Strengthen trust
Give donors and partners concrete evidence of how your organisation operates.
Clarify responsibilities
Make the roles of the board, management and teams clearer and preserve continuity.
Document your practices
Connect your commitments to decisions, procedures and evidence of resource oversight.
Prepare discussions
Organise the information requested by funders and identify risks and areas for improvement.
Local and international NGOs
Clarify responsibilities between headquarters, teams and partners, and document the monitoring of your activities.
Non-profit associations
Define the roles of the board, employees and volunteers, and preserve continuity when people change.
Foundations and institutions
Formalise decisions, resource oversight and the way you report to your stakeholders.
Sub-sectors covered
A process tailored to your organisation
An international NGO, a local association and a foundation operate differently. The assessment scope must reflect your activities, structure and partners’ expectations.
CERTIFICATION FRAMEWORKS
Which certification is right for your organisation?
The choice depends on your objectives and your partners’ requirements. An initial discussion helps clarify the relevant framework and assessment scope.
Understand your certification project from the start
ACPO discusses the proposed scope, framework requirements and assessment stages with you, helping your teams plan their participation.
You work with accessible contacts and a clear audit framework. The assessment remains independent; your organisation is responsible for its practices and corrective actions.
Your questions about NGO certification
Which certification should an NGO choose?
The choice depends on your objectives and your partners’ requirements. Governance assessment and quality management certification serve different purposes.
Can an association or foundation apply?
ACPO’s NGO offering also addresses associations, foundations and non-profit institutions. The relevant scope must reflect the organisation’s activities and structure.
Does certification guarantee funding?
No. It may provide useful evidence for a funding application, but each funder sets its own criteria and makes its own decision.
What budget and timeline should we expect?
These depend on scope, locations and preparation. Request a proposal specifying the stages, timeline and included services.
What should we prepare for an initial discussion?
Describe your activities, structure, objectives and any partner requirements. Your statutes, organisation chart and activity report may help clarify the project.