National Association of Professional Organizers

The National Association of Professional Organizers, (NAPO), (pronounced NAY-poh), known as The Organizing Authority, is the premier United States association dedicated to the field of organizing. Formed in 1985 by Beverly Clower, Stephanie Culp, Ann Gambrell, Maxine Ordesky, and Jeanie Shorr as a not-for-profit professional, educational association, NAPO is dedicated to serving its roughly 4,200 members through education, networking, industry resources, and promoting the profession to the public. NAPO's mission is to develop, lead, and promote professional organizers and the organizing industry.

What professional organizers do

Professional organizers use tested principles and expertise to enhance the lives of clients. By designing custom organizing systems and teaching [1][organizing skills], they help individuals and businesses take control of their [2][surroundings], their time, their paper piles, their lives!

An organizer’s services can range from designing an efficient closet to organizing a cross-country move. For homeowners, he or she might offer [3][room-by-room space planning] and [4][reorganization], estate organization, improved management of paperwork and computer files, systems for managing personal finances and other records, and/or coaching in time-management and goal-setting. In business settings, an organizing pro can increase productivity and profitability with improvements in paper-filing and storage, electronic organizing, work-flow systems, employee time-management, space design, and more.

Education for professional organizers

NAPO’s [5][Professional Organizer Curriculum] teaches current and prospective professional organizers the essential skills needed in various levels of expertise. Level 1 classes are designed for beginning organizers. Level 2 classes are devised for intermediate organizers, and Level 3 classes are intended for advanced organizers. Level 4 classes are designed for organizers at all levels of experience. In addition, teleclass and classroom formats are offered to accommodate different learning styles and budget constraints.

Through training, NAPO members become experts in various facets of professional organizing, including, [6][residential], office, [7][business], time management, [8][paper management], financial/bookkeeping and moving/downsizing/relocations.

The Certified Professional Organizer

The professional organizing industry has a certification program that is operated under the auspices of the [9][Board of Certification for Professional Organizers] (BCPO). The [10][Certified Professional Organizer] (CPO) designation is a voluntary, industry-led effort that benefits the public and members of the organizing profession. CPO Certification recognizes those professionals who have met specific minimum qualifications and have proven through examination and client interaction that they possess the body of knowledge and experience required for certification. The program recognizes and raises industry standards, practices, and ethics. While the CPO designation is not an endorsement or recommendation, certification of professional organizers maximizes the value received from the services provided and products recommended by a CPO.

To be eligible, candidates must meet specific [11][eligibility requirements], including completion of 1,500 hours of paid work experience within the last three years.

NAPO’s Get Organized Month SM

NAPO sponsors [12][Get Organized (GO) Month] every January. GO Month, which began in 2005, is dedicated to raising awareness of the benefits of getting organized and of hiring a NAPO professional organizer. During GO Month, NAPO’s dozens of chapters and thousands of members hold public events, including shred-a-thons, [13][clear your clutter days], reduce-and-recycle events and volunteer organizing throughout the country.

Each year, NAPO also conducts a GO Month survey with members of the public to gauge their familiarity with professional organizing as well as their perceived need for the services a professional organizer can provide. These surveys are an excellent way for NAPO to collect data regarding public perception of the profession and educate the public about the benefits of professional organizing.

Of 400 adults polled in a November 2008 survey:

• About 85 percent indicated an awareness of what professionals do

• 96 percent said they would save time every day by becoming more organized

• Among those 96 percent, 15 percent felt they could save more than an hour each day—for a total of more than 15 days per year—if they were more organized at home. And 30 percent felt they could save at least 30 minutes each day—or more than an entire week per year—if they were more organized at home

• 65 percent of respondents noted that their household was at least moderately disorganized

• 27 percent said they felt disorganized at work

External links

• The National Association of Professional Organizers