The Association of Boarding Schools

What The Association of Boarding Schools does

The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) is a private nonprofit membership association founded in 1998 and headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina (incorporated in Maryland). It serves 300+ independent boarding schools across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia through a unified membership model offering professional learning, enrollment and recruitment assistance, research insights, and community networking. TABS's core products include the flagship Annual Conference (Washington D.C., November), five-day Summer Institutes at member host schools, the cohort-based Foundations of Care and Practice (FCP) Credential, the TABS Virtually on-demand library, and topical webinars. The organization operates BoardingSchools.com as the dominant consumer-facing boarding school discovery platform (approximately 5,000 weekly visitors, 100,000+ annually) and jobs.tabs.org as the sector's centralized career center, powered by Naylor, Inc.

TABS monetizes through multiple streams: membership dues scaled at $47.99 per boarding student ($4,307 minimum, $12,828 maximum per school annually), event registration (conference $1,255-$1,950; international recruitment events $2,175-$5,550 per city), Career Center job postings (free for members, $165-$395 for non-members), the Friends in Boarding program ($525-$4,307 annually for educational consultants and non-traditional schools), and Champion partner sponsorships from sector vendors. The organization runs a community-led go-to-market supported by sales-led membership recruitment and event-driven engagement, with no external investors and governance by a Board of Trustees composed of heads and administrators from member institutions.

Under President Susan Baldridge (since July 2022, succeeding Pete Upham), TABS maintains a 9-person staff delivering programming across professional learning, marketing, research, sponsor relations, and operations. The association also administers three industry awards: the Ruzicka Leadership Award, the Ruzicka Compass Premier Leadership Award, and the Burch Ford Kaleidoscope Award, reinforcing its brand authority as the central hub of the global boarding school community.

Name

The Association of Boarding Schools

Legal name

The Association of Boarding Schools

Website

https://www.tabs.org/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) is a nonprofit membership association serving 300+ independent boarding schools globally, delivering professional learning, enrollment assistance, industry research, and community networking through events, credentialing programs, and platforms including BoardingSchools.com and the TABS Career Center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Association Membership Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Overseas Boarding School Enrollment & Placement (EDAIAHAA)

Keywords

• Boarding school association
• Professional learning programs
• Enrollment recruitment services
• Education membership dues
• Boarding school conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

Asheville

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 dues for TABS are based on the number of boarding students enrolled in a school on opening day. The fee is $47.99 per boarding student with a minimum of $4,307 and a maximum of $12,828 per year. Membership provides access to professional learning, enrollment assistance, research resources, community networking, and career center postings.
2. Annual Conference Registration: Revenue from the TABS Annual Conference, held each November. Pricing tiers: $1,255-$1,385 for TABS members (early/regular member pricing) and $1,950 for non-members. Includes sessions, networking, and awards luncheon.
3. International Recruitment Events: TABS organizes and charges for international recruitment events in cities including Mexico City, Seoul, Tokyo, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hong Kong. Pricing varies by city: Tokyo at $3,795 (member), Seoul at $2,175 (member), and bundle pricing available. Member loyalty discounts apply for schools that participated in 2023 and 2024 events.
4. Summer Institutes Registration: Revenue from the TABS Summer Institutes, a five-day in-person professional development program held annually at member schools. Five specialized institutes are offered for professionals entering admissions, residential life, teaching, administration, or boarding schools.
5. Career Center Job Postings: The TABS Career Center generates revenue through job posting packages. Members receive free single 30-day job postings; non-members pay $165 for a 30-day posting, $220 for 60-day, or $395 for a 3-pack. Additional services include resume search access, programmatic retargeting enhancements, and career coaching sessions at $224 (members) / $280 (non-members).
6. Friends in Boarding Program Fees: Annual fees for non-school participants in the TABS community: Educational Consultants/IECA members at $525/year, Start-Up Boarding Schools at $3,713.50/year (max 2 years), and Accredited Public/Charter Boarding Schools at $4,307/year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

TABS is a nonprofit membership association that counsels, connects, and champions boarding schools globally through a unified membership offering. Its core deliverables include professional learning programs (FCP Credential, Summer Institutes, Leadership Labs, webinars), enrollment and recruitment assistance (international recruitment events in Asia and Latin America, family-facing discovery through BoardingSchools.com, digital marketing amplification), and research and insights (flash surveys, enrollment data analysis, Boarding Advantage reports). Membership also unlocks the TABS Community Portal for peer networking and the TABS Career Center for hiring.

Product overview

The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) is a member association that counsels, connects, and champions boarding schools through professional learning, enrollment assistance, and research. The organization operates a unified platform of programs and services including its flagship TABS Annual Conference and TABS Summer Institutes for professional development, virtual training programs (TABS Virtually, Sexual Misconduct Prevention Training, Mental Health Support Training), and the FCP Credential for residential life professionals. The organization also operates the TABS Career Center as a job recruitment platform, BoardingSchools.com as a school discovery website, and manages International Recruitment Events across Asia and Latin America. Additional offerings include Webinars & Forums, Research & Reports, Schools Solutions Directory, and the TABS Community Portal for member networking. Career support services include Coaching, Reference Checking, and Resume Writing through the Career Center. The organization also administers prestigious awards including the Ruzicka Leadership Award, Burch Ford Kaleidoscope Award, and Ruzicka Compass Award.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TABS Membership Annual school-level membership providing unified access to professional learning, enrollment and recruitment assistance, research insights, community networking, career center postings, and member benefits for boarding schools worldwide.

Quantifiable outcome

• BoardingSchools.com receives nearly 5,000 visitors per week, representing the largest centralized discovery platform for boarding schools globally.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and minor.

• ConsiglisupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerConsigli is described as a TABS Champion partner. A fifth generation company founded in 1905, Consigli offers construction management services. As a TABS Champion, Consigli contributes to the vitality of the boarding school industry through pursuit of novel analysis and research, white papers, and best practice guidance.
• A.W.G. Dewar, Inc.supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerA.W.G. Dewar is a TABS Champion partner and has been trusted by independent boarding and day schools across North America for nearly 100 years as the leading provider of tuition refund insurance. Contributes to the TABS ecosystem through industry analysis and research.
• Reach Student Life ManagementsupportingTechnology or IntegrationReach is a TABS Champion partner and the award-winning, web-secure, purpose-built SaaS Student Life Management System developed specifically for schools and residential programs. Reach allows schools to manage risk, build efficiencies, and facilitate real-time communication to promote harmony throughout residential communities. The company participates in TABS pre-conference workshops.
• Carney, Sandoe & AssociatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarney, Sandoe & Associates was selected by the TABS Leadership Search Committee to assist in the executive director search process in 2021. This was a one-time consulting engagement for governance support.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Naylor Association Solutions: Technology vendor that powers the TABS Career Center (jobs.tabs.org) and similar job-board products for hundreds of associations including trade associations and nonprofits. Comparable to TABS as a partner / ecosystem enabler rather than a competitor, providing the underlying technology platform for many association career centers.

Direct peers

• Enrollment Management Association: Parent organization of SSAT and Character Skills Snapshot, focused on independent school admissions assessment and enrollment research. Directly comparable as a peer association serving the same independent school market with standardized admissions testing and research that complements TABS's BoardingSchools.com and enrollment data offerings.

Regional players

• Association of Boarding Schools of New Zealand (ABS NZ): New Zealand-based association serving the country's boarding schools with advocacy, professional development, and member services. Directly comparable to TABS as a peer national-level boarding school association, but operating at smaller scale and serving the New Zealand market exclusively.
• Boarding Schools' Association (BSA): The UK membership association for boarding schools, providing professional development, safeguarding training, and advocacy for British and international boarding schools. Directly comparable to TABS as a peer association focused exclusively on the boarding school sector, but serving primarily the UK market rather than North America.
• Independent Schools Association (ISA): UK-based association of independent schools (headmasters and principals), offering training, conferences, and member services. Directly comparable to TABS as a peer membership association for independent school leaders, but serving the UK market and including day schools alongside boarding.

Broad incumbents

• Council of International Schools (CIS): Global membership organization for international schools, with a focus on accreditation, university counseling, and leadership search. Directly comparable to TABS as a peer trade association serving independent schools internationally, but with a different (international, K-12 non-boarding) focus and a global rather than US-centric footprint.
• National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS): Largest US trade association for independent (private, nonprofit) schools, serving a broader scope that includes day schools in addition to boarding. Directly comparable as a peer membership association offering professional learning, advocacy, enrollment research, and networking to private K-12 institutions, but at significantly larger scale.
• National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA): US membership association serving Catholic K-12 schools, providing professional development, advocacy, and resources similar to TABS's offering for independent boarding schools. Comparable as a peer K-12 membership association with a similar dues-driven, conference-and-training-centric revenue model, but serving a faith-based rather than independent-school segment.

Emerging players

• International School Services (ISS): Nonprofit supporting international schools globally through teacher recruitment, administrative search, and school start-up services. Directly comparable to TABS as a peer nonprofit supporting private schools internationally, with overlap in international recruitment (analogous to TABS's international recruitment events), though ISS focuses on K-12 international schools rather than boarding schools specifically.
• Educational Records Bureau (ERB): Not-for-profit member organization providing admissions assessment (e.g., ISEE) and member services to independent schools, similar to Enrollment Management Association. Comparable to TABS as a peer mission-driven assessment and member-services provider for independent schools, with overlap in serving admissions offices and providing enrollment data.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/boardingschools
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BoardingSchoolsCom
• Facebookfacebook.com/theassociationofboardingschoools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-association-of-boarding-schools
• Instagraminstagram.com/tabs_out_and_about

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 The Association of Boarding Schools