certification opportunity

chartered advisor in philanthropy

CAP® certification

ECCF is excited to facilitate a professional certification opportunity for professional advisors in our area. The Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® or CAP® is a 10-month program offered through The American College and provides seasoned professionals with the knowledge and tools to help clients articulate and advance their highest aspirations for self, family and society.

This graduate-level program is focused on advancing philanthropy in local communities through a rigorous curriculum that focuses on positive social impact when determining a client’s financial and estate planning goals. The CAP® program is part of ECCF’s overarching effort to provide high-quality philanthropic advising services to donors and our partner professional advisors in the community.

CAP® certification

The best thing about CAP® is you don’t have to go it alone! ECCF is partnering with The American College to facilitate a study group for professionals who are interested in earning the CAP® designation. The study group, which will run from September through June, has limited space available. If you or a colleague could benefit from the CAP® designation, please contact Jenn Mayo at j.mayo@eccf.org to learn more.

cost

For-profit professional advisors: $4,295 (includes all three courses)

Nonprofit professionals: $3,395 (includes all three courses)

There are limited scholarship opportunities available based on need, with preference given to smaller nonprofits.

course descriptions

CAP® is made up of three separate courses that span roughly eight months with a one-month break between the three. Each course has a mandatory exam that you must score at 70% or higher to move on to the next course. Here are the course definitions:

GS839: Planning for Philanthropic Impact in the Context of Family Wealth

In this course you learn how clients and donors can use financial planning, estate planning, and gift planning to advance their personal financial goals for self and family, while also having a positive impact on their community.

GS849: Charitable Giving Strategies

In this course you learn how to explain and place the most common charitable strategies-both one by one and within an overall plan to achieve donor goals for self, family, and community.

GS859: Gift Planning in a Nonprofit Context

This course focuses on what nonprofits call “planned giving.” The course is designed to help board leaders, advisors, and nonprofits collaborate to create, count, and steward significant gifts.

frequently asked questions

Are there prerequisites for the CAP® program?

Candidates must be engaged in the following professional activities three of the five years immediately preceding the application:

Advising individuals or charitable organizations in wealth and estate planning, financial planning, charitable planning, charitable giving, or planned giving, nonprofit or foundation management or services, investment management of charitable assets or accounting; or employed in the nonprofit sector in a capacity related to nonprofit management, development, planned giving or fundraising

Can I take the CAP® program on my own or do I need to participate in a cohort?

You can take the CAP program as a self-study program and you can take it completely on your own. However, most prefer to participate in a cohort to enhance the learning experience, gain best-practices, and build their network of like-minded advisors.

What are some of the key learning outcomes from this program?

Key learning outcomes include:

Applying the best tax strategies, tools, and techniques for charitable giving
Understanding client or donor goals for self, family, and/or society
Advising wealthy families on important financial matters, including business exit planning, estate planning, and legacy planning
Handling gift -planning for nonprofits and high-capacity donors