IFA

What IFA does

The International Franchise Association (IFA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 1960 and headquartered in Washington, DC. It is the world's oldest and largest organization representing franchising, serving franchisors, franchisees, and suppliers across more than 300 industries. IFA's addressable market is sizable: franchising represents $907B in annual U.S. economic output, 3% of GDP, 8.8M jobs, and 832,000 establishments.

IFA's product surface spans four operational pillars. Education and certification include the IFA Academy LMS, IFA LIVE Learning, the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) program, and certificate pathway programs. Events include the Annual Convention, Multi Unit Franchising Conference, Legal Symposium, Franchise Growth and Marketing Conference, Advocacy Summit, Emerging Franchisor Conference, SCALE, and the International Franchise Show London. Research and publications include Franchising World Magazine, the IFA Podcasts, the Franchising Economic Outlook, the Value of Franchising Report, and annual franchisor and franchisee surveys. Advocacy encompasses FranPAC, the Franchise Action Network, and the American Franchise Act campaign. IFA also operates a members-only Member Resource Hub, the Find a Franchise Directory, and the VetFran, Diversity Institute, Franchise Ascension Initiative, and FranShip Mentorship programs through its separately incorporated 501(c)(3) IFA Foundation (founded 1983). The organization's technology stack is conventional association infrastructure: a web platform, member portal, email marketing, and an AI chatbot assistant called Dot for member inquiries. On July 1, 2025, IFA acquired Franchise Update Media, retaining its franchising.com brand and adding content, events, and digital reach.

IFA operates a community-led, membership-based go-to-market model. Revenue is derived from membership dues (franchisors, franchisees, suppliers), event registrations and sponsorships, advertising and media programs, and education and certification fees. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is set through an inquiry-based application process tiered by member type and company size. Distribution is direct via a sales team for membership, supplemented by 25 regional Franchise Business Networks, 23 Women's Franchise Networks, and various demographic-focused councils. IFA is governed by its membership with no parent company and no external equity; it is led by President and CEO Matthew Haller, with Mary Thompson as Chair of the Board and Sam Ballas as Vice Chairman.

Name

IFA

Legal name

International Franchise Association

Website

https://franchise.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The International Franchise Association is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 1960 that serves franchisors, franchisees, and suppliers across 300+ industries through membership, events, education, certification, advocacy, and research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Franchise Trade Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Franchise Resale & Franchise Brokerage (Transfers/Resales) (FSAEAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)

Keywords

• Franchise trade association
• Franchising education
• Franchise advocacy
• Franchise certification
• Franchise industry events

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from franchisors, franchisees, and suppliers. Members receive access to resources, directory listings, event discounts, and advocacy benefits.
2. Event Registrations and Sponsorships: Revenue from Annual Convention, Multi Unit Franchising Conference, Legal Symposium, Franchise Growth and Marketing Conference, Advocacy Summit, Emerging Franchisor Conference, and SCALE events. Includes sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities.
3. Advertising and Media: Advertising programs targeting franchisor executives and franchise decision-makers. Includes supplier and franchisor media kits, website advertising, and branded content opportunities.
4. Education and Certification: Revenue from Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) certification programs, IFA Academy courses, IFA LIVE Learning events, and certificate pathway programs.
5. Acquisition Integration: Acquisition of Franchise Update Media (July 1, 2025) expanded content, events, and digital reach capabilities, operating as distinct brands while integrating cross-promotional opportunities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The International Franchise Association (IFA) is a 501(c)(6) trade association founded in 1960 and headquartered in Washington, DC that serves franchisors, franchisees, and suppliers through tiered membership, industry education and certification programs, signature in-person events and conferences, government advocacy, and a franchisor-franchisee discovery directory. Its core commercial activities are generating recurring membership dues and selling event registrations, sponsorships, advertising, and educational products to a global franchising community.

Product overview

The International Franchise Association (IFA) operates as a trade association rather than a single-product technology company. Its offerings span multiple categories: Education programs including the IFA Academy learning management system, IFA LIVE Learning, Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) certification, and IFA Certificate Pathways; Events including the Annual Convention, Multi Unit Franchising Conference, International Franchise Show London, Legal Symposium, Franchise Leadership & Development Conference, Emerging Franchisor Conference, Advocacy Summit, SCALE, and regional networks; Publications including Franchising World Magazine and IFA Podcasts; Member Resources including the Member Resource Hub (a members-only content platform), Dot AI chatbot assistant, the Find a Franchise Directory, Member Directory, and Franchise Opportunities Guide; Research including the Franchising Economic Outlook report, Value of Franchising Report, and annual Franchisor and Franchisee Surveys; Advocacy initiatives including FranPAC, Franchise Action Network, and the American Franchise Act campaign; Diversity and Inclusion programs including the Diversity Institute, VetFran veteran program, Franchise Ascension Initiative, National Scholarship Fund, FranShip Mentorship Program, Leadership Councils, Women's Franchise Networks, and Franchise Business Networks; and acquired brand Franchise Update Media. These offerings work together to serve franchisors, franchisees, and suppliers across more than 300 industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IFA Foundation: A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization creating equitable pathways to entrepreneurship and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs in franchising.
• VetFran
• Diversity Institute
• Franchise Ascension Initiative
• FranShip Mentorship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of members who advertise with IFA renew their membership year after year
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Franchise Update MediacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025IFA acquired Franchise Update Media effective July 1, 2025, combining IFA's advocacy, education, and benchmarking expertise with Franchise Update Media's award-winning content, events, and digital reach. The brands and teams continue to operate distinctly while delivering more robust insights and expanded collaboration opportunities for the franchise ecosystem.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Franchise Business Review: Independent franchise market-research and benchmarking firm producing franchisee satisfaction surveys and award lists. Directly comparable to IFA's research, surveys, and benchmarking products serving the same franchisor/franchisee audience.
• FranData: Provides franchise industry data, analytics, and unit-level economic intelligence. Comparable to IFA's economic-outlook and survey research and to the data assets brought in via the Franchise Update Media acquisition.
• Entrepreneur Media (Franchise 500): Publishes the iconic Franchise 500 ranking and franchise-related editorial, events, and advertising. Competes with IFA and Franchise Update Media for franchise decision-maker mind share and advertising dollars.

Regional players

• British Franchise Association (BFA): The UK's national franchise trade association, offering accreditation, events, and advocacy. Same membership-association model as IFA but focused on the UK market, where IFA currently runs only one show (London).
• Canadian Franchise Association (CFA): Canada's national franchise trade association providing member services, education, and advocacy. Structurally identical to IFA but serving Canadian franchisors and franchisees, constraining IFA's north-of-border growth.
• Asia Pacific Franchise Confederation (APFC): Confederation of franchise associations across the Asia-Pacific region. Represents the kind of regional organizing layer that limits IFA's ability to monetize members across APAC without local partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Manufacturers (NAM): Large U.S. industry trade association combining advocacy, events, and research. Useful structural comparator to IFA on dues/events/advocacy economics and association governance.
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: The largest U.S. business association, also organized as a 501(c)(6) with membership dues, events, advocacy, and foundation arms. Comparable business model and advocacy playbook to IFA, though at much larger scale and broader scope.
• World Franchise Council: International body representing national franchise associations worldwide. Sets a competing global convening layer above IFA and other country associations, limiting IFA's claim to international franchise thought leadership.

Others

• American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA): Trade association for the lodging industry, many of whose members are franchised brands. Comparable association operating model (membership, events, certification, advocacy) and overlapping membership base with IFA's franchisor segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/franchising411
• Facebookfacebook.com/ifa.dc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-franchise-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/internationalfranchiseassociation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries2 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 IFA