National Association of Professional Organizers

What National Association of Professional Organizers does

The National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1983 in Los Angeles and currently headquartered at 1601 Utica Avenue South, Suite 213, Minneapolis, Minnesota. It serves approximately 3,500 individual members comprising professional organizers, productivity consultants, and related businesses across the United States and Canada, operating through a 40+ chapter local network and 10+ special interest groups. NAPO is professionally managed by Ewald Consulting, a charter-accredited association management company, with a ~15-person HQ staff led by Executive Director Jalene Bowersmith.

NAPO's core offerings include the NCCA-accredited Certified Professional Organizer (CPO) credential administered through the Board of Certification for Professional Organizers (BCPO); NAPO University, an online learning platform powered by PathLMS hosting 300+ hours of courses, specialist certificates, and continuing education; the POINT virtual community (HigherLogic) generating 10,000+ discussion posts annually; and the public Find a Pro Directory connecting consumers to credentialed members. The technology stack relies on third-party platforms: YourMembership for membership management, PathLMS for education, HigherLogic for community, ExamRoom.AI for remote exam proctoring, and Informz for email. NAPO also publishes a blog (napogetorganized.com) and podcast (napopodcast.com), and runs the trademarked GO Month (January) and World Organizing Day (May 20) public awareness campaigns.

Revenue is generated through six streams: individual membership dues (Provisional/Professional $349/year, Student $75/year, Military discount, Multi-Person Business $455-$2,735/year); CPO certification fees ($450 exam application, $200 maintenance, $300/3-year recertification, $200 Emeritus); NAPO University course sales with member pricing; Business Partner program subscriptions featuring brands such as The Container Store and 1-800-GOT-JUNK?; annual Summit registration and chapter events; and the Registered & Insured Program ($30/year). Pricing is exclusively subscription or one-time-fee based with no equity, funding rounds, or external capital; the organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.

Name

National Association of Professional Organizers

Legal name

National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals

Website

http://www.napo.net/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership association founded in 1983 serving approximately 3,500 professional organizers and productivity consultants through NCCA-accredited certification, online education, community networking, and a public consumer directory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Laurel

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from Provisional ($349), Professional ($349), Student ($75), and Multi-Person Business members. Core recurring revenue stream supporting association operations.
2. CPO Certification & Exam Fees: CPO exam application fee ($450), annual maintenance fees ($300 recertification), and one-time fees including CPO Emeritus ($200) and initial certification maintenance fee ($200).
3. NAPO University Education: Course sales through NAPO University platform including CPO Prep Exam Course, specialist certificates, and continuing education. Members receive free webinars and member pricing; guests pay full price.
4. Business Partner Program: Tiered business partner memberships with varying benefit levels. Partners gain advertising, co-branding, access to member network, and educational opportunities.
5. Annual Conference & Events: Registration fees for NAPO Annual Summit and various chapter events, webinars, and specialty education programs.
6. Registered & Insured Program: $30 annual maintenance fee for members who qualify for the Registered & Insured designation and digital badge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

NAPO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership association that sells tiered annual memberships, the NCCA-accredited Certified Professional Organizer (CPO) credential through its BCPO certifying body, online continuing education via NAPO University (300+ hours of content), specialist certificates, the Find a Pro public directory, and the annual NAPO Summit. Members are individual professional organizers and productivity consultants, with additional revenue from a Business Partner program that gives product/service companies access to NAPO's 3,500+ member audience.

Product overview

NAPO (National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals) operates as a professional membership association offering a comprehensive ecosystem for organizing and productivity professionals. The core offerings include NAPO University (powered by PathLMS) for online education with over 300 hours of courses, CPO certification through BCPO (an NCCA-accredited board), the Find a Pro public directory, and POINT virtual community. Members can enhance credentials through Specialist Certificates and Special Interest Groups focused on niche markets. The association organizes the Annual Conference/Summit, supports chapters and virtual networking, and runs initiatives including GO Month and World Organizing Day. Additional programs include NAPOCares social responsibility, scholarship funding, the Registered & Insured designation, Business Partners program, and Affinity Programs for member benefits. The NAPO Blog and Podcast provide ongoing industry content and education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BCPO (Board of Certification for Professional Organizers): The certifying body whose mission is to advance the credibility and ethical standards of the Organizing and Productivity industry. Operates under the auspices of the Board of Certification for Professional Organizers.
• NAPO University
• POINT
• Get Organized & Be Productive (GO) Month

Products and services

• NAPO Membership (Provisional, Professional, Student, Military, Multi-Person Business)
• CPO (Certified Professional Organizer) Credential
• NAPO University Online Courses
• Specialist Certificates

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000+ discussion posts in 12 months
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Container StorecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured Business Partner of NAPO. The Container Store is a leading retailer of storage and organization products. Partners gain visibility on napo.net homepage, access to NAPO members, and advertising opportunities.
• 1-800-GOT-JUNK?coreGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured Business Partner providing junk removal and disposal services. Visible on NAPO homepage and partner directory with direct booking links.
• MaxSoldminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline estate and downsizing sale platform. Featured Business Partner offering services relevant to NAPO members specializing in moves and estate organization.
• NEAT MethodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional organizing company. Featured Business Partner visible on napo.net homepage rotator.
• Shelf GenieminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCloset and storage solution provider. Featured Business Partner visible on napo.net homepage.
• Aging Life Care Association (ALCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate partner. National non-profit of professionals specializing in aging and disability. NAPO members often partner with Aging Life Care Managers to support clients during major life transitions such as downsizing and aging in place.
• American Association of Daily Money Managers (AADMM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate partner. AADMM members provide personal financial services and act as fiduciaries for incapacitated individuals. NAPO members receive discounted conference registration and webinar access.
• Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate partner. Organization providing education and strategies for chronic disorganization. ICD certification complements NAPO's Hoarding Specialists SIG.
• Professional Organizers in Canada (POC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate partner. National association representing professional organizers across Canada. Supports cross-border networking and credibility.
• National Association of Black Professional Organizers (NABPO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate partner empowering minority and women-owned organizing businesses. NABPO members receive 30% discount on NAPO membership.
• The Photo ManagersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate partner. Community of professionals helping clients manage photo collections. Relevant to NAPO members specializing in photo and media organization.
• Pivotal Age Management / University of WashingtonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership studying topics related to organizing and productivity in aging populations. NAPO supports academic research to promote the industry.
• The Dark Horse Project / Harvard Graduate School of EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with Harvard investigating productivity and organizing topics. NAPO supports dissemination of academic findings in the field.
• Wolters Kluwer / BizFilingscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to help NAPO members comply with Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting requirements. BizFilings provides streamlined filing tools and resources. NAPO receives referral consideration.
• Ewald ConsultingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCharter accredited association management company that professionally manages NAPO alongside the small staff team. Provides executive leadership, operations, and governance support.
• YourMembershipcoreTechnology or IntegrationAssociation management software provider powering napo.net. Handles membership management, event registration, online community, and member communications.
• PathLMScoreTechnology or IntegrationLearning management system powering NAPO University for online courses, certifications, and continuing education delivery.
• ExamRoom.AIcoreTechnology or IntegrationRemote proctoring solution for CPO certification exam. Enables candidates to take exams from home while ensuring secure testing environment.
• National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA)coreOthersBCPO follows NCCA accreditation guidelines, providing third-party validation of CPO certification program quality and standards.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD): ICD is a peer professional association serving organizers specializing in chronic disorganization, ADHD, and hoarding. It is an official NAPO affiliate and its CD/CHD certifications complement NAPO's Hoarding Specialists SIG, making it the closest comparable peer in mission and member base.
• American Association of Daily Money Managers (AADMM): AADMM is a peer association of personal financial services professionals (daily money managers) that serves as an official NAPO affiliate with reciprocal conference discounts. It is highly comparable as a small US professional association in an adjacent personal-services discipline serving similar consumer demographics.
• Aging Life Care Association (ALCA): ALCA is a peer association of geriatric care managers that operates as an official NAPO affiliate. It is directly comparable because both are non-profit US professional associations with credentialing programs, ethical codes, and member directories serving consumers in life-transition scenarios.
• American Society of Professional Organizers (ASPO): ASPO is a US-based professional association for organizers offering membership, education, and a directory. It is a direct peer competing for the same pool of US professional organizers with similar dues, directory, and certification-adjacent offerings.
• National Association of Productivity Consultants (NAPC): NAPC is a peer US association serving productivity and time-management consultants. It is directly comparable to NAPO's productivity consulting member base, providing overlapping certification, directory, and education services to a similar professional cohort.

Regional players

• Professional Organizers in Canada (POC): POC is the Canadian national association for professional organizers and an official NAPO affiliate. It is directly comparable in mission but operates as a regional peer because it primarily serves the Canadian market rather than competing in NAPO's core US territory.

Emerging players

• National Association of Black Professional Organizers (NABPO): NABPO is an emerging peer organization empowering minority and women-owned organizing businesses, with a formal affiliate relationship offering 30% off NAPO membership. It is comparable as a community-focused organizing association with partial overlap in target membership.
• The Photo Managers: The Photo Managers is a peer community of photo and media organization professionals and a NAPO affiliate. It is comparable as a niche professional association serving a specialty subset of the same organizing category NAPO addresses.

Broad incumbents

• International Federation of Professional Organizing Associations (IFPOA): IFPOA is the umbrella federation of national organizing associations globally and the founder of World Organizing Day (May 20). It is comparable as the international parent-level association of which NAPO is effectively a leading national chapter, with overlap in mission and member-facing programming.
• International Association of Professional Organizers (IAPO): IAPO is a broader professional organizing association with international reach and a member directory. It is comparable as a parallel industry association offering membership, education, and consumer referral services that overlap with NAPO's core offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/naponatl
• Facebookfacebook.com/naponatl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/naponational
• Instagraminstagram.com/napo_natl

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 National Association of Professional Organizers