Senior centers are an accessible focal point and a gateway to an important system of home and community‐based services for older adults. Senior centers serve people from those thinking ahead to retirement to those who are struggling with the vicissitudes of advanced years. They strengthen and support the integration of older people into community life by offering intergenerational activities, volunteer services, life‐long learning, and leadership opportunities. 

Since 1998, NCOA has accredited nearly 300 senior centers through the National Institute of Senior Centers (NISC). Accredited centers have established and set the standard for what senior centers can achieve. 

Our goal now is to reach a much broader audience by making NISC's Building Excellence manual even more accessible to senior centers nationwide. Many centers have told us that the fees and effort associated with accreditation have been a barrier to their ability to engage with the standards and self-assessment process and the opportunity it offers to improve their operations. After much consideration and consultation, NISC will be transitioning our current program to make it easier for all senior centers to access and use this valuable tool. The Building Excellence manual will now be available to all NISC Affiliate Members, helping member senior centers self-asess and strengthen key operations and programs.

If you're a current NISC Affiliate Member, you can gain access to Building Excellence, the national standards manual for senior centers, by emailing the NISC Membership Team at membership@ncoa.org. If you aren't an Affiliate Member, NISC is free to join. Become a member of NISC today and get connected to a national network of support.