August 2026

Hi, I'm Denise Dietz, and I lead Operations here at Thrive Nonprofit Partners. But before I stepped into this role, I served as a pastor. I was directly responsible for overseeing our church's volunteer culture and health, which meant I lived in the tension between relational trust and organizational safety every single day. Whether you lead a church, a private school, or a community nonprofit, you know this tension. The people who show up to serve are usually wonderful. But wonderful doesn't eliminate risk, and every organization that works with vulnerable populations has a legal and moral obligation to verify. I'll never forget the sinking feeling the first time I pulled a random audit of background checks and realized some were more than five years overdue. They were trusted faces and known names. I learned early that the relational warmth of mission-driven work can quietly erode the operational rigor that protects it. We trust people. We should. But trust is not a screening policy, and "I've known them for years" is not a background check.

The Real Cost of "We'll Get to It Later"

This month, Church Law & Tax reported that four leaders of a South Carolina church were arrested after allegedly allowing a convicted sex offender to volunteer and maintain contact with children, despite knowing his history. The charges range from obstruction to criminal conspiracy to unlawfully placing a child at risk.

This isn't just a church problem. Schools have faced lawsuits for failing to re-screen long-tenured staff. Youth sports organizations have lost insurance coverage after incidents involving unvetted coaches. Any nonprofit that serves minors or vulnerable adults carries this same exposure.

The financial and operational implications of neglecting background checks extend far beyond legal fees:

• Negligent volunteer/hiring liability. Courts have consistently ruled that an organization's failure to conduct background checks is, in itself, evidence of negligence. One federal court found that skipping a background check alone was sufficient to establish liability.
• Insurance denial. Carriers regularly deny claims when organizations fail to exercise "reasonable care" in screening. You're paying for coverage that won't cover you.
• Institutional trust collapse. When a preventable incident occurs, families leave. Donors pull back. Staff morale craters. Rebuilding credibility takes years, whether you're a school, a church, or a community organization.
• Operational disruption. Investigations, legal proceedings, and leadership transitions consume hundreds of hours that should be spent on mission.

What Worked for Us: A Simple, Repeatable System

When I led our volunteer culture as a pastor, I implemented two non-negotiable rhythms. These same principles apply whether you're onboarding classroom volunteers at a school, coaches at a youth organization, or mentors at a community nonprofit:

1. Routine monitoring of team onboarding. Every new volunteer or staff member was tracked through our onboarding pipeline, and I personally confirmed that background checks were initiated before anyone was placed in a role. No exceptions. The check was the gate, not the afterthought. For schools, this means before the first day in a classroom. For youth programs, before the first practice or event.
2. An annual audit. Every year in October, we pulled our full roster and verified that every background check was current. October gave us enough runway before busy seasons to identify gaps, re-run expired checks, and ensure no one slipped into high-access roles with outdated clearances. Pick a month that gives your organization lead time before your peak season, whether that's fall enrollment, summer camp, or holiday programming.

These weren't burdensome. They were rhythms. And they communicated something powerful to our team: we take this seriously because we take YOU seriously, and we take the people you serve seriously.