Accreditation Information
The Accreditation Program is a professional accreditation process for agencies working within the Information & Referral (I&R) sector of human services.
The Inform USA Accreditation Program is the only organizational credential geared explicitly for the I&R sector. It measures a program's compliance with expected practices within the field as defined by the Inform USA Standards and Quality Indicators for Professional Information and Referral.
All organizations seeking accreditation or re-accreditation need to complete the following five phases:
Inform USA Accreditation provides:
- Objective evidence of achievement in the areas of service delivery, resource database, cooperative relationships, disaster preparedness, and organizational effectiveness
- Demonstrated commitment on the part of your leadership to meeting the highest standards in the field
- Enhanced credibility in the eyes of the public and stakeholders
- A stronger position in a competitive field (some funders require Inform USA accreditation)
- Expanded access to new markets, government funding, and foundation grants
- Recognition by your peers in the I&R sector
Investment
There is a time and cost investment for Accreditation, but you will see they are both worth it!
- Cost: $6,000 for members and $9,000 for non-members. (Those who receive the discounted membership price are expected to maintain their membership for the full accreditation period.)
- Time: First-time applicants get 18 months to complete the process, and re-accreditations get 12 months.
- The accreditation award covers a 5 year period.
