Import volunteers from another service

Migrate your roster from Sterling (or anywhere) via spreadsheet or API — including last check dates.

Switching from another background-check service like Sterling — or just want all your volunteers in one place before you start screening? You don't have to re-enter anyone. Bring your whole roster over in one step — by spreadsheet (easiest) or through our API.

You can import first and collect authorization later

Importing contact information is not a background check, so it does not require FCRA authorization. Build your roster now, then collect authorization only when you're ready to screen. On the last step you'll choose one of three options: Already cleared (you hold signed authorization and they've been screened), I hold authorization — queue for a check, or Contact info only (no authorization yet). Volunteers imported Contact info only come in as “Pending — authorization needed”and can't be screened until you invite them to apply and they sign the FCRA disclosure & authorization — at which point they become screenable automatically.

Bonus: a clean hand-off

Migrating from another provider and already hold authorization? Include a Last check date column and VolunteerBadge schedules each volunteer's next re-screen from it. Pair that with automatic re-screening and your migration becomes truly hands-off. (Last-check dates only drive auto-rescreen for volunteers you import with authorization on file.)

Option A — Spreadsheet (recommended)

Export your volunteers from your current service to CSV or Excel — or build a simple sheet with at least first and last names.
In VolunteerBadge, go to Volunteers → Import Roster and download our template (optional — we match common column names automatically).
Drop your file in. We map the columns, validate every row, and show you a preview.
Choose how to import them — with authorization (screenable now) or contact info only (roster now, authorize later) — then click Import.

Volunteers → Import Roster — drop in your CSV or Excel export. · click to enlarge

Columns can be in any order; headers are matched loosely. Recognized columns:

Column	Required	Example
First name	Yes	Jamie
Last name	Yes	Rivera
Email	Recommended	jamie@example.com
Phone	No	443-790-8081
Date of birth	No	05/29/1981
SSN	No	123-45-6789
Address / City / State / ZIP	No	12112 Blue Hill Trail · Lakewood Ranch · FL · 34211
Last check date	No	06/01/2025 — seeds the next re-screen

Rows missing a name (or with an invalid email/SSN/date) are flagged and skipped — the rest still import. Anyone already on file (matched by email) is skipped automatically, so you can safely re-run an import.

Option B — API (for ongoing sync)

Developers or tools like Zapier can push volunteers programmatically. Create an API key under Settings → API, then:

curl -X POST https://www.volunteerbadge.com/api/v1/volunteers \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer vb_live_..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "first_name": "Jamie",
    "last_name": "Rivera",
    "email": "jamie@example.com",
    "dob": "1981-05-29",
    "state": "FL",
    "last_check_date": "2025-06-01",
    "fcra_authorization_on_file": true,
    "status": "approved"
  }'

The call is idempotent on email — posting the same person twice returns the existing record instead of creating a duplicate ({ "volunteerId": "...", "created": false }).

Option C — Upload a file to Victor

In a hurry? Open the in-app assistant (Victor), click the paperclip, and attach your spreadsheet (.xlsx/.csv), Word document (.docx), or a text list of volunteers. Every file is virus-scanned before it's read, and Victor adds everyone to your roster as “Contact info only” (Pending — authorization needed). A spreadsheet with First name / Last name / Email columns works best; a Word or text list needs a name and email for each person. When you're ready to screen them, ask Victor to send the application and their signed authorization is captured automatically.

If you already hold signed authorization

The spreadsheet importer's “Already cleared” / “I hold authorization”modes mark volunteers as authorized on file, which is what lets checks (and auto-rescreen) run for them right away — only use those for people whose signed FCRA authorization you actually hold. Everyone else comes in as contact-only and simply gets invited to authorize before screening. Either way you're FCRA compliant: a check never runs before the signed authorization.