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Maggie Benson is the President of Sure Check, a background screening company that works with many nonprofits, churches, and youth-serving organizations. With a background in education, Maggie brings a human-centered approach to risk management and has worked with organizations nationwide to design smarter, safer onboarding processes for volunteers and staff.
When someone wears your organization’s T-shirt, they represent your brand, values, and reputation. Yet many nonprofits leave dangerous gaps by relying solely on state-level checks. This session breaks down what a thorough background check should include, clarifies the differences between county, state, federal, and multi-jurisdictional searches, and outlines how to build a role-specific screening process that balances safety, fairness, and speed, backed by real case studies of when gaps led to harm, lawsuits, or PR disasters.
By the end of this session, attendees will:
- Understand why state checks alone are insufficient and the risks they create.
- Identify the differences between county, state, federal, and multi-jurisdictional searches.
- Know what key databases, such as OFAC, sex offender registries, FACIS, and watchlists, actually check.
- Learn how to build a structured, role-specific screening process.
- Apply best practices to protect both their community and organizational reputation without slowing down onboarding.
