Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accountants

What Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accountants does

Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accountants (RISCPA) is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1907 and headquartered in Cumberland, Rhode Island. The organization serves licensed Certified Public Accountants and adjacent accounting professionals practicing in Rhode Island, with secondary reach into southeastern Massachusetts via the RI Business Forum. Its core offering is a web-based CPE Course Catalog and Member Portal (members.riscpa.org) hosting over 2,373 continuing professional education courses sourced primarily from Surgent McCoy CPE, LLC, covering taxation, accounting, auditing, ethics, business law, technology, and emerging topics such as AI applications for CPAs.

RISCPA generates revenue through four primary streams: annual membership dues (subscription/recurring), CPE course fees priced with a ~10% member discount (one-time fees ranging $29-$279 for self-study and $75-$329 for scheduled/virtual courses), event registration fees, and sponsorship/advertising packages sold to financial firms targeting the CPA audience. Distribution occurs through a self-serve member portal, in-person networking and CPE events across Rhode Island venues, email newsletters, and social media channels.

The organization is in active transition: effective July 1, 2026, RISCPA will cease independent operations and merge with the CPA societies of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont to form the New England Society of CPAs (NECPAs), a consolidated regional entity that will process all CPE and event registrations through NECPAs.org. The merger is described as a defensive consolidation designed to expand member value, advocacy, and regional reach rather than as an acquisition by an external party.

Name

Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accountants

Legal name

Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accountants

Website

https://riscpa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

RISCPA is a nonprofit statewide professional membership association serving licensed CPAs in Rhode Island through a 2,373+ course CPE catalog, advocacy, networking events, and career resources, transitioning July 1, 2026 into the five-state New England Society of CPAs (NECPAs).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Accounting, Audit & Tax (CPA/CA/ACCA CPE) (EDAAALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

Keywords

• Professional membership services
• Continuing professional education
• CPE course catalog
• Legislative advocacy services
• Accounting professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Cranston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues for CPAs and accounting professionals in Rhode Island. Members renew through the RISCPA member portal.
2. CPE Course Fees: Continuing professional education courses offered to members and non-members with tiered pricing. Self-study courses range from $29-$279 for members and $32-$307 for non-members. Scheduled/virtual courses range from $75-$299.
3. Sponsorship and Advertising: Sponsorship packages for events and website advertising targeting CPAs, industry leaders, and businesses in financial services.
4. Event Fees: Registration fees for networking events, seminars, and professional development programs. Summer Social event listed at $5.00 admission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RISCPA is a statewide professional membership association that sells annual CPA memberships, continuing professional education (CPE) courses through a 2,373+ item catalog, professional development events, and career resources. Its core deliverables include self-study and scheduled/virtual CPE courses covering taxation, accounting, auditing, ethics, technology, and business law, alongside advocacy representation, networking events such as Summer Social and Wine Tasting, and newsletters delivered through the riscpa.org website and members.riscpa.org member portal.

Product overview

The Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accountants operates primarily as a membership organization offering a unified CPE Course Catalog and Member Portal platform with over 2,373 online courses for professional development. The organization's product portfolio includes the core CPE Course Catalog and Member Portal for course registration and continuing education, RISCPA News and Newsletters for industry updates, Career Services for job postings and CPA certification guidance, Advocacy and PAC services for legislative representation, Sponsorship Opportunities for business marketing, and the RI Business Forum as a collateral brand for regional business news. The organization is transitioning to merge with the New England Society of CPAs (NECPAs) effective July 1, 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CPE Course Catalog and Member Portal A comprehensive online learning platform providing over 2,373 continuing professional education (CPE) courses for Certified Public Accountants, covering self-study and scheduled virtual seminars in taxation, accounting, auditing, business law, ethics, and technology, with course registration, shopping cart functionality, and member-specific pricing.
• RISCPA News and Newsletters Regular news publications including the RISCPA News monthly newsletter, RI Business Forum updates, and announcements covering topics from the Rhode Island Division of Taxation, AICPA, and other professional sources.
• Career Services Job posting board, resources for becoming a CPA, and career development resources for accounting professionals in Rhode Island.
• Advocacy and PAC Legislative advocacy services at state and regional levels, PAC donation opportunities, and representation for CPA professionals on regulatory and tax policy matters.
• Sponsorship Opportunities Marketing and advertising packages enabling businesses to reach CPAs, financial professionals, industry leaders, and business owners in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts through networking events, CPE seminars, and website advertising.
• RI Business Forum A collaborative initiative with the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation delivering business news, economic updates, and industry insights for members and the broader business community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Access to 2,373+ CPE courses covering taxes, accounting, auditing, technology, ethics, and business law

Named customers3 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

AI capability6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• New England Society of CPAs (NECPAs)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026RISCPA is merging with four other state CPA societies (Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont) to form the New England Society of CPAs (NECPAs). Beginning July 1, 2026, all CPE and event registrations will be processed through NECPAs.org. The merger is designed to expand value, opportunity, and support for members across the region.
• Surgent McCoy CPE, LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary CPE course vendor providing the majority of the 2,373+ courses in the RISCPA catalog. Courses cover taxes, accounting, auditing, technology, ethics, and business law topics.
• Navigant BankminorOthersEvent and organizational sponsor for RISCPA events and programs.
• WithumminorOthersSponsor for RISCPA events and programs.
• DeloitteminorOthersSponsor for RISCPA events and programs.
• Morgan StanleyminorOthersSponsor for RISCPA events and programs.
• KLRminorOthersFirm news featured on RISCPA website as a member firm.
• ClarkSilva, LLCminorOthersNamed a 2025 Fastest Growing Company by Providence Business News; firm news featured on RISCPA website.
• Westerly Community Credit UnionminorOthersCo-presenter of the Summer Social event hosted by Southern RI Young Professionals.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Massachusetts Society of CPAs (MassCPAs): Largest of the five founding state societies merging into NECPAs alongside RISCPA. Both are state-level CPA membership associations offering CPE, advocacy, networking, and career resources to licensed CPAs in their respective states.
• New Hampshire Society of CPAs: Another founding NECPAs society; a New England state CPA society providing the same membership, CPE, and advocacy model as RISCPA. Direct peer under the upcoming consolidated regional structure.
• Maine Society of CPAs: Founding NECPAs society and a New England state CPA association with parallel mission, governance, and product set (membership dues, CPE catalog, advocacy, events). Directly comparable to RISCPA.
• Vermont Society of CPAs: Fifth founding member of NECPAs; small New England state CPA society operating under the same professional association model as RISCPA with CPE, advocacy, and member services.
• NYSSCPA (New York State Society of CPAs): Largest U.S. state CPA society with similar CPE, advocacy, networking, and member services. Closest direct functional peer at scale outside the NECPAs consolidation.
• California Society of CPAs (CalCPA): Another large state CPA society offering CPE, advocacy, member benefits, and practice resources - a direct functional peer to RISCPA, albeit at materially larger scale.
• Texas Society of CPAs (TXCPA): Large state CPA society with CPE, advocacy, and member programs comparable to RISCPA's product set. Direct peer in the broader state-society category.

Broad incumbents

• AICPA (American Institute of CPAs): National umbrella organization for the CPA profession. Operates a broader portfolio (national advocacy, the CGMA designation, conferences) than RISCPA, but RISCPA is an affiliated state society within the AICPA federation.

Others

• Surgent McCoy CPE, LLC: Primary CPE content vendor for RISCPA's 2,373-course catalog. Not a competitor but a critical partner/supplier; comparable in that it sells CPE to CPA buyers, but as a for-profit content provider rather than a membership society.

Emerging players

• Becker Professional Education: Commercial CPE and CPA exam prep provider with overlapping audience (licensed CPAs seeking CPE) and a national footprint that competes with state-society CPE offerings like RISCPA's catalog.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/risocietyofcpas
• Facebookfacebook.com/RISCPA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/riscpa-business-forum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Rhode Island Society of Certified Public Accountants