Council For Certification In Volunteer Administration

Our mission is to advance excellence in volunteer administration by delivering professional certification and advocating ethical practice.

Our Strategic Direction:
ADVOCATE – Champion the CVA credential, current certificants, and the profession to ensure quality, credibility and sustainability.

UNIFY – Strengthen the field of volunteer engagement by promoting a universal framework for excellence in professional practice.

INSTILL – Inspire and encourage practitioners to apply an ethical lens to their work with volunteers.

REACH – Elevate global professionalism in volunteer administration by sharing the Body of Knowledge
and being responsive to emerging interests in certification.

MANAGE – Govern and manage CCVA to ensure operational efficiency and effectiveness

The Association for Volunteer Administration (AVA) developed the Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA) program in the early 1980s as a means of professional development for individuals who mobilize and manage volunteers.

In early 2006 the AVA Board of Directors was forced to dissolve the association due to severe financial challenges.

In June 2006, the AVA Board transferred ownership of the CVA program and the “Professional Ethics in Volunteer Administration” publication to a new Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration (CCVA), with the understanding that they be “preserved and maintained … for the benefit of the profession.” CCVA was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in Virginia in June 2006.

CCVA is a volunteer led organization with a Board of Directors and several committees who also partner with an Executive Director and a psychometrician. Our testing vendor is YouTestMe and we maintain membership with the Institute of Credentialing Excellence.

To date the CCVA has certified 2500 people over the last 40 years. Currently, 1100 people hold the certification.

2008 – CCVA conducted a Job Analysis study and published the first-ever “Body of Knowledge in Volunteer Administration” identifying the full range of skills and knowledge which serve as the foundation for this field, regardless of where or how it is practiced.

2009 – CCVA published Volunteer Administration: Professional Practice, a textbook organized around the Body of Knowledge. Written by 20 authors from the United States and Canada, it provides a unique contribution to the literature of the field by combining academic concepts and research with practical application.

2011 — CCVA presented workshops on core competencies and professional ethics at the World Conference on Volunteerism in Singapore. Staff also consulted with the Canadian HR Council in support of its development of new occupational standards in volunteer resource management. Over 1,000 leaders have now earned the CVA credential!

2012 — CCVA welcomed a pilot group of three candidates from Singapore and the first candidate from the United Kingdom. Staff shared information about the core competencies with educators at the ARNOVA conference. A collaborative agreement was executed with the national Canadian Administrators of Volunteer Resources to offer the CVA credential to their members.

2013 – The second edition of Volunteer Administration: Professional Practice was published. CCVA welcomed a pilot group of candidates from Saudi Arabia. The first CVAs were awarded to practitioners in Switzerland and Saudi Arabia.

2014 – A comprehensive Practice Analysis Study as conducted to update the body of knowledge and core competencies for the field. The validation survey was distributed globally with over 800 response received. The CVA renewal process was also updated and revised to include more options for earning professional development units. The first CVA was awarded in Zambia.

2015 – The new CCVA Body of Knowledge and Competency Framework was released. As of this year, at least one CVA credential has been awarded in 10 countries.

2016 – CCVA transitioned to a new testing service which provided access to the Pearson VUE global network of testing centers. The Portfolio component was eliminated from the CVA certification process. The Professional Ethics in Volunteer Administration document was revised and updated, and the third edition of Volunteer Administration: Professional Practice was published.

2018 – CCVA transitioned away from administering the CAVS designation for leaders of volunteers in healthcare settings.

2019 – CCVA begins using the YouTestMe online exam portal which provides online testing and virtual proctoring, accessible worldwide.

2020 - CCVA begins issuing digital credentials.