When you run a volunteer background check, federal law treats it as a consumer report under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). That makes your organization a user of consumer reports, with real legal responsibilities. The good news: VolunteerBadge is built, end to end, to carry those responsibilities for you.
A licensed, CDIA FCRA-Certified screening partner
VolunteerBadge is operated by ScreenForge Labs, LLC — a licensed Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA) — and we are CDIA FCRA Certified. The Consumer Data Industry Association sets the standard for responsible, FCRA-compliant data practices. It means the people building and reviewing your reports are formally trained and certified on FCRA compliance — you're working with a certified CRA, not an unregulated data broker.
Compliance, built in
- Disclosure & authorization. Every application includes the FCRA-required standalone disclosure and the volunteer's signed authorization before any check is run.
- Adverse action made easy. If you're considering turning a volunteer away because of their report, VolunteerBadge generates the legally required notices for you — Pre-Adverse, the waiting period, and the final Adverse Action Notice — with the CFPB Summary of Rights attached.
- Audit trail. Every consent, notice, and decision is logged and exportable from your Compliance center.
How we verify a “hit” before it ever reaches you
The FCRA holds CRAs to a high standard of accuracy (§ 607(b)). When a search returns a potential record, it does not go straight onto your screen. We cross-check it against the applicant's verified identity and address history, compare middle names, apply a 7-year limit to non-criminal records, and route anything uncertain to a trained CRA reviewer before release. Common-name false matches are removed, so the report you act on reflects your actual volunteer — not a stranger who shares their name and birthday.
Your volunteers' rights
- A copy of their report — any time, by emailing support@screenforgelabs.com.
- The right to dispute — at screenforgelabs.com/disputes, and we'll reinvestigate as the FCRA requires.