A certificate says you finished a course. A certification says you met a standard, usually by passing an exam and renewing it. A designation is the set of letters you may put after your name. Most training for board members, including the courses at Board Director Institute, gives a certificate of completion. Only a few programs award a certification, and we found no U.S. rule that requires either one to serve on a board.
This article is about credentials for learning the job of a board member. It is not about appreciation certificates, stock certificates or the certificates a corporate secretary signs for a board resolution.
What is the difference between a certificate and a certification?
NACD’s FAQ defines a professional certification as “an affirmation that a standard for competence within a profession has been met.” The IFC brief makes the same split from the other side: a “certificate of attendance” “is not the same as actual certification”, which is normally tied to verifying that a participant has reached a certain level of knowledge and skill.
| Type | What it means | How you earn it | Examples from providers | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of completion | You finished a course | Finish the lessons; some providers add a test | Wharton: digital certificate of completion, no academic credit or degree. Harvard’s catalog: Certificate of Completion | Showing that you learned the job |
| Certificate with an assessment | You finished and passed a test | A score on a final exam or assessment | BDI: 24 of 30 correct. NonprofitReady: a certificate exam. MindEdge: at least 70 percent on final exams | Showing you absorbed the material |
| Certification | You met a standard set by the issuer | Eligibility rules, an exam and renewal | NACD Directorship Certification: exam, 32 credits every two years. Corporate Directors International: an online exam | Showing you met a standard |
| Designation | Letters you may use after your name | Usually earned through a certification or program plus an exam, and owned by the issuer | NACD.DC, CDI.D and ICD.D in Canada | Using post-nominal letters |
| Diploma | A school-issued award that is not a degree | Complete the program and its assessments | IMD offers a Board Readiness Diploma; the program page we read names no certificate for its shorter course | A longer, school-branded program |
Accreditation is a different thing: an outside group approves a program or its issuer. Several providers say their certificates carry no academic credit, and BDI says its Certificate of Completion is not accreditation.
What do real board certificates look like?
- NonprofitReady offers a free Certificate in Nonprofit Board Essentials with a certificate exam.
- BoardSource sells a Certificate of Nonprofit Board Education to members for $499.
- MindEdge sells a Board Fundamentals certificate with a digital badge through universities, such as the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
- Board Director Institute issues a Certificate of Completion after you finish the lessons and pass the assessment. Its pages say it is not accreditation, licensure, professional certification or a board appointment.
Is there a nonprofit board certification?
We found nonprofit board certificates, such as the BoardSource and NonprofitReady programs above. For an exam-based credential with a designation, NACD Directorship Certification accepts directors of nonprofit organizations as well as public and private companies. We did not find a government license for nonprofit board service.
Do you need a certificate or certification to join a board?
No. For corporate boards, we found no federal rule and no Delaware statute that requires a director to hold a certification. Delaware leaves director qualifications to a company’s charter or bylaws. For nonprofit boards, we found no federal rule that requires training, and the state attorney general guides we read recommend it instead. This is what we read, not legal advice.
If you want to compare programs, start with our nonprofit board training comparison or our board of directors certification comparison.
What should you ask before you pay?
- Who issues the credential, and is it the provider itself or an outside body?
- Is there an exam, and what score passes?
- Does it expire, and what does renewal cost?
- Is the accreditation claim the provider’s own, or can you check it with the accrediting body?
- What will it let you truthfully say: that you completed a course, or that you are certified?
- Does it require a board seat?
Where Board Director Institute fits, and where it does not
- BDI’s Certificate of Completion records that you completed the lessons and passed the assessment. It does not give you letters after your name.
- If you want a certification or designation, look at NACD.DC, CDI.D or, in Canada, ICD.D.
- If you want to show you have learned the job at your own pace, BDI is built for that. The video and voice in BDI courses use an AI-generated version of Michael Barrick, who reviewed and approved the lessons.