Respond to your Classmate Discussion by
• Arguing against your peer’s position about whether accreditation matters in terms of demonstrating best practices.
• Discussing at least one reason you would choose the opposite than your peer.
Discussion 1 (Nicole)
The concept of accreditation is becoming increasingly popular in the nonprofit sector as a way for organizations to demonstrate quality, accountability, and a commitment to continuous improvement (Worth, 2021). As Gassman and Thompson (2017) outlined, accreditation can provide many benefits for nonprofit organizations and the stakeholders they serve. Some key potential benefits include: 1) assuring donors, clients, and the public that the organization adheres to high standards and best practices, 2) enhancing the organization’s credibility and reputation, 3) providing a framework for quality assessment and improvement, 4) facilitating access to funding sources restricted to accredited organizations, and 5) fostering transparency and accountability, among others.
One of the most prominent organizations that provides accreditation services specifically for nonprofit organizations is the Council on Accreditation (COA). Founded in 1977, the COA accredits thousands of nonprofit organizations across the human services sector (COA, n.d.). Some of the key service areas covered by COA accreditation include adoption, foster care, child abuse prevention, community housing services, domestic violence programs, homelessness intervention, and many others. The COA has an established set of standards that organizations must meet to earn accreditation. These standards align with best practices and cover areas such as governance, financial management, risk prevention and management, human resources, service delivery and evaluation, stakeholder participation, and more. By going through the rigorous COA accreditation process, nonprofit organizations can demonstrate to their stakeholders that they adhere to the highest standards in their particular field of service.
The COA’s accreditation standards and process provide a clear and reputable validation that an organization adheres to best practices in their field. Given the comprehensive nature of the many standards covering all aspects of organizational operations, preparing for COA accreditation requires nonprofits to critically evaluate their policies, procedures, and programs against stringent industry benchmarks. Earning COA accreditation indicates that a third-party peer review team has verified compliance with standards through evaluation of documentation, data, and systems as well as interviews with
leadership, staff, patrons, and partners. Maintaining accredited status also requires regular reporting and ongoing reviews. This level of scrutiny and continuous improvement framework inherent in COA accreditation makes it stand out as one of the most robust evaluations of a nonprofit’s alignment with industry best practices.
In particular, some of the areas where COA’s standards assessment would indicate strong adoption of recommended practices include financial management procedures protecting against waste or fraud, ethical guidelines for governance and operations, rigorous program evaluation frameworks, inclusive and equitable policies that align with the latest thinking (e.g. cultural competence), robust risk prevention/management plans, and standardized service delivery models. The breadth of focus, specificity of standards, rigor of the review process, and thought leadership connections inherent in COA accreditation make it an excellent indicator for funders, policymakers, partners, media, and patrons that an organization is committed to and capable of demonstrating nonprofit best practices. In this sense, COA accreditation matters deeply.
References Council on Accreditation (COA). (n.d.). About COA. https://coanet.org/about/Links to an external site.
Gassman, J., & Thompson, A. F. (2017). Examining How Accreditation Standards May Drive Quality Improvement and Accountability in Nonprofit Studies Educational Programs. Journal of Nonprofit Education & Leadership, 7(1).
Worth, M. J. (2021). Nonprofit management: Principles and practices (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Respond to your Classmate Discussion by
• Arguing against your peer’s position about whether accreditation matters in terms of demonstrating best practices.
• Discussing at least one reason you would choose the opposite than your peer.
Discussion 2 (Krista)
Nonprofit organizations are expected to be more proactive than ever to show commitment to quality and integrity in today’s competitive climate. Organizations may find gaining accreditation from an external source helpful to achieve this objective.
Accreditation is a way in which the organization can attain high standards that it can have and also have a reputable and credible stand among its stakeholders (Council on Accreditation, n.d.-b). Secondly, accreditation assists organizations in identifying areas of improvement and fosters a culture of continuous quality improvement. This discussion forum examines the importance of accreditation for nonprofit organizations, explicitly referencing CARF as a leader standard setter.
Identify one key organization providing accreditation services to nonprofits.
CARF is a leading international and independent nonprofit accreditation organization working with organizations providing human and social services in more than 20 countries worldwide, including the U.S. and Canada (Gassman & Thompson, 2017). CARF accredits a wide range of organizations,
including:
• Residential care facilities • Substance abuse and mental health treatment services. • Foster care and adoption agencies • Child welfare organizations • Family support services • Homeless shelters and services • Disability services • Juvenile justice programs
Describe the organization you identified briefly.
It was founded in 1966 and accredits over 6,000 programs serving over 20 million individuals in the U.S. and over 50 other countries. CARF’s accreditation process requires one to carry out a self-assessment, site visit, and peer review (Council on Accreditation, n.d.-b). Accreditation implies high-quality assurance standards in governance, management, delivery services, and results (Jones & Backus, 2010). CARF also provides training programs and resources to make an organization more effective when pursuing its mission.
Evaluate whether its accreditation matters in terms of demonstrating best practices.
A CARF accreditation speaks to the organization’s commitment to quality and accountability. Accreditation provides several benefits to organizations, including:
Improved quality of services: CARF standards are developed from best practices and guide organizations to identify the gaps in their quality management systems.
Enhanced accountability: Accreditation shows stakeholders that a company is answerable for its services and outcomes.
Increased credibility: Accreditation gives such organizations an opportunity to attract different types of capital investments, for example, funding, partnerships, and even talent.
Improved organizational performance: The accreditation process of CARF assists organizations in identifying ways in which their services improve the lives of the people they serve.
In addition to the benefits listed above, CARF accreditation can also help organizations to:
Gain a competitive edge: Accreditation is an ideal way for organizations to differentiate themselves from competitors in attracting new clients and funds.
Improve staff morale: Accreditation will increase staff pride and morale in their organization.
Prepare for future challenges: Through accreditation, organizations can prepare for future difficulties by analyzing and countering possible threats.
Conclusion
CARF accreditation is a valuable instrument for nonprofit organizations focusing on vulnerable people. Accredited practice shows that quality standards have been met, may improve performance, strengthen an organization’s reputation, attract talent and funding, and enhance competitiveness. If you want accreditation for your nonprofit organization, please learn more about CARF.
References
Council on Accreditation. (n.d.-b). Why accreditation? Council on Accreditation. https://coanet.org/why-accreditation/ Gassman, J., & Thompson, A. F. (2017). Examining How Accreditation Standards May Drive Quality Improvement and Accountability in Nonprofit Studies Educational Programs. Journal of Nonprofit Education & Leadership, 7(1).
Jones, G. A., & Backus, J. S. (2010). Nonprofit Organization Accreditation: A Guide for Executives. Jossey-Bass.
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