If you’re running background checks on volunteers at a church or nonprofit, you’re dealing with a different set of problems than a corporate HR department. You need affordable pricing for high volumes of unpaid positions, compliance with child protection laws and Safe Sanctuary policies, and a process that doesn’t scare away volunteers who are donating their time. Most background check services were built for employers — not for organizations where the person being screened is doing you a favor.

We compared the top background check services on what actually matters for churches and nonprofits: volunteer pricing, church-specific packages, turnaround time, compliance support, and ease of use for both administrators and volunteers.

Quick Comparison

1. Sterling Volunteers — Best for Churches Needing Volunteer-Specific Screening

Sterling Volunteers (a Sterling product specifically designed for volunteer organizations) does one thing and does it well: background checks for volunteers. It’s the go-to for churches, nonprofits, and volunteer-dependent organizations that need reliable screening without the complexity of a full HR platform. The volunteer-focused workflow means your applicants get a streamlined experience, not a corporate employment check pretending to work for volunteers.

Pros:

• Purpose-built for volunteer screening — the entire workflow is designed around unpaid positions
• Discounted pricing for nonprofits and churches (significantly cheaper than standard employment checks)
• Volunteer self-entry portal — volunteers fill out their own information, reducing admin burden
• Ongoing monitoring and re-check capabilities for active volunteers
• Integrates with major volunteer management platforms (Volgistics, Galaxy Digital, Better Impact)
• FCRA-compliant with built-in adverse action workflows
• Fast turnaround — most checks complete in 1-3 days
• Strong church adoption — used by thousands of congregations nationwide

Cons:

• Limited to background checks — no full HR suite or onboarding tools
• Pricing requires contacting sales for volume quotes (not fully transparent)
• Not ideal for organizations that also need employee screening at scale
• Customer support can be slow during peak seasons (fall volunteer drives)
• Some integrations require separate subscriptions to partner platforms

Pricing: Individual volunteer checks start around $15-30 depending on the package; volume discounts available for churches and nonprofits. Contact for custom pricing.

Best for: Churches and volunteer-heavy nonprofits that want a screening partner who understands volunteer dynamics.

Get Sterling Volunteers →

2. Protect My Ministry (SecureSearch) — Best for Churches Wanting a Faith-Based Partner

Protect My Ministry, now part of SecureSearch, has been serving churches for over 20 years. This is the service that understands what a children’s ministry director needs — not just a background check, but a compliance partner who knows Safe Sanctuary policies, child protection laws, and the specific screening requirements denominations mandate. Their church-focused packages include features like ongoing monitoring and denomination-specific compliance support that general screening services don’t offer.

Pros:

• Built specifically for churches — understands denominational policies and Safe Sanctuary requirements
• Ongoing criminal monitoring included in packages (alerts on new offenses)
• Church-specific packages with the right combination of checks for children’s ministry, youth volunteers, and leadership
• Simple pricing with no per-check surprises — monthly subscription models available
• Compliance tools tailored to church policies (not corporate HR policies)
• Fast turnaround on most checks
• Excellent customer support staff who understand church contexts
• Re-check reminders and management for active volunteer rosters

Cons:

• Primarily designed for churches — less tailored to secular nonprofits
• Pricing not fully transparent on website (requires consultation)
• Fewer integration options with volunteer management platforms compared to Sterling Volunteers
• Limited international screening capabilities
• The SecureSearch rebrand caused some confusion in the church community
• Not ideal for organizations needing employee and volunteer screening in one platform

Pricing: Church packages start around $15-25 per check with volume and subscription discounts. Monthly plans available for ongoing screening programs.

Best for: Churches that want a screening partner who speaks their language and understands denominational compliance requirements.

Get Protect My Ministry →

3. Checkr — Best for Nonprofits Wanting Modern, API-Driven Screening

Checkr is the new-school background check service. It’s API-first, tech-forward, and built for speed. While it started in the gig economy space (screening Uber and Lyft drivers), it’s expanded into nonprofit screening with discounted pricing and a streamlined workflow. If your nonprofit has any kind of technical team or uses modern HR software, Checkr integrates cleanly. It’s also the best choice if you need to run hundreds or thousands of checks through an automated pipeline.

Pros:

• Modern, intuitive dashboard — easiest admin experience of any service we tested
• Fast AI-assisted adjudication reduces manual review time
• Strong API and integrations (BambooHR, Workday, Greenhouse, and custom via API)
• Nonprofit discount program available (contact for pricing)
• County, state, and federal criminal checks plus sex offender registry
• FCRA-compliant with built-in adverse action process
• Excellent for organizations that screen both employees and volunteers
• Mobile-friendly candidate experience
• Continuous monitoring available as an add-on

Cons:

• Not designed specifically for churches or volunteer organizations
• Base pricing is higher than church-specific services ($25-55 per check before nonprofit discount)
• No church-specific packages or denomination compliance tools
• Some county court checks can take 3-5+ days
• Customer support is primarily email/chat — no dedicated church liaison
• Less personalized service compared to Protect My Ministry or Sterling Volunteers
• International checks are limited and expensive

Pricing: Starts at $25-55 per check depending on the package; nonprofit discounts available. API access and integrations included.

Best for: Tech-forward nonprofits that want a modern screening platform, especially those screening both employees and volunteers.

Get Checkr →

4. GoodHire — Best for Small Nonprofits Wanting Easy Self-Service

GoodHire is the background check service for organizations that don’t want to talk to a salesperson. You pick your checks, invite your volunteers or employees, and get results. It’s straightforward, transparent, and designed for people who aren’t HR professionals — which describes most church administrators and nonprofit volunteers running background checks for the first time.

Pros:

• Transparent pricing — you can see exactly what each check costs before you buy
• No contract or subscription required — pay per check
• Simple self-service platform — invite candidates via email, they complete their own information
• Good selection of check types (criminal, sex offender, motor vehicle, education, employment)
• Nonprofit pricing tier available
• FCRA-compliant with built-in adverse action tools
• Clean, modern interface
• Good for organizations that screen fewer than 50 people per year

Cons:

• More expensive per check than church-specific services for high volumes
• No church-specific packages or denomination compliance tools
• No ongoing monitoring in base packages (available as add-on)
• Turnaround can be slower for county-level checks (3-5+ days)
• Limited integrations compared to Checkr or Sterling
• Not designed for the volunteer-specific workflow (feels more like consumer-grade employment screening)
• No dedicated account management for small accounts
• Customer support is email-only on lower tiers

Pricing: Starts at $29.99 per basic check; multi-check packages available. Nonprofit discounts available on request.

Best for: Small nonprofits or churches that run fewer than 50 background checks per year and want a simple, no-commitment option.

Get GoodHire →

5. Sterling — Best for Large Nonprofits Needing Enterprise-Grade Compliance

Sterling is the 800-pound gorilla of background checks. It’s what Fortune 500 companies, large healthcare systems, and major nonprofits use when compliance risk is non-negotiable. Sterling Volunteers is their volunteer-focused product (covered above), but the parent Sterling platform offers the full spectrum of screening — criminal, credit, education, employment, professional licenses, drug testing, and more. If your nonprofit has 500+ employees across multiple states, or you’re subject to stringent regulatory requirements, Sterling is the enterprise choice.

Pros:

• Most comprehensive screening catalog available — criminal, credit, education, employment, professional licenses, drug testing
• Enterprise-grade compliance tools and reporting
• Global screening capabilities (190+ countries)
• Dedicated account management for large clients
• Strong integration ecosystem (ATS, HRIS, and custom API)
• Industry-specific compliance packages (healthcare, finance, education)
• Scalable — works for 50 checks or 50,000
• Backed by Sterling’s reputation and infrastructure
• Continuous monitoring and re-screening programs

Cons:

• Overkill for small churches or nonprofits — enterprise pricing and minimums
• No transparent pricing — requires sales consultation
• Complex setup and configuration
• Sales-driven process — not self-service
• Not designed for volunteer-specific workflows (use Sterling Volunteers instead)
• Long contract commitments typical
• Slow onboarding compared to Checkr or GoodHire

Pricing: Custom enterprise pricing. Volume discounts available. Requires consultation.

Best for: Large nonprofits with 500+ employees, multi-state operations, or stringent compliance requirements that need an enterprise-grade screening partner.

Get Sterling →

How to Choose

1. Are you screening volunteers, employees, or both?

Volunteers only → Sterling Volunteers or Protect My Ministry. Both offer volunteer-specific pricing and workflows that respect the fact that your applicants are donating their time.

Both volunteers and employees → Checkr or GoodHire. These platforms handle both types of screening without requiring separate systems.

Large employee base with some volunteers → Sterling (and add Sterling Volunteers for your volunteer screening).

2. What’s your organization type?

Church → Protect My Ministry (SecureSearch) is purpose-built for you. It understands Safe Sanctuary policies, denominational requirements, and children’s ministry screening standards.

Secular nonprofit → Sterling Volunteers or Checkr. You get professional screening without the church-specific framing.

Large nonprofit (500+ staff) → Sterling for enterprise compliance.

Small nonprofit (under 50 screenings/year) → GoodHire for simple, no-commitment pricing.

3. What’s your budget?

Under $500/year (fewer than 20 checks) → GoodHire or Protect My Ministry. Both offer per-check pricing without contracts.

$500-2,000/year (20-100 checks) → Sterling Volunteers or Protect My Ministry with volume discounts.

$2,000+/year (100+ checks) → Checkr or Sterling Volunteers with negotiated volume pricing.

Enterprise → Sterling with custom pricing.

4. Do you need ongoing monitoring?

Yes → Protect My Ministry includes ongoing monitoring in church packages. Sterling Volunteers and Checkr offer it as an add-on.

No → Any service works. One-time checks are standard across all platforms.

5. What integrations do you need?

Volgistics, Galaxy Digital, or Better Impact → Sterling Volunteers has direct integrations.

BambooHR, Workday, or modern HRIS → Checkr integrates natively.

None / manual process → GoodHire or Protect My Ministry work fine standalone.

Our Top Pick

For most churches, Protect My Ministry (SecureSearch) is the clear choice. It was built for you, understands your compliance requirements, and packages exactly what you need without making you navigate corporate HR tools. The ongoing monitoring and re-check features are essential for maintaining Safe Sanctuary compliance over time.

For secular nonprofits, Sterling Volunteers offers the best volunteer-specific experience — discounted pricing, volunteer self-entry, and integrations with the volunteer management platforms you’re probably already using.

For small nonprofits that just need a few quick checks without the sales call, GoodHire is the easiest on-ramp.

SoftDecide helps churches, nonprofits, and small organizations find the right software. Our comparisons are independently researched. We may earn a commission if you purchase through links on this page — at no extra cost to you.