Frequently Asked Questions
Volunteers
What is the minimum age for volunteers?
The minimum age for volunteers is generally 14 because by 8th/9th grade most youth are capable of carrying out many service activities without adult supervision. However for some volunteer positions an older age may be more appropriate, depending on the activity engaged in by the volunteer. Child labor laws apply to youth volunteers so youth under the age of 18 are generally not permitted to use power equipment, and certain other restrictions may apply, depending upon the child labor laws of your state. Additionally, your organization's insurance carrier may have reservations or advice about youth serving in certain capacities, so be sure to check with your insurance professional when establishing criteria for volunteers. The Center's publication, Kidding Around? Be Serious: A Commitment To Safe Service Opportunities for Young People is a helpful resource on this topic.
We conduct background checks on our volunteers, some of whom have been with us a long time. Do you advise re-doing background checks every once in a while, and if so, how frequently?
Some organizations require background checks every 3-5 years However, there is a need to balance safety considerations with organizational resources. Background checks should be used in conjunction with other measures designed to create obstacles to abuse of vulnerable individuals—they should never be used as the primary abuse prevention strategy. At best, background checkscan only offer limited assurance at the time the check is conducted that an individual has not been convicted of a crime indicating s/he could be a threat to the safety of children and other vulnerable individuals. To be on the safe side and in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the nonprofit should notify staff and volunteers each time a background check is to be performed and ask for authorization to conduct the check. A volunteer’s refusal to grant the authorization could be a red flag. Your nonprofit’s policy could provide that continued eligibility for volunteer service is dependent upon authorization for follow-up background checks.
Is it possible to get insurance to cover volunteers who help out at various events? We are renting a venue for a fundraiser and one of the conditions of using the space is that we provide insurance for volunteers in the event they are injured while putting up decorations and assisting with the event.
The type of coverage you are looking for is "Volunteer Accident Coverage," which can be purchased to provide a safety net for your volunteers. The coverage is excess over existing health insurance coverage, so if a volunteer suffers an injury and they have their own personal health insurance, their own coverage would apply first. If they are uninsured and hurt while volunteering, the volunteer accident coverage would apply.