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  • 1.  Vetting museum volunteers

    Posted 06-04-2025 10:14 AM
    What types of background reviews do other museums perform on volunteers like docents and interns?  


    Mike Post
    Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum
    San Luis Obispo, California


  • 2.  RE: Vetting museum volunteers

    Posted 06-05-2025 07:42 AM

    Our facility interviews all prospective docent and intern applicants. If they are accepted into the program we run a simple criminal background check, similar to the one used for new employees. Hope this helps!



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    Jessica Gouge
    Education Events and Collections Manager
    Greensboro Science Center
    Greensboro NC
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Vetting museum volunteers

    Posted 06-05-2025 08:24 AM
    Hi, Mike - It seems to me that, as for background vetting, some levels depend upon the role the volunteer or intern will have, and your budget.  Before retiring, I was the director of a museum within an academic institution, so our process was basically managed by Campus Safety, who required finger-printing.  This took the burden off museum staff.  We transferred funds from our budget to theirs for the "service."  Campus Safety worked with State Law Enforcement to process the prints through their system.  Vivian



    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Vetting museum volunteers

    Posted 06-06-2025 08:44 AM
    Edited by Briseyda Pulido 06-06-2025 08:44 AM

    Mike, 

    All prospective Docents must complete an interview at our museum as well. If they feel like a good fit, we then use a database called Checkr to complete our background checks. Within this database are various packages, so staff will typically have to complete a more thorough one, but our volunteers will be sent the Volunteer Package. 

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    Briseyda Pulido
    Volunteer Manager/Adult Group Scheduler
    Cartersville GA
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Vetting museum volunteers

    Posted 06-06-2025 12:16 PM

    We use AmericanChecked Inc. for all of our volunteers. We are a state run entity, but our docents and interns are managed through our private non-profit. We have a simple application form that includes spaces for job history and references. That is filled out along with an "Authorization for Background Check" page. We send this information off to AmericanChecked Inc. and they send us the results back within a few days. 



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    CJ Budy
    Museum Director
    Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center
    Enid OK
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    Original Message


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