Six Great Reasons to Get Your CVA

I worked throughout 2012 on the requirements for my CVA (Certified in Volunteer Administration), and in early 2013 I was awarded my credential. 

As a seasoned nonprofit veteran, you might wonder why I invested the time and energy into getting my CVA.  After all, I've got pretty good handle on effective volunteer management practices, right? 

But, investing in my professional development, and keeping my skills on point, really made sense.  It may make sense for you, too.

Whether you’ve just started to build your volunteer administration skills or you’ve been at it for years, the CVA is a wonderful asset to add to your professional portfolio.  Here are a few reasons why I think the process of earning your CVA is so very worth it.

Six Great Reasons to Get Your CVA

1. You Learn What Drives You Personally -- The development of Philosophy Statement, a required piece of the CVA portfolio, is an eye-opening experience.  Writing it really helped me understand my personal values and unearth why I was so committed to this important work.
2. You Take Time to Reflect -- Writing the Management Narrative, another portfolio requirement, helped me assess a past project and pinpoint some approaches I would now chose to do differently.  Taking time out for reflection activities like these support my continuous learning and growth as a professional.
3. You Can See How Well You Stack Up -- Studying for the CVA exam, and reading the textbook, helped me address some of my knowledge gaps and blind spots in earnest.  Since most of us have learned volunteer management through self study and experience while on the job, it helps to compare what you know with a set of standard competencies developed by respected experts in the field.
4. You Make New Friends -- Finding someone to proctor my exam was a lot of fun.  It forced me to reach into my local network to connect, and I’m now great friends with the person who volunteered to monitor my exam -- in fact, now I play on her soccer team!
5. You Help Build the Strength of the Credential -- The number of people who have an active CVA internationally is relatively small.  By getting your CVA you help build the ranks and strengthen the trust in the credential as a way to demonstrate professional-level competence.
6. It’s Not That Expensive -- at $220 and $86 for the textbook, it’s less than a lot of training sessions, and your CVA will last for five years before you need to renew.  If you ask nicely, maybe your organization will help with the costs.

So, Just Go Do It!

I encourage anyone who works will volunteers on a regular basis to make an investment in themselves and embark on the journey toward their CVA.  You’ll be happy you did.

The CVA registration process is now open and will remain so until March 31, 2014.  Early bird discount rates are good until December 31, 2013.  For more info on the CVA, go to the CCVA website. 

If you have your CVA, please chime in.  How has it been helpful to you?