Council on Accreditation
The Council on Accreditation is a US nonprofit founded in 1977 that accredits human and social service organizations and community behavioral health programs against 972 standards via multi-day on-site reviews, monetizing through accreditation fees and partner-delivered training.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Council on Accreditation does
The Council on Accreditation (COA) is an independent, US-based nonprofit founded in 1977 and headquartered in New York. It operates one of the recognized accreditation frameworks for human and social service organizations and community behavioral health programs in the United States. Its core product is the COA Accreditation program, in which organizations are evaluated against a comprehensive framework that, as of the most recent review cycle, comprises 972 standards spanning governance, service delivery, and operational quality. Accreditation is delivered through multi-day on-site reviews conducted by trained reviewers, with organizations such as Wayfinder Family Services achieving full reaccreditation with zero deficiencies. Since 2022, COA has expanded its framework by adding 178 new standards, raising the compliance threshold for accredited entities.
COA monetizes through two primary revenue streams. The first is accreditation services, a recurring, fee-based stream in which organizations pay for initial and ongoing accreditation assessments, with multi-day on-site reviews serving as the core delivery mechanism. The second is training and consulting, primarily channeled through Social Current, COA's premier partner organization, which delivers accredited training, introductory webinars, on-demand virtual courses, and consulting to help organizations prepare for and maintain accreditation. COA's customer base is segmented vertically, targeting nonprofits and human/social service organizations seeking external validation of quality, governance, and service delivery. Marketing and distribution are weighted toward partner-channel referrals, free introductory webinars, and content marketing via Social Current's Knowledge and Insights Center. The business model is structured as nonprofit, with no public listing, no funding rounds, no M&A activity, and no disclosed financial figures in the source material.
Council on Accreditation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Council on Accreditation
- Website
- https://coanet.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The Council on Accreditation is a US nonprofit founded in 1977 that accredits human and social service organizations and community behavioral health programs against 972 standards via multi-day on-site reviews, monetizing through accreditation fees and partner-delivered training.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Council on Accreditation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Service Accreditation
- NAICS
- Business Associations (813910)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Accreditation Evaluation, Peer Review & Site-Visit Organizations (EDADACAI), Healthcare Licensing, Accreditation & Credentialing Boards (HLAJACAC)
Keywords
Where Council on Accreditation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Council on Accreditation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Accreditation Services: COA provides accreditation services to nonprofits and human service organizations through a rigorous evaluation process including on-site reviews. Organizations pay for the accreditation assessment and ongoing compliance reviews.
- Training and Consulting Services: Through partner organizations like Social Current, COA offers training programs and consulting services related to accreditation preparation and compliance.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Council on Accreditation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Council on Accreditation (COA) is an independent nonprofit accrediting body that evaluates and accredits human service organizations and community behavioral health programs. It assesses applicant organizations against a comprehensive standards framework (972 standards as of the most recent review cycle) through multi-day on-site peer reviews and ongoing compliance monitoring, awarding reaccreditation to organizations such as Wayfinder Family Services that meet all standards with zero deficiencies. COA also supports accreditation preparation through training and consulting delivered via partner intermediaries such as Social Current.
Product overview
The Council on Accreditation (COA) is an accrediting body that evaluates and accredits human service organizations and community behavioral health programs. COA operates a standards-based accreditation model where organizations are assessed against a comprehensive set of criteria. The organization added 178 standards since the 2022 review cycle, raising the bar for accreditation. COA partners with intermediary organizations like Social Current to deliver accreditation services. Note: Limited source data available from COA's own digital properties.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- COA Accreditation Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Zero deficiencies on all 972 standards
Companies that use Council on Accreditation
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Council on Accreditation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Council on Accreditation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Social CurrentcoreSocial Current is the premier partner for COA Accreditation, providing training, consulting, and support services. They offer introductory webinars, on-demand virtual courses, and comprehensive support to help organizations understand and achieve COA accreditation. Social Current serves as a catalyst for the social sector, helping organizations commit to continuous improvement and evidence-based practices.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Council on Accreditation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- International Organization for Standardization (ISO): ISO develops and certifies against international management system standards (e.g., ISO 9001) that some human-services organizations adopt instead of sector-specific accreditation like COA — representing an alternative accreditation pathway.
- National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA): NCQA accredits managed behavioral healthcare organizations and health plans, overlapping with COA's behavioral health accreditation niche and applying similar peer-review/standards-based models.
- The Joint Commission: The Joint Commission is a major healthcare and behavioral health accreditation body with deep brand recognition and broader scope than COA, including hospital and ambulatory care accreditation that overlaps COA's behavioral health footprint.
Direct peers
- Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP): HFAP accredits hospitals and behavioral health facilities, including mental health and substance abuse programs — directly competing for behavioral health accreditation customers that COA also targets.
- URAC: URAC accredits health and human services programs including behavioral health and case management, competing for similar organizational customers as COA under a peer-review/standards model.
- CARF International: CARF International is one of the leading accreditors of human and social service organizations, including behavioral health, aging services, and child and youth services — directly overlapping COA's core accreditation market.
- Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC): AAAHC provides accreditation across ambulatory and community-based health settings, with overlap to COA's community behavioral health and outpatient human services accreditation footprint.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Council on Accreditation social profiles
Digital presenceCouncil on Accreditation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Council on Accreditation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Council on Accreditation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Council on Accreditation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Council on Accreditation
What does Council on Accreditation do?
The Council on Accreditation (COA) is an independent nonprofit accrediting body that evaluates and accredits human service organizations and community behavioral health programs. It assesses applicant organizations against a comprehensive standards framework (972 standards as of the most recent review cycle) through multi-day on-site peer reviews and ongoing compliance monitoring, awarding reaccreditation to organizations such as Wayfinder Family Services that meet all standards with zero deficiencies. COA also supports accreditation preparation through training and consulting delivered via partner intermediaries such as Social Current.
Is Council on Accreditation a public or private company?
Council on Accreditation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Council on Accreditation founded?
Council on Accreditation was founded in 1977. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Council on Accreditation based?
Council on Accreditation is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Council on Accreditation make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Accreditation Services are the primary driver. The others are training and Consulting Services.
Who are Council on Accreditation's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are International Organization for Standardization (ISO), National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and The Joint Commission. Direct peers are Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP), URAC, CARF International and Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC).
Does Council on Accreditation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Council on Accreditation.
What industry is Council on Accreditation in?
Council on Accreditation's product category is Social Service Accreditation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADACAJ, Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations, with a secondary code of EDADACAI, Accreditation Evaluation, Peer Review & Site-Visit Organizations. Its NAICS code is 813910 and its SIC code is 8600.