The Benefits of Credentialing Programs to Membership Associations

Executive summary of the research done on credentialing programs. The research was conducted as a result of collaboration between the ASAE Research Foundation and NC State University.

The main purpose of the study was to build greater understanding of the perceived benefits to membership associations of administering or sponsoring a certification or accreditation program. In this study, we explored the benefits that can be of value to the credential holders. In addition, we examined the value of a credentialing program to the association that is sponsoring or administering it. Unlike other studies, we explained the perceived value of credentialing not from the perspective of the credential holder, but rather from the perspective of association leaders and managers of credentialing programs.