National Association of Catholic Chaplains

What National Association of Catholic Chaplains does

The National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC) is a non-profit professional membership and certification organization founded in 1965 and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a 16-person staff. NACC serves Catholic chaplains, CPE students, parish ministers, deacons, and spiritual care directors operating in healthcare, Veterans Affairs, hospice, correctional, parish, and institutional settings across the United States. Its core offerings are four certification programs — Board Certified Chaplain (BCC), Board Certified Chaplain for Veterans Affairs (BCC-VA), Certified Associate Chaplain (CAC), and Palliative Care and Hospice Advanced Certification (PCHAC) — delivered through the NACC Portal and the NACC Ministry Institute, supported by a TopClass-based learning management system.

The organization monetizes through annual membership dues, certification application and renewal fees, paid regional retreats and conferences (priced at $275-$475), continuing education equivalency fees, and annual campaign donations including the David Lichter CPE Scholarship Fund. Distribution is hybrid: digital self-serve through the portal and LMS, in-person at regional retreats across California, Colorado, Texas, and Minnesota, and via institutional partnerships with the Catholic Health Association, CHRISTUS Health, American Red Cross, Villanova University, and several Houston-area healthcare systems. Marketing runs through the nacc.org website, the NACC Now email newsletter, a monthly professional webinar series, the quarterly Works of Hope magazine, and specialty networking groups for behavioral health, palliative care, CPE educators, first responders, parish ministry, and other sub-communities.

Name

National Association of Catholic Chaplains

Legal name

The National Association of Catholic Chaplains

Website

https://nacc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NACC is a 60-year-old non-profit professional association based in Milwaukee that certifies and supports Catholic chaplains serving in healthcare, Veterans Affairs, hospice, parish, and institutional ministries across the United States through membership, education, and credentialing programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Chaplaincy Certification

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF), Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

Keywords

• Professional chaplaincy certification
• Pastoral care education
• Spiritual care membership
• Chaplain credentialing services
• Religious professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from various categories including professional ministry members, volunteers, students, and healthcare collaborators. Different pricing tiers exist for different member types.
2. Certification Fees: Fees for certification applications, renewals, and reinstatements for BCC, BCC-VA, CAC, and PCHAC credentials.
3. Event Registration: Registration fees for regional retreats, conferences, and professional webinars. California Regional Retreat: $425 member / $475 non-member (full retreat with lodging); $275 member / $325 non-member (commuter).
4. Educational Programs: Revenue from CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) equivalency requests, education equivalency applications, and continuing education hours.
5. Donations: Annual campaign donations and David Lichter CPE Scholarship Fund contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The National Association of Catholic Chaplains (NACC) is a professional membership and certification organization that credentials Catholic chaplains through Board Certified Chaplain (BCC), BCC-VA, Certified Associate Chaplain (CAC), and Palliative Care and Hospice Advanced Certification (PCHAC) programs. It sells annual memberships, hosts regional retreats and webinars, delivers continuing education and the Pastoral Care Foundations Course, and publishes the Works of Hope magazine.

Product overview

NACC operates as a professional membership and certification organization for Catholic chaplains, offering a unified platform combining certification programs, educational resources, and community engagement. The core offerings include Board Certified Chaplain (BCC), BCC-VA, Certified Associate Chaplain (CAC), and Palliative Care and Hospice Advanced Certification (PCHAC) credentials. These certifications are supported by the NACC Portal and NACC Ministry Institute, which provide training through the Pastoral Care Foundations Course and Professional Webinar Series. Additional member services include Works of Hope magazine, regional retreats and conferences, the Healing Tree prayer service, World Day of the Sick resources, and a job listings service. The organization serves chaplains, priests, deacons, educators, and volunteers across healthcare, parish, and military settings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Works of Hope: Magazine publication dedicated to supporting and promoting pastoral ministry
• NACC Ministry Institute
• Healing Tree
• Pastoral Care Foundations Course

Products and services

• NACC Membership Annual professional membership for Catholic chaplains, CPE students, volunteers, deacons, parish ministers, and healthcare collaborators, granting access to community, educational resources, continuing education, advocacy, and member benefits.
• Board Certified Chaplain (BCC) Certification Professional certification for chaplains demonstrating competency in pastoral care and spiritual services, recognized by Catholic healthcare institutions and dioceses.
• Board Certified Chaplain for Veterans Affairs (BCC-VA) Certification Specialized professional certification for chaplains serving in Veterans Affairs healthcare facilities.
• Certified Associate Chaplain (CAC) Certification Entry-level certification for associate chaplains beginning their professional chaplaincy journey.
• Palliative Care and Hospice Advanced Certification (PCHAC) Advanced certification for chaplains specializing in palliative care and hospice settings.
• Pastoral Care Foundations Course Foundational training course integrating practical skills with spiritual formation, preparing volunteers and pastoral care staff to serve in chaplaincy without requiring prior theological training.
• Professional Webinar Series Monthly educational webinar series covering topics relevant to chaplaincy and spiritual care, offering continuing education hours to participants.
• Regional Retreats and Conferences In-person regional gatherings offering educational programming, networking, and spiritual formation experiences at locations such as El Retiro Jesuit Retreat Center, St. Francis Retreat Center, and CHRISTUS Children's Hospital.
• Works of Hope Magazine Quarterly publication dedicated to supporting and promoting pastoral ministry across the country.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10.5 Continuing Education Hours awarded for California Regional Retreat
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CHRISTUS HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 February 2026CHRISTUS Health co-hosts the World Day of the Sick Gathering with CHA and NACC on February 7, 2026 in San Antonio, TX. Provides venue (CHRISTUS Children's Hospital Conference Rooms) and support for the event.
• Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHA and NACC collaborate on surveys (2025 CHA/NACC Survey), joint events including World Day of the Sick, and professional development for spiritual care departments in Catholic health systems.
• American Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNACC offers American Red Cross Disaster Spiritual Care Fundamentals Training as part of their regional gatherings. This training qualifies volunteers to serve as Disaster Spiritual Care Service Associates.
• UT MD Anderson Cancer CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Houston Regional Gathering Disaster Spiritual Care Fundamentals Training along with other Houston healthcare institutions.
• Houston MethodistminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Houston Regional Gathering Disaster Spiritual Care Fundamentals Training.
• Harris HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Houston Regional Gathering Disaster Spiritual Care Fundamentals Training.
• Baylor St. Luke's Medical CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Houston Regional Gathering Disaster Spiritual Care Fundamentals Training.
• Catholic Chaplain CorpsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of Houston Regional Gathering Disaster Spiritual Care Fundamentals Training.
• Villanova UniversityminorOthersPartner institution for NACC + Villanova University certification pathway. Graduate theology programs listed include Villanova University as a pathway to NACC certification.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Association of Professional Chaplains (APC): APC is the largest U.S. professional association for chaplains across faith traditions, offering Board Certified Chaplain credentials. It competes directly with NACC for chaplain members and is the most analogous peer in mission, certification, and continuing education.
• ACPE: The Standard for Spiritual Care and Education: ACPE accredits Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) programs and trains chaplains, directly overlapping with NACC's CPE equivalency and educational pathways. It is a primary peer in chaplaincy education and credentialing infrastructure.

Peers

• Spiritual Care Association (SCA):

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-association-of-catholic-chaplains

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about National Association of Catholic Chaplains