The National Fraternal Congress of America Creates New Accreditation Program

07/18/07

At the 2006 Annual Meeting of the National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA), delegates discussed a proposed revision to the Membership Standards program.  Based on comments made at the meeting's Open Forum, the NFCA leadership and staff restructured the proposed membership standards program, designing instead an NFCA member-society accreditation program intended to help strengthen each society and the system as a whole.  
 
The NFCA ad hoc Membership Committee has created the NFCA Accreditation Program – Your Key to Fraternal Success.  This program is comprised of meeting seven Key Standards—each designed to help societies reach an optimum level within the major disciplines of operating a relevant, sound fraternal benefit society.
 
Click here to download a copy of the Accreditation Program brochure that details the seven Key Standards: financial performance, fraternal performance, business best practices, common bond, governance, ethics and NFCA participation.  As you review each standard, please note the question(s) asked and the straightforward requirements that follow.  While the NFCA leadership team has designed the components of the Accreditation Program, your society's input at this stage will be valuable in creating simplified communication materials appealing to both our larger and smaller societies.  The NFCA seeks member-societies' comments by August 3, 2007.  If you have any questions or comments about the program, please contact the NFCA's Director of Membership & Fraternal Services, Allison Koppel.  She will be collecting feedback for the next NFCA Board Meeting on August 21, in preparation for the NFCA Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, September 6-8. 
 
Each member-society has approximately two years to examine its operations and prepare for the accreditation process.  In 2009, member-societies will be asked to provide the information requested in the brochure.  The first accredited societies will be announced at the 2010 NFCA Annual Meeting. 
 
Several workshops are scheduled for the upcoming Annual Meeting that are designed to help each member-society prepare to respond to the Key Standards.  Other new educational programming will be announced soon—much of it affordably offered online—to help member-societies achieve NFCA accreditation.  As the fraternal benefit system faces continual scrutiny for years to come, the NFCA Accreditation Program is the key to helping each member-society, while strengthening the entire system. 

The NFCA encourages your society to become one of the inaugural accredited societies of the NFCA, and we look forward to hearing your feedback on the program.

NFCA Accreditation Program brochure



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