Early Development

The Association for Volunteer Administration (AVA) developed the Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA) program in the early 1980s as a means of professional development for individuals who mobilize and manage volunteers. From the beginning, this certification was intended to be:

- applicable to all types of settings and organizations
- competency-based
- international in scope

The program grew slowly but steadily, certifying over 400 individuals in the United States and Canada. In 2000, AVA revised the program to:

• update the process to meet the needs of current practitioners
• reassess the core competencies on which it was based
  ensure compliance with best practices in professional certification.

  After a successful pilot of the new process in 2001, the program continued to grow with positive feedback from the field.  A part-time contractor and over 50 volunteer committee members managed the program, making decisions about test items, scoring of portfolios, selection of reference materials and recertification. An additional 255 professionals were credentialed from January 2001 to August 2006.

Crisis and Transition

In early 2006 the AVA Board of Directors was forced to dissolve the organization due to severe financial troubles.

In June 2006, the AVA board transferred ownership of the CVA program and the "Professional Ethics in Volunteer Administration" publication to a new Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration (CCVA), with the understanding that they be "preserved and maintained ... for the benefit of the profession."

CCVA was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in Virginia in June 2006 with the following mission:

CCVA promotes and certifies excellence in volunteer administration to advance the capacity of communities to effectively engage volunteers.

The creation of this new, independent home enabled the CVA program to grow with widespread investment, visibility and support, and to be truly responsive to the changing needs of the profession.

During this period of transition, the program continued to operate without interruption. Over 120 candidates registered for the 2006 cycle, the exam was conducted on schedule, portfolios were reviewed, and all materials were updated. This signalled a high level of commitment to the program and reinforced its perceived value by practitioners in the field.

Recent Milestones

2008 – CCVA conducted a Job Analysis study and published the first-ever “Body of Knowledge in Volunteer Administration” identifying the full range of skills and knowledge which serve as the foundation for this field, regardless of where or how it is practiced.

2009 – CCVA published Volunteer Administration: Professional Practice, a textbook organized around the Body of Knowledge.  Written by 20 authors from the United States and Canada, it provides a unique contribution to the literature of the field by combining academic concepts and research with practical application.

2010 - The Association of Healthcare Volunteer Resource Professionals contracted with CCVA to manage its certification program.  The Certified Administrator of Volunteer Resources (CAVS) credential is offered specifically for practitioners in healthcare settings in the United States.

2011 - CCVA presented workshops on core competencies and professional ethics at the World Conference on Volunteerism in Singapore.   Staff also consulted with the Canadian HR Council in support of its development of new occupational standards in volunteer resource management.  Over 1,000 leaders have now earned the CVA credential!

2012 - CCVA welcomed a pilot group of three candidates from Singapore and the first candidate from the United Kingdom. Staff shared information about the core competencies with educators at the ARNOVA conference.  A collaborative agreement was executed with the national Canadian Administrators of Volunteer Resources to offer the CVA credential to their members.

2013 – The second edition of Volunteer Administration:  Professional Practice was published.  CCVA welcomed a pilot group of candidates from Saudi Arabia.   The first CVAs were awarded to practitioners in Switzerland and Saudi Arabia.

2014 – A comprehensive Practice Analysis Study was conducted to update the body of knowledge and core competencies for the field.  The validation survey was distributed globally with over 800 responses received.   New guidelines were released for the CVA Renewal process, including streamlined reporting forms and more options for earning professional development units.

2015 – The new CCVA Body of Knowledge and Competency Framework was released. As of this year, at least one CVA credential has been awarded in 10 countries.

2016 – CCVA transitioned to a new testing service which provides access to the Pearson VUE global network of testing centers.  As of this year, the CVA and CAVS exams are offered annually during two 2-week windows in early April and early October.  The Portfolio component was eliminated from the CVA certification process.  The Professional Ethics in Volunteer Administration document was revised and updated, and the third edition of Volunteer Administration:  Professional Practice was published.

2018 - CCVA transitioned away from administering the CAVS exam.

2019- YouTestMe became the new testing vendor for CCVA

2020 - In the midst of a global pandemic, 149 new CVAs certified with 99 CVAs renewing.

2021 - CCVA transitions to digital credentialing and the the fourth edition of Volunteer Administration:  Professional Practice is published.