What Managed Funds Association does

Managed Funds Association (MFA) is a U.S.-headquartered, non-profit trade association founded in 1991 and based in Washington, D.C., serving the global alternative asset management industry. Its membership spans hedge fund managers, private equity executives, Commodity Pool Operators, institutional allocators (pensions, endowments, foundations), and a growing cohort of fintech innovators serving the alternatives ecosystem. The organization describes itself as the unified industry voice for alternatives, and its outputs are concentrated in regulatory advocacy, market research, member education, and proprietary conferences.

MFA's product surface is structured around six core offerings: a Membership Program providing networking, regulatory intelligence, and operational resources; the Education Center (Hedge Funds 101, Private Credit 101, state-level private fund impact data); the Global Alts Conference Series and specialized MFA Ops events covering Human Capital and Data/Tech/AI; Research & Reports (including a 2025 private credit impact study citing $560B in loans, 6.5M jobs, and $897B in economic activity); and formal Comment Letters filed with U.S. and international regulators (SEC, DOL, Treasury, IOSCO, Bank of England). The organization operates standard digital infrastructure — a website (mfaalts.org), member portal, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Vimeo channels — but builds no proprietary technology products and exposes no APIs or SDKs.

MFA's revenue model is a non-transparent, subscription-based membership dues structure billed annually, supplemented by event registration fees, the MFA Partnership Program, and MFA Foundation initiatives. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven: MFA acquires members through industry events, direct outreach, advocacy visibility, and research publications. With 11–50 employees and a globally distributed member base spanning the U.S., Europe, and beyond, MFA's scale of influence is substantially larger than its organizational footprint — its members manage or allocate into approximately $1.5–$1.6 trillion in hedge fund and private credit assets domestically.

Name

Managed Funds Association

Legal name

Managed Funds Association

Website

https://managedfunds.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Managed Funds Association is a U.S.-based, non-profit trade association founded in 1991 serving hedge fund managers, private equity executives, institutional allocators, and fintech innovators in the global alternative asset management industry through advocacy, research, education, and proprietary conferences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

UCITS / Liquid Alternatives Fund of Funds (FSAHAKAE)

Keywords

• Trade association services
• Regulatory advocacy
• Industry research
• Professional networking
• Alternative investments

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: MFA generates revenue primarily through membership dues from fund manager firms, institutional allocators, and industry participants in the alternative asset management sector. Membership provides access to networking, advocacy, research, and industry events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Managed Funds Association is a non-profit trade association that sells membership subscriptions to alternative asset management firms (hedge funds, private equity, Commodity Pool Operators) and industry participants. Its members receive regulatory advocacy before U.S. and international regulators, access to industry conferences, an Education Center with foundational courses, market research publications, and a member network and directory.

Product overview

Managed Funds Association (MFA) is the trade association for the global alternative asset management industry, offering a unified membership platform with multiple interconnected service offerings. The core offering includes membership services providing network access and regulatory support, complemented by a robust event portfolio (Global Alts Conference Series, MFA Ops conferences, and the annual Summer Intern Event), an Education Center with foundational courses on hedge funds and private credit, Research & Reports publications on industry data and trends, and Comment Letters/Advocacy resources for regulatory engagement. MFA does not operate as a software product company but serves as the central hub connecting alternative asset managers, institutional investors, and policymakers through events, education, research, and advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hedge Funds 101: Educational resource explaining hedge fund basics, strategies, and industry structure
• Private Credit 101
• Who Benefits from Alternative Assets
• Private Funds in Your State
• MFA Foundation
• MFA Partnership Program

Products and services

• Membership Services Trade association membership program for alternative asset management firms, institutional allocators, and industry participants. Members receive regulatory advocacy representation, networking opportunities, access to research, event discounts, member directory listings, and resources to help reduce operational expenses and manage regulatory and tax risk.
• Education Center Educational resource hub including Hedge Funds 101, Private Credit 101, Who Benefits from Alternative Assets, and Private Funds in Your State. Provides foundational knowledge about alternative investments and their economic impact to members, allocators, policymakers, and the general public.
• Global Alts Conference Series Major annual alternative investing conference series (e.g., Global Alts Miami 2026) bringing together hedge fund managers, private equity executives, institutional allocators, and fintech innovators to assess the evolution of the alternative investment industry.
• MFA Ops Conference Series Specialized operational conferences including MFA Ops: Human Capital 2026 and MFA Ops: Data, Tech & AI 2026, covering HR and talent management strategies and the evolving landscape of data management, operations, security, and technology in alternative asset management.
• Research & Reports Industry research publications covering alternative investment data, including a private credit report showing nearly $560 billion in loans to U.S. businesses from 2023-2025, Form PF systemic risk monitoring recommendations, OTC commodity derivatives oversight, and broader market structure analysis.
• Comment Letters & Regulatory Advocacy Formal advocacy submissions to U.S. and international regulatory bodies including the SEC, DOL, Treasury, IRS, and IOSCO, covering proposed rules on 401(k) alternative assets, Form PF reporting, Consolidated Audit Trail funding, Section 892 tax regulations, OTC commodity derivatives oversight, and international market structure.
• MFA Partnership Program Partnership program connecting fintech innovators and industry service providers with MFA members through event sponsorship, conference participation, and curated networking with alternative asset managers.
• MFA Foundation The foundation arm of Managed Funds Association focused on industry-related charitable and educational initiatives, including programs supporting diversity, education, and community engagement within the alternative asset management industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• Institutional investors in the U.S. invest approximately $1.5 trillion in hedge funds
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Investment Company Institute (ICI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2026MFA joined ICI, BlackRock, and Empower in welcoming the DOL's proposed rule to expand alternatives in 401(k) plans, viewing it as a step toward democratizing access to alternative investments. Both associations submitted supportive comments during the 60-day comment period.
• U.S. House of Representatives (Financial Services Committee)coreOthers · 12 December 2025MFA supported the bipartisan INVEST Act aimed at expanding capital formation and investment opportunities, including for educational and charitable organizations. The legislation seeks to modernize securities laws, reduce regulatory burdens, and increase access to private markets for Americans.
• Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025MFA collaborates with AIMA on regulatory advocacy positions, particularly regarding hedge fund leverage and market structure issues. Both associations have jointly pushed back against the Bank of England's proposed minimum margins on gilt repurchase agreements, warning that overly aggressive regulatory measures could trigger market instability.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA): SIFMA represents the full spectrum of securities firms, banks and asset managers in the U.S. As a broad-based incumbent, it covers many of MFA's market-structure and Treasury-market concerns, overlapping on Form PF, Consolidated Audit Trail and SEC policy engagement.
• Global Financial Markets Association (GFMA): GFMA is the global umbrella for regional securities market associations (including SIFMA, AFME and ASIFMA), focusing on cross-border capital markets, derivatives and prudential regulation. It is a broad incumbent whose derivatives and repo policy work closely overlaps MFA's hedge fund market structure agenda.
• Investment Company Institute (ICI): ICI is the leading trade association for regulated investment companies (mutual funds, ETFs, closed-end funds, UITs). It is a broader incumbent in fund industry advocacy and a natural coalition partner for MFA, having jointly supported DOL's alternative asset 401(k) rule.

Regional players

• European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA): EFAMA represents the European investment management industry at the EU level, advocating on UCITS, AIFMD and ESG. It is a regional counterpart to MFA serving many of the same global asset managers on European regulatory matters where MFA has less direct reach.

Others

• Institute of International Finance (IIF): IIF is the global association of the financial services industry, with strong bank and sovereign-debt focus. It is thematically adjacent to MFA on international financial regulatory issues (Section 892, IOSCO frameworks) but serves a broader constituency that includes banks and sovereigns, not just alternative asset managers.

Direct peers

• National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (Nareit): Nareit is the trade body for REITs and listed real estate companies globally. It is a directly comparable advocacy and education peer for one of the largest alternative asset sub-segments, and historically cooperates with MFA on market structure and retail access issues.
• American Investment Council (formerly PEGCC): AIC is the trade body for the U.S. private equity industry, advocating on capital formation, taxation and LP/GP regulation. It is a directly comparable peer to MFA within the alternative asset management space and a likely coalition partner on shared regulatory issues.
• CAIA Association: CAIA is the global professional body for alternative investment practitioners, issuing the CAIA Charter and producing research and education for allocators. It overlaps MFA's educational and credentialing mission for alts professionals and could be considered a functional complement to MFA's Education Center.
• Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA): AIMA is the global hedge fund and alternative investment industry trade body, headquartered in London with regional chapters. It mirrors MFA's advocacy, education and member services for alternative asset managers but with a more international footprint, and has partnered with MFA on regulatory advocacy (e.g., Bank of England margin rules).
• Loan Syndications and Trading Association (LSTA): LSTA is the trade association for the U.S. syndicated loan and private credit market, representing institutional investors and intermediaries. It directly overlaps MFA's private credit advocacy given MFA's $560B private credit impact narrative and the Deepal share between hedge funds and direct lenders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mfaupdates
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MFAUpdates
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/managed-funds-association
• Facebookfacebook.com/managed-funds-association-115607841834071

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Managed Funds Association