activity if a background check applies by clicking on the “X” or “checkmark” beside the activity name in the “Assign” tab of the volunteer’s profile.
Public Page / Opportunities List
Public Page / Opportunities List
If a background check is required for an Activity, “Background Check Required” will be displayed in the list of qualifications required.
This will be shown to the volunteer in their “Opportunities” tab when they click on an activity. It will also be shown on your public activity page to prospective volunteers.
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Create a Manual Override Sterling Check
A manual override check can be used to indicate that a volunteer has a completed background check in the instance that the check was not completed through the Better Impact - Sterling Volunteers integration in your account.
The ONLY time this should be used is if your organization already has a check for this volunteer, but it is not linked to Volunteer Impact. This can happen if you have an existing check before integration, or in the rare case of accidentally deleting a check here.
Manual override checks created in Better Impact will not be visible in your Sterling Account.
Create a Manual Override Check
Create a Manual Override Check
Click the person icon at the top of the screen and type the person’s name into the Quick Search bar.
Click on the person’s name from the list that appears.
Click on the Qualifications tab of the volunteer's profile.
Scroll to the bottom of this page and select [Create Manual Override Check]
Select the Package that the override should be created for
Select the Effective Date
Select the State
Passed or Failed
Enter any Notes
Please use this field to enter any information you might need to about this overridden check. It can include the reason for creating the override, a reference number or url to relate it to an existing check, or perhaps the name of the admin creating the check. These things will help you keep track of your manual checks in the future.
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Troubleshooting Sterling Volunteers Background Checks
A Sterling Background Check is not updating on the volunteer’s profile
A Sterling Background Check is not updating on the volunteer’s profile
If a background check is showing as completed on the Sterling Volunteers website, but is not updating in the volunteer’s profile and is still listed under another status (e.g. Submitted), a secondary check may have accidentally been created outside of the integration process. In cases like this, the origin on Sterling may show as “invited” instead of “integration”.
It is likely that the volunteer completed the process manually instead of following the email instructions, which will essentially decouple the background check from the integration process.
To correct these rare circumstances where a background check is created outside of the integration, we recommend deleting the submitted check listed in the Qualifications section of the volunteer’s profile, and clicking on the [Create Manual Override Check] button to update the profile to match the Sterling Volunteers website.
Minimum Age Check Override
Minimum Age Check Override
It is possible to override the minimum age of a Sterling Background Check.
In order to do this, please confirm the minimum age you would like to be able to submit checks against with our support team. They can be contacted through the support chat feature.
Our Development team will then update this in your Better Impact account and let you know when this has been completed.
You will also need to notify Sterling of this change, we are not able to do this for you.
Background checks don’t currently expire, though we’d like them to
Background checks don’t currently expire, though we’d like them to
Please contact our support team to request expiry dates are added to your background checks.
Background Checks with Verified First
- New Feature! -
Verified First is a new integration for Better Impact customers in the USA. Unlike Sterling, this is a one-way integration: Better Impact sends volunteer information to Verified First, but results are not stored or searchable in Better Impact.
👉 To get started, visit the Better Impact partner page:
betterimpact.com/partner/verifiedfirst
You will also need the Verified First browser plugin and a Verified First account.
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How It Works
A new Verified First section appears in the Qualifications tab of a volunteer's profile when the integration is active.
Admins with the plugin installed and logged into their Verified First account can:
Order background checks directly from Better Impact.
See the status of existing checks via the Verified First system.
Statuses follow the flow: Invite → Waiting → Review → Complete.
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Important Limitations
Results are not stored or reportable in Better Impact.
If you need to search or report on results, you must create a Qualification to manually record outcomes.
Admins not tied to the same Verified First account cannot see results for volunteers already checked by another organization.
Resources
Better Impact Partner Page: Verified First + Better Impact
Verified First Resource Library: verifiedfirst.com/resources
Use this page for any troubleshooting questions you may have
Tip
If you'd like to give a Limited Admin permission to manage Verified First Background checks, you can find this listed under 'Optional Integrations' (last option) when creating or editing the Limited Admin Role.