Begin the Certification Process

To become certified, organizations must submit a written application, provide documentation, and pay an application fee. After initial staff review of the materials for completeness, a panel of trained peer reviewers will assess the organization’s practices and determine if they have met the Standards. The peer review team will then forward their recommendations to the Standards Committee for final approval. Successful organizations will be given permission to use the Standards for Excellence® Seal .

Organizations will require varying amounts of time and energy to complete the application based on many different factors (policies and practices an organization has in place at the outset of the process, staffing, timing of board meetings, etc.). While one organization may complete the application in six weeks, another may take two years to undergo the complete process. It is our goal to work with organizations to implement the Standards, so that over time all organizations interested in achieving certification will be successful.

2008 Application Deadlines and Fees

Below are resources that will assist you through the certification process:

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