Professional Organizers

Professional organizers can benefit from voluntary membership in several associations. The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) was the earliest association for professional organizers and remains the largest membership group. With 30 local chapters across the country, including a “virtual” chapter for those who aren’t located near a local chapter, NAPO has grown to 3,500 members since its inception in 1985. NAPO offers their members opportunities for networking, education, training, and marketing as well as conferences and industry discounts, among other benefits. It is also the credentialing association for those seeking certification as a Certified Professional Organizer. NAPO serves to educate the public and increase awareness about professional organizers and organization. In 2005 the Association launched “Get Organized Month” a month-long event observed each January.

The Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD) is another non-profit educational organization; membership is for professional organizers who focus on the needs of individuals with chronic disorganization. An outgrowth of NAPO, ICED has been an independent organization since 2001 (previously known as the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization). The ICED offers its members tele-classes, conferences, publications, and certification as a professional organizer with a specialty in chronic disorganization.

The International Federation of Professional Organizing Associations (IFPOA) is an international group of professional organizing associations. It does not cater to individual professionals. NAPO, ICED, and other organizing associations from around the world comprise this group, which focuses on issues common to the organizing profession.

A more specialized membership organization is The Photo Managers (formerly the Association of Personal Photo Organizers), which is "a community of professionals who are passionate about helping their clients manage photo collections and tell their stories."