General Questions:

Registration Questions:

Certification Questions:

Attendance Questions:

 

GENERAL QUESTIONS

What are the benefits of attaining the CNAP designation?

  • Improved knowledge, confidence, and skills in nonprofit financial management Read More>>>
  • Enhanced credibility within the industry as a professional committed to excellence in nonprofit financial management
  • National recognition in your industry
  • Increased value to your nonprofit organization

Can I take CNAP if I do not have formal training in accounting?

You do not need to be a CPA or have any formal accounting training to take this course. However, we recommend that participants have at least a basic knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

Is there a certain size of organization that CNAP is most relevant to?

Nope. The material covered in CNAP is relevant regardless of your organization’s budget size.

Do I need to be a user of certain accounting software packages to understand CNAP?

No. The CNAP program applies to any accounting system.

Who are the instructors for CNAP and CNAP Online?

CNAP courses are taught by Gina McDonald, a managing director at BDO, Andrea Mills, a Partner at BDO, or Gillian Gorra, an experienced Manager at BDO. Visit instructor profiles

How many CPE credits can I earn for CNAP?

CPAs can earn the following CPE credits:
CNAP Essentials- 14 credits
CNAP Advanced- 10 credits

How can I continue my CNAP training? Is there an advanced CNAP?

Yes. CNAP Advanced: Advanced Topics in Nonprofit Fiscal Management is open for registration. The two-day intensive follow-on takes a deep dive into activating the lessons of CNAP across your organization. You must complete CNAP Essentials in order to take the advanced course. Read more and register here.

I work in Canada! Will CNAP be relevant to me?

We have had several Canadians take the course, but you should know going in that some of the technical matters are oriented to United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and they may differ from Canadian GAAP.  Nevertheless, even Canadian participants agree that there is a great deal in the course that is very useful wherever you are in the world.

Where can I find additional information regarding CNAP?

Visit our about CNAP page for further information about the CNAP course.  If you have additional questions, email CNAP@bdo.com  

back to top

 

REGISTRATION QUESTIONS

What is BDO’s refund policy?

BDO will offer registrants a full refund less a 3% processing fee for requests made in writing no later than three days before the event. Requests made later than three days prior to the training will receive a refund of 50%.

How do I pay by check?

Unfortunately, we cannot accept checks or money orders for registration fees.

Do you offer scholarships for nonprofits?

We do not offer any scholarships at this time. As CNAP is specifically designed for those working at nonprofits, our costs are already competitively priced to reflect this.

I have a discount or promotional code. How and where do I enter my code?

Visit our course catalog and select your course. Click the "Purchase" button to add the course to your shopping cart. Then enter your code by clicking the “Apply Coupon” button. A field will appear into which you can type the code. Your discount will automatically be applied to the cost.

Do you offer discounts for purchasing more than one course?

Yes, we offer bulk discounts for purchases of two or more seats. Purchases of 2-4 seats will receive an additional 10% discount; purchases of 5 or more seats will receive an additional 15% discount. Discounts will be applied directly to your cart, no discount codes needed. For 10+ participants, please email  CNAP@bdo.com  

Is there a wait list for sold out courses?

Yes, a waitlist is available on all sold out courses. Contact us at CNAP@bdo.com to be added to the waitlist. If a space becomes available, you will be notified and will be able to complete your registration and pay for the course at that time.

Do you offer a 1098T for course tuition?

Unfortunately, BDO is not eligible to participate in the Department of Education’s Student aid programs, so we cannot issue a 1098T for course fees paid.

Can I transfer my CNAP registration to a different date?

We will happily transfer your registration to our next available program. Please contact us to arrange the transfer.  

back to top

 

CERTIFICATION QUESTIONS

How do I get CNAP certification?

A minimum of 18 months experience working in a financial role for a nonprofit organization is required, along with a qualification letter from your current (or a former) employer stating your start date and position held at the organization. You are also required to fill out the workshop evaluation and finish the online exam with a score of 75% or better. Once the exam has been graded and we have verified your qualification letter, you will receive your  digital certificate. You can access your certificate in the "Awards" section of your profile. Click on the pdf symbol to open a printable copy which you can print on card stock. Students who participated in a CNAP course prior to May 2019 will receive their certificate in the mail.

What if I don’t have enough nonprofit experience to meet the CNAP requirement?

If you do not have the 18 month required experience you can still take the course and exam and submit your qualification letter once your 18 months have been completed. Many students choose to take the course for the content and do not pursue the certificate.

What should the “Qualification Letter” contain?

It should be on letterhead, signed by your supervisor, scanned, and then uploaded to the course management system after you have passed the certification exam. 

Sample Qualification Letter - Word

Sample Qualification Letter - pdf

What about the exam? What happens if I fail?

The exam is multiple-choice and completed online. It will unlock on the last day of your course. Students will have two weeks to complete the exam, during which time they may refer to the course materials.  Exams are scored immediately. Students who do not pass on the first try may go back through the exam and review their answers more carefully, consulting the course materials, in order to arrive at a passing score.

How do I represent my CNAP certification?

Upon completion of CNAP, in addition to a certificate of completion, you will receive an open digital badge which you can add directly to your LinkedIn profile or share on various social media platforms. You can additionally embed your digital badge in your email signature (see example of email signature conventions here). Please also feel free to list your CNAP credential on your resume.  However, since CNAP is not an academic or professional degree, we do not advise that you append the CNAP designation to the end of your name.

back to top

 

ATTENDANCE QUESTIONS

How many students are in the in-person CNAP courses?

Enrollment varies based on room capacity, but to ensure adequate student-teacher interaction, we do not typically allow enrollment to exceed 30 students.

Will I receive printed materials at the in-person CNAP course?

No. As part of our commitment to keeping our training opportunities “green”, we only provide digital downloads to our course materials, available in the course Resources section.  Most students open the materials on a laptop or tablet, or choose to print themselves.

I would like to attend CNAP online, but have a conflict for part of one of the sessions. Is there a way to make up that session?

The online classes can be recorded  for later viewing. However, you must make arrangements for this in advance.

I'm coming from out of town to attend CNAP. Can you recommend a hotel near the training site?

There are abundant hotels at a variety of price points near each of our in-person locations. Our meeting venues are also convenient to public transit, so participants can stay elsewhere and commute easily to the course locations.  Yelp and Hotels.com are helpful resources for identifying hotels near the training sites, and you can use the filters to isolate the right hotel for you based on proximity, price or specific amenities.

back to top