AIA Ventura County

What AIA Ventura County does

AIA Ventura County is a nonprofit professional membership organization and a local component chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), serving licensed architects, allied professionals, architecture students, and emerging practitioners in Ventura County, California. The chapter delivers advocacy, leadership development, networking, continuing education, design recognition, and scholarship programming to its member base of over 90 AIA architects plus associate, allied, and student members. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and is operationally nested under AIA National and AIA California.

The chapter generates revenue primarily through tiered annual membership dues, corporate and website sponsorships, and Design Awards entry/event fees. Architect Members pay $784/year (National $282 + California $277 + Local $225); Associate Members pay $253/year; and Professional Affiliate (Allied) Members pay $415/year ($275 after July 1). Corporate Sponsorship is priced at $2,500/year and Website Sponsorship at $1,000/year, while Design Awards entry fees are $150 for AIA members and $200 for non-AIA architects, with separate event sponsorship tiers ranging from $300 to $1,500. The chapter does not develop or sell proprietary technology products, operating instead through its website (aiavc.org), email newsletter, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts, and in-person events such as board meetings, Design Awards celebrations, and Ventura College showcases.

Strategic partnerships anchor the chapter's ecosystem, including core relationships with the Ventura College Architecture Department (community panels, studio class reviews, Spring/Fall Showcases, Architecture Club sponsorship, and Cal Poly Design Village team sponsorship), the City of Ventura (Objective Design Standards working group and Design Review Committee workshops), AIA National and AIA California (membership infrastructure, advocacy, and resources), and the California Architects Board (licensing guidance). The chapter also maintains a job board used by local firms such as Houston/Tyner and Bildsten Architecture and Planning for recruitment.

Name

AIA Ventura County

Legal name

American Institute of Architects, Ventura County

Website

https://aiavc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

AIA Ventura County is a nonprofit professional membership chapter of the American Institute of Architects, providing advocacy, networking, design awards, scholarships, and continuing education for licensed architects, emerging professionals, allied practitioners, and architecture students in Ventura County, California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ventura

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Architect Membership Dues: Licensed architects pay annual dues to maintain membership. Total: National $282 + State $277 + Local $225 = $784 per year. Provides access to professional development, networking, advocacy, and the AIA designation.
2. Associate Membership Dues: Unlicensed members working toward licensure pay National $122 + State $71 + Local $60 = $253 per year. International Associate: $335 per year.
3. Professional Affiliate (Allied) Membership Dues: Engineers, planners, landscape architects and other allied professionals pay $415 per year, or $275 after July 1. Provides networking with AIAVC membership of over 90 AIA architects and eligibility for committee service.
4. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate Sponsor level at $2,500 per year and Website Sponsor at $1,000 per year. Sponsors receive promotional and networking opportunities, website and newsletter exposure.
5. Design Awards Fees and Sponsorships: AIA Architect entries $150 each, Non-AIA Architect entries $200 each. Event sponsorships range from $300 (Event Sponsor) to $1,500 (Corporate Sponsor) with varying benefits including tickets and exhibit tables.
6. Scholarship Program: Two scholarships of up to $2,000 available for Ventura County students pursuing architecture degrees. Funded by the organization to support future architects.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AIA Ventura County is a local component chapter of the American Institute of Architects that provides tiered professional membership (Architect, Associate, and Allied tiers), advocacy at local/state/national levels, networking events, continuing education, design awards, and scholarships to architects and allied professionals practicing in Ventura County, California.

Product overview

AIA Ventura County is a professional membership organization that serves as a local chapter of the American Institute of Architects. It offers three tiers of membership: Architect Membership for licensed practitioners, Associate Membership for emerging professionals working toward licensure, and Professional Affiliate Membership for allied professionals. The organization also runs a Design Awards Program recognizing architectural excellence in Ventura County, an Architecture School Scholarship Program supporting students pursuing architectural studies, and Sponsorship Opportunities for firms seeking visibility within the architecture community. These services are delivered through events, networking programs, educational initiatives, and community engagement activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architect Membership (AIA) Full membership tier for licensed architects practicing in Ventura County or whose projects reside within the county. Provides the AIA designation, professional development, networking, advocacy, member discounts, and promotional opportunities. Annual dues: National $282 + State (CA) $277 + Local (VC) $225 = $784 per year.
• Associate Membership (Associate AIA) Membership tier for unlicensed individuals working toward architecture licensure, holding a professional degree in architecture, working under supervision of a licensed architect, or serving as faculty in architecture programs. Annual dues: National $122 + State $71 + Local $60 = $253/year. International Associate: $335/year.
• Professional Affiliate (Allied) Membership Membership tier for professionals outside architectural practice but allied to the field, including engineers, planners, landscape architects, sculptors, muralists, artists, government officials, educators, journalists, and manufacturers. Annual cost $415 or $275 after July 1. Includes networking with 90+ AIA architects, committee eligibility, logo use, and website listings.
• Design Awards Program Biennial program recognizing design excellence on projects located in Ventura County. Includes categories for commercial buildings, residential, mixed-use, adaptive reuse, small projects, interiors, and unbuilt projects. Entry fees: AIA Architects $150/entry, Non-AIA Architects $200/entry. Includes an annual Design Awards Celebration with ticketed event ($50-$200 per ticket).
• Architecture School Scholarship Program Annual scholarship awards of up to $2,000 each (two scholarships available) for Ventura County residents pursuing NCARB-accredited architecture degree programs, including transfer students and high school graduates.
• Corporate and Website Sponsorship Opportunities Sponsorship program allowing firms to support AIA Ventura County events and programs. Corporate Sponsor at $2,500/year and Website Sponsor at $1,000/year. Sponsors receive promotional opportunities, website exposure, newsletter mentions, and networking access with the membership.

Quantifiable outcome

• Two scholarship awards of up to $2,000 available annually for Ventura County architecture students

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ventura College Architecture DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIA Ventura County collaborates with Ventura College Architecture Department on multiple initiatives including: creating a community panel focused on architecture, design and related industries; sponsoring Architecture Studio class final reviews; sponsoring Spring and Fall Showcase events; sponsoring Architecture Club activities including Cal Poly Design Village competitions; and supporting architecture students through scholarships.
• AIA National (American Institute of Architects)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIA Ventura County is a component chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The national organization provides membership infrastructure, advocacy, resources, and professional standards that the local chapter leverages for its members.
• AIA CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIA Ventura County is affiliated with AIA California (AIACA) which provides state-level advocacy, programs, and communications including practice advisories, awards programs (Concrete Masonry Design Awards), and member resources.
• City of VenturacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIA VC Board members participate in the City of Ventura Working Architect Group to provide professional input on the development of Objective Design Standards. The chapter also participates in Design Review Committee workshops and public hearings on urban planning and design standards.
• California Architects Board (CAB)minorOthersCAB is referenced as a resource for members, providing licensing information and regulatory guidance for architects in California.
• Architecture Club Ventura College ChaptercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIA VC sponsors the Ventura College Architecture Club including participation in Cal Poly Design Village competitions. Two teams were sponsored for the April 2026 competition.
• Houston/Tyner (Architecture Firm)minorOthersHouston/Tyner, a full-service architectural firm focusing on hospitality, commercial, institutional and entertainment venues, uses AIA VC's job board to recruit Architectural Staff Level II positions at $65,000-$85,000 annually.
• Bildsten Architecture and PlanningminorOthersBildsten Architecture and Planning, a housing-focused firm in downtown Santa Barbara, uses AIA VC's job board to recruit architectural design professionals for residential projects.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• AIA California: State-level umbrella organization that AIA Ventura County is a component of; provides advocacy, programs, and communications that the local chapter leverages, and operates at a broader geographic scale covering all California members.
• American Institute of Architects (AIA National): National parent organization of which AIA Ventura County is a local component; provides membership infrastructure, advocacy, contract documents, and the AIA designation that underpins the chapter's value proposition, but operates at a national rather than county scale.
• American Society of Interior Designers (ASID): National professional membership organization for interior designers with local chapter structure, offering comparable member dues, continuing education, advocacy, and design awards to a parallel design profession, making it a structural analog in member-based design association economics.
• American Planning Association (APA) - California Chapter: Professional membership association for urban and city planners in California with a similar chapter structure, advocacy focus, and event-based revenue model, comparable as a peer profession whose members frequently overlap with AIA's allied member base.

Emerging players

• Construction Specifications Institute (CSI): National professional association for construction specifications and building professionals with local chapters, comparable in member-based economics, certification, education, and chapter-level advocacy to AIA's local component model.
• Urban Land Institute (ULI) - Los Angeles District Council: Regional council of a real estate and land use membership organization covering Southern California including Ventura County, offering comparable networking, education, and advocacy programming to design and built environment professionals.

Direct peers

• AIA Orange County: Southern California AIA component chapter offering architect, associate, and allied memberships, plus design awards, advocacy, and education events, directly comparable to AIA Ventura County in scope, governance model, and revenue mix.
• AIA San Francisco: Another large California AIA component chapter with parallel membership, design awards, advocacy, and scholarship programs, making it one of the closest structural and operational peers to AIA Ventura County at scale.
• AIA Los Angeles: Local AIA component chapter serving Los Angeles, the largest and most analogous peer to AIA Ventura County as a California-based chapter offering the same architect/associate/allied membership tiers, design awards, and continuing education programming under the AIA California umbrella.

Others

• National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB): National organization that supports licensure and reciprocity for architects; while not a membership association competing for the same dues, it is the regulatory counterpart that AIA Ventura County's architect members engage with for licensing pathways.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aia-ventura-county
• Instagraminstagram.com/aiaventuracounty
• Xx.com/AIAVenturaChapt
• Facebookfacebook.com/AIAVenturaCounty

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about AIA Ventura County