Becoming Accredited: A Helpful Guide to the CCCC Accreditation Process

Written by: Curtis Towns, Head of Accreditation

You may have seen this logo on a charity’s website or when you visited giveconfidently.ca. Perhaps you have wondered what the logo represents or how your organization can become accredited by CCCC. I hope to provide some useful information for both of those questions!

What Is CCCC Accreditation?

CCCC, along with input from sector stakeholders, has developed a set of standards referred to as the CCCC Standards of Accountability. The Standards are intended to address what is expected of an organization that is striving for excellence in the areas of Christian ministry, diligent governance, financial oversight and transparency, organizational integrity, and ethical fundraising.

Accredited Members commit to adhering to over 50 requirements under the Standards. After a member applies for Accreditation, CCCC representatives carry out regular reviews of documentation submitted by the member to look for evidence that the member maintains the Standards and demonstrates an overall commitment to integrity, transparency, and accountability.

After achieving Accreditation, organizations may display the Accredited Member Logo and are featured on our website for donors, giveconfidently.ca.

Should We Become Accredited by CCCC?

To help you answer this question, I wrote this blog post. I’d also be happy to chat with you to see if I can provide any additional information that would help you make this decision. Please contact us!

What Is the Accreditation Process?

Before diving deep into the fine details of Accreditation, many ministries considering Accreditation appreciate a summary of the Accreditation process. So, I decided to write this helpful guide with tips for pursuing CCCC Accreditation.

• Become an affiliate member. Affiliate members have access to our online Knowledge Base and our Member Support Team. These resources can be very helpful for the charity as it prepares to apply for Accreditation. For example, Accreditation may require your ministry to implement a certain policy it does not yet have. It may be helpful to access our sample policy as a resource when developing your own.

• Request the Accreditation Program guide. Visit cccc.org/accreditation (or email us) and request the program guide. This guide includes all the “fine print,” including the application form.

• Review the guide. Make notes of any questions you have or requirements you are not sure you fulfill.

• Talk with us. Shortly after sending you the program guide, we will be in touch to schedule a time for a phone call. During the call, we would be happy to answer any questions you have about the program or the specific requirements as identified in the previous step.

• Complete the application form. Set aside some uninterrupted time to fill out the application form and gather all the required documents.

• Submit your application package. Email your application form and supporting documents to accreditation@cccc.org. Remember to send your payment for the application fee (deduct any fee you paid for your affiliate membership).

• We review your package. Our team will review the package and provide a detailed written report in 3–4 weeks. There may be some correspondence to clarify some things or to request additional documentation. If there are any outstanding requirements, instructions will be given on how to address those. Some ministries do not fully comply with the Standards and rather than implement the changes required, choose to opt out of the process at this point. We are thankful for the opportunity to continue to support these charities as affiliate members.

• Approval. Once all requirements have been met, a letter of congratulations and a final invoice will be sent to you.

• Share about your Accreditation. Shortly following approval, your charity will receive a framed certificate indicating your Accreditation, along with access to promotional resources, so that you can begin sharing the news that you are accredited. You will also be asked to complete your profile on our website for donors, giveconfidently.ca.

• Maintain your Accreditation. As an Accredited Member, your ministry will be required to participate in regular reviews to demonstrate ongoing compliance with the CCCC Standards of Accountability. This includes submitting certain documents to CCCC each year and participating in a more in-depth on-site (field) review every 3–5 years. Compliance reviews correspond with your fiscal year, and annual membership fees align with our membership year (calendar year).

Are you interested in exploring CCCC Accreditation? Contact us today with your questions!