Professionals In Human Resources Association (PIHRA)

What Professionals In Human Resources Association (PIHRA) does

PIHRA (Professionals In Human Resources Association) is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1944 (per firmographic data; some sources reference 1949) and headquartered in Torrance, California. It serves HR professionals, HR teams, and HR students across Southern California through 17 local chapters, 9 student chapters at major universities (Cal State system, UCLA, USC, UC Irvine, Loyola Marymount), and 3 specialty groups (PIHRA Foundation, PIHRA Emerging Leaders, Government Advocacy Team). The association's product portfolio centers on four pillars: Education (HR certification prep for SHRM-CP/SCP, PHR/SPHR/aPHR/PHRca/GPHR, plus webinars and an on-demand Virtual Learning Library), Community (18+ chapters, member forums, HR Coffee/Lunch/Happy Hours), Tools (PIHRA Workplace powered by ThinkHR — hotline, 50-State Handbook Builder, document library), and Career Support (PIHRA Career Center, resume services, employer job postings). Its flagship events are the annual California HR Conference (60+ year history, held in Long Beach) and the California Employment Law Update (CELU), anchored by strategic alliances with major employment law firms including Jackson Lewis, Littler Mendelson, Fisher Phillips, AALRR, and Wolfsdorf Rosenthal.

Revenue is generated through five streams: individual membership dues, HR Team Memberships (tiered $280 to $2,572.50 annually based on team size, with 20-70% volume discounts), event registration fees (CAHR Conference, CELU, HR Department of One, chapter meetings), job posting fees in the PIHRA Career Center (members receive up to 30% discount), and corporate sponsorships from HR technology vendors and law firms. The 2024 launch of HR Team Membership and the ThinkHR-powered PIHRA Learn platform ($2 per employee per month, 250+ training modules including mandatory AB1825/SB 1343 harassment training) represent the most significant recent commercial expansions, shifting the model toward team-level and per-seat recurring revenue. Distribution is primarily direct and self-service via pihra.org and mypihra.org, supported by an 18-chapter in-person network and a multi-channel content marketing engine (blog, HR Weekly newsletter, social media, webinars). The organization is privately held as an independent nonprofit, governed by a Board of Directors with no disclosed parent company, institutional investors, or external ownership.

Name

Professionals In Human Resources Association (PIHRA)

Legal name

Professionals In Human Resources Association

Website

https://pihra.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PIHRA is a Southern California nonprofit professional membership association serving HR professionals across 17 local chapters with education (certification prep, employment law updates), community, HR tools (PIHRA Workplace via ThinkHR), and career services, monetized via membership dues, event fees, sponsorships, and job postings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional HR Membership Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Resources (HR) & Talent (SHRM/HRCI) Certifications (EDAAANAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Human Resources & Talent (SHRM/HRCI Recertification) (EDAAALAN), Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD), Human Resources Certification Prep (SHRM, HRCI) (EDANAIAK)

Keywords

• Professional HR association
• Membership-based networking
• Employment law training
• HR certification prep
• Workplace compliance tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Gardena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Dues: Annual membership dues providing access to HR resources, tools, chapter networks, webinars, and member discounts on events and job postings.
2. HR Team Memberships: Organizational memberships for HR teams with tiered pricing based on team size, offering consolidated management and team discounts on virtual conferences.
3. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from California HR Conference, California Employment Law Update (CELU), HR Department of One virtual programs, and chapter meetings.
4. Job Posting Fees: Employers pay to post HR positions on the PIHRA Career Center; members receive up to 30% discount on job postings.
5. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships from HR technology providers, law firms, and compliance service companies for events and programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PIHRA is a professional membership association providing individual and team HR memberships with access to California-specific employment law education, HR certification preparation courses (SHRM-CP/SCP, PHR/SPHR/GPHR/PHRca/aPHR), annual conferences (California HR Conference and California Employment Law Update), HR hotline and document library tools via PIHRA Workplace, workplace training through PIHRA Learn, a career center job board, and a 17-chapter local networking community across Southern California. Revenue is driven by annual membership dues (individual and tiered team pricing), event registration fees, job posting fees, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

PIHRA is a professional membership association for HR professionals in Southern California offering a comprehensive ecosystem of membership benefits organized around four core pillars: Education (certification prep, webinars, virtual learning library), Community (18 local chapters, forums, HR chats), Tools (PIHRA Workplace powered by ThinkHR, handbook builders, forms), and Career Support (Career Center, job postings, coaching). The core PIHRA Membership provides foundational access, with HR Team Membership offering organizational group pricing. Premium offerings include annual conferences (California HR Conference, California Employment Law Update), virtual programs (HR Department of One, RealHR wellness), and the PIHRA Learn training platform. The organization does not operate as a technology platform but rather as a community and educational resource provider.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PIHRA Foundation: One of the specialty groups operated by PIHRA for professional development and community building.
• PIHRA Emerging Leaders
• PIHRA Government Advocacy Team

Products and services

• PIHRA Individual Membership Annual individual membership giving HR professionals access to PIHRA chapters, member-only HR Workplace tools, webinars, career resources, networking events, and discounts on conferences and certifications. Available to practicing HR professionals in Southern California.
• HR Team Membership Group membership tier for organizations with multiple HR employees offering tiered per-member pricing (20% to 70% volume discounts), consolidated billing, team discounts on virtual conferences, and free job postings.
• California HR Conference (CAHR) Annual four-day flagship HR conference held in Long Beach for HR professionals across California and internationally. Curated by PIHRA for over 60 years, featuring expert-led sessions, vendor exhibits, and networking.
• California Employment Law Update (CELU) Annual legal update conference covering California employment law changes, held in multiple Southern California locations including Los Angeles and Orange County. Provides HR professionals with compliance information on wage and hour, discrimination, harassment, and workplace policies.
• PIHRA Legal Update Seminar Series Educational seminar series delivering comprehensive California legal updates for HR professionals across multiple session dates and Southern California locations.
• PIHRA Workplace Virtual HR tools suite powered by ThinkHR providing PIHRA Live (HR advice hotline available Monday through Friday 6am-5pm PT) and the document library with thousands of HR forms, policies, 50-State Handbook Builder, and California Handbook Builder.
• PIHRA Learn Workplace training platform powered by ThinkHR with 250+ learning modules including mandatory AB1825/SB 1343 sexual harassment training for supervisors and employees. Priced at $2 per employee per month on a 12-month agreement for member companies.
• PIHRA Career Center Online job board platform connecting HR professionals with employers, featuring resume upload, job posting, job alerts, career coaching, resume review, and targeted advertising. Member companies receive up to 30% discount on job postings.
• HR Certification Prep Courses Instructor-led preparation courses for HR certifications including SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, PHR, aPHR, PHRca, and GPHR, including study groups and exam preparation materials.
• HR Department of One Virtual Program Three-part virtual education program designed for solo HR practitioners covering compliance, best practices, and wage & hour challenges, providing recertification credits and peer networking.
• PIHRA Job Seeker Premium Services Premium services for job seekers on the PIHRA Career Center including enhanced resume visibility, priority candidate status, and advanced job matching.

Quantifiable outcome

• 75+ years serving Southern California HR community
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jackson Lewis P.C.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJackson Lewis P.C. is a premier employment and labor law firm and proud sponsor of PIHRA and its mission to engage, elevate and serve the California human resource community. The firm provides speakers for PIHRA Legal Update events and contributes expertise on wage and hour, discrimination, harassment, and workplace policies.
• Littler MendelsoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLittler Mendelson is the largest U.S.-based law firm exclusively devoted to representing management in employment and labor law matters. Provides keynote speakers for PIHRA Legal Update programs covering arbitration agreements and employment law topics.
• AALRR (Allen Glaessner Husch Blackwell)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAALRR is a major California employment law firm that provides expert presenters for PIHRA programs including the HR Department of One series, covering wage and hour challenges, best practices, and compliance topics.
• Fisher PhillipscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFisher Phillips is a national labor and employment law firm providing expert speakers for PIHRA Legal Update events on topics including harassment claims and employment law settlements.
• ThinkHRcoreTechnology or IntegrationThinkHR provides PIHRA Workplace virtual tools including PIHRA Live hotline service and PIHRA Learn training platform. ThinkHR powers the PIHRA hotline and thousands of HR forms, documents, and compliance tools for members.
• Custom Corporate Communications (C3)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerC3 partnered with PIHRA to offer free live video-based training to qualified PIHRA member companies during the COVID-19 pandemic, covering topics including Microsoft Office, leadership development, and COVID-19 safety guidelines.
• Wolfsdorf RosenthalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWolfsdorf Rosenthal is an immigration law firm providing expert presenters for PIHRA Legal Update programs covering business immigration, H-1B processing, and green card applications.
• CalChamberminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCalifornia Chamber of Commerce offers PIHRA members a 15% discount on products related to California labor law compliance, training, and HR best practices tools.
• BambooHRminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBambooHR offered 100 scholarships for HR certification preparation courses and related materials to PIHRA members, demonstrating commitment to professional development.
• Brandman UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrandman University offers scholarships to PIHRA members and their spouses and dependents through the PIHRA Academic Partners program.
• UCLA ExtensionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUCLA Extension offers PIHRA members a 15% discount on HRM Certificate Program courses and select 1-day courses.
• QuikPark Los Angeles (LAX)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerQuikPark offers PIHRA members 40% off parking fees at Los Angeles International Airport, providing convenient parking for traveling members.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management): SHRM is the national HR professional association offering SHRM-CP/SCP certification prep, networking, and resources. PIHRA is essentially a local chapter aligned with the SHRM ecosystem, competing for the same members and certification revenue at a regional level.

Others

• BambooHR: BambooHR is a HR software/HRIS platform that has partnered with PIHRA on certification scholarships and runs HR comparison guides on the PIHRA site. Adjacent ecosystem participant serving overlapping HR professional audience.
• California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber): CalChamber is an existing PIHRA partner offering California labor law compliance products to PIHRA members at a discount. Comparable audience of California employers needing HR compliance resources, but a broader business advocacy focus rather than HR-specific.
• ThinkHR: ThinkHR is the technology partner that powers PIHRA Workplace (HR hotline, handbook builders, document library) and PIHRA Learn (250+ training modules). While not a peer in association model, it provides the underlying digital infrastructure PIHRA resells to members.

Direct peers

• WorldatWork: WorldatWork is a professional association for HR compensation, benefits, and total rewards professionals. Comparable professional membership association model serving overlapping HR audiences with certification programs.
• SHRM Foundation: The SHRM Foundation is the philanthropic arm of SHRM that funds HR research, scholarships, and education—directly comparable to PIHRA's own PIHRA Foundation specialty group focused on similar professional development and scholarship activities.
• HRCI (HR Certification Institute): HRCI issues the PHR, SPHR, aPHR, PHRca, and GPHR certifications for which PIHRA offers exam preparation courses and study groups. PIHRA's certification prep business is directly tied to HRCI's credentialing ecosystem.
• CalSHRM: CalSHRM is the California state council of SHRM that provides state-wide HR resources, networking, and advocacy—directly comparable to PIHRA but with broader California geographic scope rather than just Southern California.
• IPMA-HR (International Public Management Association for Human Resources): IPMA-HR is a professional membership association for public-sector HR professionals, offering certification, training, and chapter networks. Comparable association structure and certification-driven business model.

Regional players

• NCHRA (Northern California Human Resources Association): NCHRA is a regional HR membership association serving Northern California with a similar model of chapters, networking events, certification prep, and employment law education. Comparable offering, non-overlapping geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pihra
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/pihravideo
• Facebookfacebook.com/pihra
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/professionals-in-human-resources-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/pihra

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Professionals In Human Resources Association (PIHRA)