Nonprofit Leadership Alliance

CNP Online Exam: Demonstrate your knowledge and stand out as a nationally certified nonprofit professional. Requirement to pass the CNP exam requires a 76% or better grade on 100 short-answer questions. 

The CNP Exam tests your knowledge and understanding of the CNP Competencies. To prepare for the exam use the CNP Study Guide and participate in local or national webinars and workshops.

How to Prepare for the CNP Exam:

1. Review the CNP Study Guide

Once you enroll in CNP Central, you will have access to teh CNP Study Guide that covers competencies critical to nonprofit leadership. This e-guide is designed to take no more than three hours a week for 12 weeks. However, it is completely self-paced, so feel free to review the materials on a schedule that works for you. The CNP Study Guide is organized into six modules with four lessons each.

2. Participate in Webinars and Workshops

We encourage you to participate in as many nonprofit-focused trainings, webinars, and workshops as you can fit into your schedule. The Nonprofit Leadership Alliance offers free and discounted webinars and e-courses. The CNP Central Announcements will keep you informed.

Eligibility: You may take the CNP Exam at any point afer full payment of fees. Join a study group to prepare for the exam. You will access the CNP Study Groups (Coming Soon!) through CNP Central.

Volunteer Service: Complete at least 20 hours in volunteerism and report at any time.

Volunteer Service: Volunteerism is a key component for most nonprofit organizations. More than 70 million adults (30% of the population) volunteer each year for nonprofit organizations—resulting in nearly 6.9 billion hours of volunteerism. This represents an estimated $167 billion in economic value. The Volunteer Service requirement encourages CNP participants to understand the value of volunteerism 

You'll gain first-hand perspective on how organizations work with volunteers to further their mission. This experience will also provide you with the opportunity to learn about an organization relevant to your interests and to make valuable connections in the nonprofit sector. 

Requirement: Complete at least 20 hours of volunteerism at a nonprofit organization. 

Eligibility: You may complete the volunteer experience and report it at any time.

Minimum 120 hours of work experience with a nonprofit organization (paid or unpaid). 

Eligibility: You may complete the nonprofit experience requirement at any time. Up to four experiences may be recorded to meet the requirement. Please note, your supervisor might be contacted about your experience.

Other information: The most effective way to truly understand how nonprofits "work" is to work at a nonprofit! Nonprofit experience allows you to apply classroon concepts to a real-world setting. Completing projects, working with a team, and receiving feedback on your work all allow you to advance your understanding and build confidence in your knoweldge and skills. In addition, these connections with nonprofit organizations create your professional network for job seeking and future problem-solving.

We offer several pathways to competing the nonprofit experience requirement. Select the one that fits you best!

Option #1: Previous paid nonprofit work experience

• A minimum of 6 weeks of part-time employment meets this requirement

Option #2: The Washington Exerpeince, AmeriCorps, or other service year experience

Option #3: Micro-Internships/Job Shadowing

• Minimum of 120 hours combined
• A minimum of 20 hours must be spent in a professional office environment (job shadowing, etc.)
• A minimum of 20 hours spent on project-based activiites (micro-internship)

Leadership Development: Participate in at least one nonprofit conference (in person or online)

Leadership Development: Succeeding as a leader is not always straight-forward. Unlike many other competency areas that require a specific skill set that can be gained through education (like financial management), effective leadership requires “soft” skills (also known as essential leadership skills). This is less about your straight knowledge and more about understanding complicated organizational and interpersonal dynamics. The best way to ensure you are setting yourself up for success is to adopt two mindsets. The first is continuous learning. The most successful leaders have a voracious appetite for learning new skills and developing their leadership capacity. The second is building professional networks. We know that a well-networked leader is a more successful leader. It is critical that you are building your ability to build those networks. Networks that will serve you today and for years to come.

Requirement: Conference, networking, career services

Eligibility: You may complete the leadership experience requirement at any time. 

How: If you attend Elevate, the virtual conference hosted by the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, the three requirements listed below will be met. The next Elevate will take place February 2025. 

If you do not attend Elevate, you must complete “Leadership Development in Practice” and meet the three requirements listed below. We include examples of what networking and collaboration and career exploration experiences can look like. Pick one experience from the list that best suits you! 

Leadership Development Requirements

1.      Professional development: Attend a national conference focusing on the nonprofit sector.

2.      Networking and collaboration (pick one):

• Attend a local networking event
• Connect with various online communities on CNP Central
• Complete APO Leads if you are an APO member

3.      Career exploration (pick one):

• Take the DeBruce Agility Assessment (available at Elevate)
• Take part in Career L!FT Mentor Match!
• Sign up for informational interviews
• Sign up for resume review