March 19, 2013 is American Associations Day
Associations are a diverse, vibrant sector and a powerful contributor to the United States economy. According to recent research, Associations Matter, by ASAE, associations are a large and passionate community with a sizable impact on the quality of our lives.
The January 2012 research provides an overview of the size and scope of all association activity in the United States and illustrates the collective industry’s importance to society. Part of ASAE’s mission is to encourage a deeper understanding of associations’ many roles in society.
Results In-Brief (Full Study).
By The Numbers
- 92,331 trade and professional associations and 1,280,739 charitable and philanthropic organizations were recognized in 2010. (Source: IRS/BLS)
- States with the highest association employment numbers in 2009 are New York, California, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Texas, and Illinois. (Source: ASAE Foundation Association 990® Database)
- The number of trade, professional associations and charitable organizations has increased 3.4 percent since 2001. (Source: IRS/BLS)
Supporting Quality Jobs
- Associations employed more than 1.2 million people in 2009 and generated a payroll of nearly $47 billion in 2010. (Source: BLS)
- The average gross income for employees of professional associations in 2010 was $70,876. The average gross income for employees of business associations in 2010 was $65,104.
- The Washington, DC metropolitan area (including the District of Columbia and portions of Maryland and Virginia) ranks fourth behind Pennsylvania in total association employment (109,905 employees in Pennsylvania to 89,751 employees in DC Metro area).
Building Strong Communities
- Of the 63 million people who volunteered in the United States between September 2009 and September 2010, more than 18 million volunteered through a membership organization.
- Membership associations spend far more on education and professional development than on lobbying. The average trade association in 2009 spent roughly $1.2 million on educational programming and about $66,000 on lobbying activity. Professional societies had similar expenditures, averaging about $1.4 million on education and about $65,000 on lobbying. (Source: ASAE Foundation Association 990 Database)
- Associations represent a major piece of the meetings and conventions industry in the United States. The meetings industry supports 1.7 million jobs and accounts for $263 billion in spending. (Source: Convention Industry Council)
Learn much more about how Associations Matter and The Power of Associations.
America works best when we work together.