The CAP is a designation from The American College of Financial Services for advisors who have studied charitable giving and philanthropic planning.
To earn it, an advisor passes three College courses, on family philanthropy, charitable giving strategies, and gift planning from a nonprofit's side, each with its own final exam. They need three years of full-time relevant business experience and must agree to The American College Code of Ethics.
To keep it, client-facing designees complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years, including one hour of ethics.
The CAP is common among advisors, attorneys, and nonprofit gift officers alike, so a CAP holder may not be a financial advisor at all. It is not a license and says nothing about how someone is paid.
In the public graph, 22 of the 24,501 fee-only advisors list the CAP.
How to check
The American College lists designees in good standing on Your Advisor Guide (youradvisorguide.com). For an investment advisor, also check the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure site.
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