About this feature:
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.
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
To configure alerts for background checks see this article.
Initiate a Sterling Volunteers Background Check
IMPORTANT - Notes on conducting the background check:
1. If a Legal First Name is entered, this is used in place of the First Name.
2. 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.)
3. A valid State is required
4. A valid 5-digit ZipCode is required.
5. 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
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 need 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
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
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"
Reviewing and Managing Sterling Volunteers' 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
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
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
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 setup 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
Using Sterling Volunteers with Activities
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
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
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.
Create a Manual Override Sterling Check
About this feature: 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
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.