Why Accreditation?

Whether an I&R program is national or local in scope, comprehensive or specialized in nature, or offered in non-profit, for-profit or government settings, AIRS Accreditation is the best way to demonstrate the overall quality and effectiveness of an I&R service.

Here is what some organizations had to say about why they chose AIRS Accreditation: 

• "Internally, AIRS Accreditation provides us with quality guideposts for our program. The standards set through AIRS helps us guide our program through a changing environment with a strong framework. Externally, AIRS Accreditation helps us signal to partners/the public our quality and third party validation of our quality service. This is very valuable and helps differentiate us from other services." 
• "1.  Expanded access to new markets, government funding,  and foundation grants.   2. Enhanced credibility in the eyes of the public and stake holders."
• "National Accreditation  signals to the community that the program meets a high industry standard for excellence. AIRS also provides ongoing support and valuable trainings year round."   
• "The accreditation process necessitates that we invest time in evaluating our policies and procedures to ensure we are following best practices and standards set forth by AIRS. Being part of the AIRS network allows us access to subject experts, trainings and conferences relevant to I&R. AIRS describes accreditation as the best way to demonstrate the overall quality and effectiveness of our service.  This is important to our agency and aligns with our missions, values and goals."

Many organizations in the United States and Canada have successfully attained AIRS Accreditation. It is important to note that some of these agencies are relatively small (e.g., with less than 5 full-time staff). Organizational size is not a barrier!

AIRS Accreditation provides:

• Objective evidence of achievement in the areas of service delivery, resource database, cooperative relationships, disaster preparedness, and organizational effectiveness
• Demonstrated commitment on the part of your leadership to meeting the highest standards in the field
• Enhanced credibility in the eyes of the public and stakeholders
• A stronger position in a competitive field (some funders require AIRS accreditation)
• Expanded access to new markets, government funding and foundation grants
• Improved protection against legal challenges
• Recognition by your peers in the I&R sector

If you are familiar with CARF Accreditation, click here for a comparison within the context of I&R.

***We recommend that organizations interested in applying for the first time review the accreditation readiness assessment and the resource database self-assessment.

For more information about the accreditation process, email accreditation@airs.org.