Standards for Excellence Institute

What Standards for Excellence Institute does

The Standards for Excellence Institute is a national nonprofit initiative founded in 1998 and operated as a program of Maryland Nonprofits, headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. The Institute promotes ethics, accountability, and governance best practices in the nonprofit sector through the Standards for Excellence Program, anchored by the Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector — a framework of six guiding principles and 67 standards — and supported by 49 educational resource packets, an Accreditation and Recognition Program (including a Basics Recognition tier), a Board Excellence Handbook, and a free online self-assessment tool. Technology delivery is primarily web-based: online self-assessments, virtual training events, and a Licensed Consultant Portal housing training materials, resource packets, and Codebooks.

The Institute serves two core customer segments: nonprofit organizations pursuing accreditation, recognition, and self-assessment, and qualified nonprofit consultants seeking credentialing. It generates revenue through five streams: Licensed Consultant Training (annual three-day seminar, $2,310 members / $2,460 non-members), Publications and Materials Sales (Codebook $5.50-$11, Board Excellence Handbook $20-$40), Membership Fees, Accreditation and Recognition Fees, and Event Registration ($19-$39 per ticket). Distribution is multi-channel: a direct sales motion for accreditation and training, a Licensed Consultant Network of 300+ consultants as resellers/ambassadors, a replication partner network of 12+ state, regional and national organizations (including the American Nurses Association, The Arc, and Maryland Nonprofits itself), and self-serve web channels including an e-commerce bookshop and free online self-assessment.

Name

Standards for Excellence Institute

Legal name

Standards for Excellence Institute

Website

https://standardsforexcellence.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Standards for Excellence Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit program of Maryland Nonprofits that provides an ethics and accountability code, educational resources, accreditation, and consultant credentialing to U.S. nonprofit organizations nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Accreditation and Governance Standards

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

National/Institutional Accreditors (Career, Faith-Based, Distance, etc.) (EDADACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Institutional & Programmatic Accreditation Audits (EDADAGAA)

Keywords

• Nonprofit accreditation
• Ethics and accountability
• Nonprofit governance standards
• Board governance training
• Nonprofit capacity building

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Licensed Consultant Training: Annual three-day licensing seminar for qualified consultants. Provides two-year license to provide Standards for Excellence consultation and two-year membership in the Institute.
2. Publications and Materials Sales: Sale of Codebooks ($5.50 members/$11 non-members) and Board Excellence Handbook ($20 members/$40 non-members).
3. Membership Fees: Membership in Standards for Excellence Institute provides access to educational resource packets, licensed consultant resources, and member pricing on events and publications.
4. Accreditation and Recognition Fees: Nonprofits pay fees for accreditation application, review, and renewal processes.
5. Event Registration: Revenue from virtual and in-person training events, workshops, and educational sessions ($19 member/$39 non-member ticket pricing).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Standards for Excellence Institute develops and disseminates a voluntary ethics and accountability framework (the Standards for Excellence Code) for U.S. nonprofits, and sells related governance and management products and services including accreditation reviews, educational resource packets, the Board Excellence Handbook, the Codebook, and a three-day Licensed Consultant Training program. Revenue is generated through membership fees, accreditation/recognition fees, publication sales, paid training events, and donations.

Product overview

The Standards for Excellence Institute offers a comprehensive nonprofit ethics and accountability program consisting of a core code document (the Standards for Excellence Code) and multiple supporting modules. The flagship Standards for Excellence Program is built around the Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector, a consensus-based framework of 67 standards across six guiding principles. Supporting offerings include the Board Excellence Handbook for governance training, a free online Self-Assessment tool, 49 Educational Resource Packets covering diverse nonprofit topics, and a three-day Licensed Consultant Training Program. The organization also operates an Accreditation and Recognition Program where organizations undergo third-party review to earn the Standards for Excellence Seal. A national network of over 300 Licensed Consultants and Replication Partners helps disseminate the program across the country.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector (Codebook)

Quantifiable outcome

• Accredited organizations are better stewards of financial resources.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Nonprofit Support GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2025Formal partnership announced March 2025 with Nonprofit Support Group to promote Standards for Excellence program.
• Social Venture Partners DallascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 August 2023Partnership announced August 2023 to assist nonprofits in achieving highest governance and management standards through Standards for Excellence program.
• Alabama Association of NonprofitscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner organization that promotes and implements the Standards for Excellence program in Alabama.
• American Nurses AssociationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational partner organization that promotes Standards for Excellence accreditation among nursing and healthcare nonprofits.
• The ArccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational partner organization implementing Standards for Excellence program across its network of disability services nonprofits.
• Center for Nonprofit AdvancementcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner based in Washington, D.C. area that promotes and implements the Standards for Excellence program.
• Center for Public JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner focused on nonprofit policy and governance standards.
• Central Texas Community Foundation / Center for Nonprofit SuccesscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner in Texas that promotes and implements Standards for Excellence program.
• Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement (DANA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner in Delaware that promotes and implements Standards for Excellence program, and is itself an accredited organization.
• FlourishcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner that promotes nonprofit excellence and Standards for Excellence program.
• Leadership RoundtablecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational partner focused on Catholic nonprofit leadership that promotes Standards for Excellence program.
• Nonprofit Association of OregoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner in Oregon that promotes and implements Standards for Excellence program.
• Nonprofit Support GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner that promotes and implements Standards for Excellence program.
• Maryland NonprofitscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization of the Standards for Excellence Institute. The Institute is a project/program of Maryland Nonprofits, a 501(c)(3) organization.
• Ohio Association of Nonprofit OrganizationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner in Ohio that promotes and implements Standards for Excellence program.
• Oklahoma Center for NonprofitscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner in Oklahoma that promotes and implements Standards for Excellence program, and is itself an accredited organization.
• Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit OrganizationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner in Pennsylvania that promotes and implements Standards for Excellence program, and is itself an accredited organization.
• SVP Dallas / The Nonprofit Impact InstitutecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner in Dallas area that promotes and implements Standards for Excellence program.
• Tennessee Nonprofit NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner in Tennessee that promotes and implements Standards for Excellence program, and is itself an accredited organization.
• Momentum Nonprofit PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-hosted Licensed Consultant training program with Momentum Nonprofit Partners in Memphis, Tennessee for consultants in the region.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Council of Nonprofits: A network of state and regional nonprofit associations serving as a national advocate for the nonprofit sector. Directly comparable to Standards for Excellence Institute as a peer that aggregates nonprofit associations and provides shared resources, standards, and capacity-building services.
• BBB Wise Giving Alliance: A nonprofit charity-evaluation organization that produces accreditation reports (BBB Charity Seal) based on 20 standards of accountability. Directly comparable as a third-party accreditation body for nonprofits, using a comparable standards-based review model.
• CompassPoint Nonprofit Services: A nonprofit consulting and research organization providing executive coaching, fundraising support, and leadership development to nonprofits. Comparable to Standards for Excellence Institute as a peer providing nonprofit capacity-building services and consulting.
• BoardSource: A national nonprofit organization focused on strengthening nonprofit board governance through training, resources, and leadership development. Closely comparable to Standards for Excellence Institute's Board Excellence Handbook and governance standards work.
• Nonprofit Leadership Alliance: A national organization that offers the Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) credential and promotes leadership standards across the nonprofit sector. Comparable to Standards for Excellence Institute as a peer offering sector-wide professional certification and standards.
• Independent Sector: A national membership organization of nonprofits, foundations, and corporate giving programs that advocates for nonprofit ethics, accountability, and effective practice. Highly comparable to Standards for Excellence Institute as a peer organization promoting sector-wide ethics and governance standards.
• Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP): A professional association for fundraising professionals that promotes ethical fundraising practice through a code of ethical standards and certification. Directly comparable to Standards for Excellence Institute as a peer that maintains a sector-wide code of ethics and offers member-based standards/training.

Emerging players

• Candid (formerly GuideStar): A nonprofit that collects and disseminates information on U.S. nonprofits via the GuideStar/Candid profiles and Seals of Transparency. Comparable to Standards for Excellence Institute as a peer that provides nonprofit transparency signals to funders, though delivered as free digital tools rather than paid accreditation.
• Charity Navigator: A leading nonprofit evaluator that rates charities on financial health, accountability, and transparency. Comparable as a sector peer in nonprofit accountability/transparency, though its business model is ratings-based rather than accreditation-based.

Others

• Nonprofit Quarterly: A nonprofit publishing organization producing analysis and commentary on nonprofit management and the social sector. Comparable to Standards for Excellence Institute as an adjacent peer that promotes sector-wide best practices through published content.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/StandardsForExcellenceInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/standards-for-excellence-institute
• Xx.com/S4Excel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Standards for Excellence Institute