Your volunteers are the heart of your mission — and so are the people who depend on them. Volunteer background checks through SafeChoice give nonprofits, churches, and community organizations a dependable way to screen the people you welcome onto your team. Built on more than 20 years of background screening expertise from National Crime Search, SafeChoice lets you match the level of scrutiny to the role and protect the people you serve — with a real person ready to help whenever you need one.
Because behind every great volunteer, there should be people who care.
SafeChoice Levels (I & II)
We made volunteer screening simple. SafeChoice comes in two clear levels, so you can match the depth of the check to the role a volunteer will play.
SafeChoice Level I
A practical starting point for lower-risk volunteer roles. Level I covers the essentials nonprofits rely on most, so you can screen everyone you need to.
SafeChoice Level II
A broader check for volunteers in roles of greater trust or responsibility — anyone working closely with children, the elderly, or other vulnerable populations. Level II adds depth where it matters most.
Both levels are designed to be fast and compliant, and whichever level you choose, the same expert team stands behind it. For pricing on either level, contact us — you'll talk to a real person who can help you choose.
Not sure which level fits a role? Call us. You'll quickly reach a live person in our office — not a bot or a phone tree — and we'll help you choose. Get a quote.
What's Included
SafeChoice bundles the searches that matter most for volunteer organizations into clear, role-appropriate levels. Here's what each level includes:
SafeChoice Level I includes:
- SSN Trace — confirms identity and surfaces names, aliases, and addresses associated with a Social Security number, so the rest of the search is pointed in the right places.
- Multi-State Criminal Database Search — scans criminal records across a wide multi-state database to catch records beyond a single county or state.
- National Sex Offender Registry Search — checks national sex offender registry data, an essential step for any organization working with children or vulnerable adults.
- OFAC / Watch List Search — screens against the Office of Foreign Assets Control and related watch lists.
SafeChoice Level II includes everything in Level I, plus:
- County Criminal History Search — pulls records at the county courthouse level, where the most authoritative criminal records live.
NCS is FCRA compliant and was one of the first CRAs to earn PBSA accreditation — renewed in 2026 — and reports are delivered to those standards. We handle the details so you can stay focused on your mission. For an itemized breakdown of components by level, Get a quote.
Working With Vulnerable Populations
Many of the people your volunteers serve — children, seniors, people in crisis, people in recovery — depend on you to put trustworthy adults in front of them. That responsibility is real, and screening is one of the most concrete ways to honor it.
SafeChoice is built for exactly this. Level II is designed for roles with close, ongoing, or unsupervised contact with vulnerable populations, layering in deeper criminal history alongside national sex offender registry data. The goal is simple: match the level of scrutiny to the role, so a one-time festival helper and a weekly youth mentor aren't held to the same generic check.
Thoughtful volunteer screening also protects your organization. It demonstrates due diligence, supports your insurance and policy requirements, and shows your community that you take safety seriously. And when a record turns up that you're unsure how to read, you won't be left guessing — a knowledgeable member of our team is one phone call away.
A note on using results fairly: EEOC guidance on individualized assessment in employment decisions recommends weighing the nature and gravity of an offense, the time elapsed, and its relevance to the role before acting on a record. Keep in mind that volunteers are generally not "employees" under the FCRA or EEOC, so the same rules don't always apply in the same way — if you're unsure how to read a result, we're glad to talk it through with you.
For more on consent and decision-making, see our Compliance resources.
Customizable Screening, Backed by Real People
Nonprofits run lean. Every dollar you spend on overhead is a dollar not spent on your mission — so SafeChoice is built to be a sensible way to screen volunteers, with the depth set to the role.
Here's how we keep it simple and fair:
- Two clear levels. Pick Level I or Level II per role, so you're never overpaying for scrutiny you don't need or skimping where it counts.
- Volume-friendly. Screening more than 12 volunteers a year? Ask us about tailored volume pricing built for organizations doing higher numbers of checks.
- Real human support included. When you reach out, you reach a live person in our office — knowledgeable, friendly, and quick to respond. That's not an add-on. That's just how we work.
- Pricing from a conversation. Tell us about your organization and the roles you're screening, and we'll help you land on the right level. Talk to a real person to get a quote.
Faceless competitors route you to chat windows and ticket queues; we answer the phone, and we know your name, because you're the priority. NCS is FCRA compliant and SOC 2 compliant, holds an A+ BBB rating, and was one of the first CRAs to earn PBSA accreditation (renewed in 2026) — with more than 20 years and 20,000+ customers behind every report.
We make working with NCS easy. Give us a try.
Meet Hailey, Your AI HR Assistant
SafeChoice is backed by more than people on the phone — it's backed by Hailey, a full, conversational AI HR assistant that lives right inside your NCS Workforce command center. Hailey isn't a behind-the-scenes algorithm; she's an assistant you actually talk to. She can help you understand a result or a charge, choose the right SafeChoice level for a role, and guide your volunteers through the process.
Most providers bolt AI onto the back end. NCS gives you a hands-on AI assistant in your command center — with real people always a call away. Log in to your command center.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a SafeChoice volunteer background check?
SafeChoice is NCS Workforce's volunteer screening program built for nonprofits, churches, and community organizations. It comes in two levels — Level I and Level II — so you can match the depth of the check to the role. Searches can include an SSN trace, a multi-state criminal database search, the national sex offender registry, OFAC watch lists, and county criminal history.
How much do volunteer background checks cost?
Pricing depends on the level you choose and your organization's needs, so the best next step is a quick conversation. Contact us and a live person in our office will walk you through your options and give you a quote. Organizations screening more than 12 volunteers a year can ask about tailored volume pricing.
Which SafeChoice level should we use?
Level I is a practical fit for lower-risk volunteer roles. Level II is built for volunteers who work closely with children, the elderly, or other vulnerable populations, adding deeper criminal history. Not sure? Call us and a live person in our office will help you match the level to the role.
Are SafeChoice checks FCRA compliant?
Yes. NCS is FCRA compliant, and SafeChoice searches are reported to those standards. Before any check is run, the FCRA requires a standalone written disclosure and the applicant's written authorization — and we can point you to those disclosure-and-authorization requirements so you start on the right footing. If you have questions about consent or how to use a result, a real person on our team is glad to help. See our Compliance resources for more.
How long do volunteer background checks take?
Many searches return instantly or within minutes. County criminal searches typically take a few business days, and some jurisdictions can run longer depending on local court processing times. If a result is delayed, our team will keep you informed.
Do you offer support if we have questions about a result?
Always. When you call, you'll quickly reach a live person in our office — not a bot or a queue. With 20+ years of NCS screening expertise behind us, we're glad to help you understand your results and make a confident, fair decision. You can also ask Hailey, your AI HR assistant in the command center, for help reading a result or choosing a level.
Get a Quote
Ready to build a safer team of volunteers? Tell us a little about your organization and the roles you're screening, and we'll help you choose the right SafeChoice level and pricing.
When you reach out, you'll reach a live person in our office who knows your name. We answer the phone because you're the priority.
Mon–Thu 8:00 AM–5:00 PM CST · Fri 8:00 AM–4:00 PM CST · (479) 695-2111 · support@nationalcrimesearch.com
Related pages: Employee Background Checks · Healthcare Screening · Compliance · Services and Pricing
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