Cohort Certification Program

Ongoing development for Donation Advocates is essential to inspiring more families to say yes and ensuring compassionate, confident donation conversations. DeGarmoConnect is proud to support this growth and to help strengthen the skills that lead to more lives saved.
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The Experience.

Strengthening the people behind life-changing conversations—through science-based coaching, real-world practice, and a national community dedicated to supporting families and inspiring more donation decisions.
The Cohort Certification s a year-long, immersive development experience designed to elevate the skills, performance, and confidence of Donation Advocates. In the OPO setting, where every conversation, moment of support, and choice can shape lives, coaching provides a personalized and practical way to strengthen the people who inspire more families to say “yes” to donation.

Grounded in talent science and research, this program helps Advocates understand the behavioral strengths that drive authorization success, overcome real-world roadblocks, and guide families toward leaving a lasting legacy through the gift of donation. Participants learn alongside Advocates from across the country, gaining exposure to diverse practices while strengthening their own approach to family conversations and donor advocacy.

Cohort Certification:
Core Elements

Created specifically for Advocates who support donor families, facilitate donation conversations, and coordinate authorization processes, this certification strengthens the behavioral, communication, and technical skills required to excel in the role—while building a supportive national learning community.

  • Bi-monthly cohort coaching sessions
  • Practice-based learning and skill application to real cases
  • Peer support, accountability partners, individual coaching, and cross OPO-collaboration
  • Behavioral insights from Industrial/Organizational Psychologists
  • Guidance from experienced-OPO practitioners and subject-matter experts

The experience is designed to increase Advocate confidence, professionalism, communication mastery, and consistency by combining DeGarmo’s behavioral science with industry best practices.
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Our students love our
approach to learning

“It was nice talking with other people in the same field who are going through the same roadblocks as me.”
seana uribe
“It was really great to hear from so many different Family Service Coordinators and see how things are done across the country.”
HANS LUNDQUIST
"Learning how other organizations support their family service coordinators—and knowing these challenges are happening everywhere—was incredibly helpful."
ANGELA GRIFFIN
Benefits

Our Program

We offer an immersive development experience designed to elevate the skills, performance and confidence of Donation Advocates who lead conversations with families.

Network & Perspective

Bring together Advocates from varied organizations to share strategies, compare approaches, and gain insights that expand thinking and elevate professional practice.

Self-Awareness

Build deeper self-awareness and the ability to adjust behavioral tendencies, communication strategies, and emotional responses in complex, high-stakes situations.

Professional Growth

Establish clear developmental goals and provide structured opportunities to demonstrate skill improvement through reflection, practice, coaching, and applied learning.

Psychological Safety

Resilience & Confidence 

Strengthen emotional steadiness and professional confidence to remain present, composed, and effective during emotional, unpredictable family conversations .

Resilience & Confidence 

Create a supportive, judgment-free learning environment where participants feel comfortable sharing experiences, practicing new skills, and engaging openly in meaningful, growth-focused dialogue.
Enhance clarity, compassion, and effectiveness in donor family conversations by building communication techniques that inspire trust, reduce uncertainty, and support stronger authorization outcomes.

Learning together, growing stronger.

The certification program creates a structured learning environment where Advocates can:
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Understand Tendencies

Better understand the behavioral tendencies and communication practices that research
shows contribute to successful authorization outcomes. This will strengthen consistency, confidence, and presence during family conversations by
applying what they learn to real cases.

Gain Perspective

Gain new perspectives, ideas, and real-world strategies by learning alongside Advocates from 
multiple OPOs. Participants also build meaningful peer connections and receive ongoing support from a dedicated accountability partner.

Identify & Overcome Roadblocks

Identify their own unique roadblocks and translate insights into a personalized development
and action plan. This will increase self-awareness and resilience in a high-stress, emotionally demanding role.

Participation Requirements:

  • Full one-year commitment
  • Completion of DeGarmo's core Advocate Training Session (prerequisite)
  • At least 1 year in Advocate role (Must be approaching families independently)
  • Attend all bi-monthly, 3-hour sessions
  • Participate with accountability partners in between sessions
  • Complete monthly reflections
  • Engage in sharing wins, challenges, and case examples
  • Create and implement action plans between sessions
  • Learn from both tenured peers and newer Advocates
  • Come with openness and curiosity
  • Connect periodically with cohort coaches
who we are

Train with our amazing coaches!

CHAD CARLILE
MICHELLE REEF

Frequently asked questions

How is this program certified, and who is the certification through?

This certification is awarded by DeGarmoConnect and reflects successful completion of a structured, year-long professional development program grounded in behavioral science and applied practice.

The Cohort Certification  is not a licensure or regulatory credential. Rather, it is a professional certification that recognizes a participant’s engagement, demonstrated growth, and applied learning in areas such as communication, self-awareness, emotional resilience, and family-centered practice.

Participants earn certification by:
  • Actively participating in cohort and coaching sessions
  • Completing reflection exercises and action plans
  • Applying learning to real-world donation conversations
  • Demonstrating ongoing engagement throughout the program year

Certification signifies a meaningful investment in professional development and mastery within the role of Donation Advocate / Family Care Specialist. 

How do I sign up for the certification program? 

Participation in the DeGarmo Cohort Coaching Certification Program is available by application and supervisor approval. Enrollment is offered on a first-come, first-served basis, with class sizes intentionally limited to preserve the quality and depth of the cohort experience. 

Multiple cohorts will be offered throughout the year. Interested participants are encouraged to apply early and confirm supervisor support prior to submission. 

Is acceptance guaranteed once I apply?

Enrollment is dependent on: 

  • Meeting participation requirements 
  • Available cohort capacity 
  • Confirmation of supervisor support 


Applicants who meet requirements but are not placed in an immediate cohort may be offered placement in a future class. 

Will additional cohorts be offered? 

Yes. Multiple cohorts will be offered at different times throughout the year. Capacity is intentionally limited to ensure a high-quality, interactive experience. 

What if I cannot attend all of the virtual sessions? 

We understand that schedules and case demands can be unpredictable in donation work. While live participation is strongly encouraged and central to the cohort experience, we also recognize that occasional conflicts may arise. 

All virtual sessions will be recorded and made available for review. Participants who miss a session will be expected to: 

  • Watch the recording in full 
  • Complete any associated reflection or action items 
  • Stay engaged with their accountability partner to ensure continuity 


Because this is a certification program, consistent participation is important. Participants are encouraged to plan ahead and communicate proactively if conflicts arise. Ongoing engagement and completion of program components are required to successfully earn certification. 

What happens if a participant leaves the organization or moves out of the DA/FSC role during the program? 

We understand that staffing changes and role transitions can occur, especially over the course of a year-long program. 

Because the Cohort Coaching Certification Program is a structured, cumulative learning experience, certification is awarded only to participants who complete the full program requirements. For this reason, participants who leave the organization or move out of the FSC role before completing the program are not eligible to receive certification credit. 

Due to the sequential nature of the curriculum, new participants cannot join a cohort partway through the program. Each cohort is intentionally designed to progress together from start to finish, building trust, shared learning, and continuity over time. 

If a participant is unable to complete the program, we are happy to: 

  • Work with the organization to discuss future cohort options 
  • Explore enrollment for another eligible advocate in a future certification cohort 
  • Help leaders determine the best development pathway for their team moving forward 


We encourage organizations to consider readiness, role stability, and supervisor support when selecting participants for the certification program. 

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