CFA Society of Chicago

What CFA Society of Chicago does

CFA Society Chicago is a 501(c)(6) non-profit professional membership association founded in 1925, serving investment professionals in the Chicago metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest society under the global CFA Institute network, with more than 4,500 members spanning CFA charterholders, candidates, affiliates, and students. The society operates a tiered membership model (Regular at $200 + $299 CFA Institute, Affiliate, Candidate at $149, and complimentary Student) and generates the bulk of its revenue from annual membership dues collected July through June, supplemented by event sponsorships and programming fees from members and non-members.

The society's product portfolio is built around professional development, credentialing pathways (CFA Program, CIPM, Claritas/Investment Foundations, Certificate in ESG Investing), and networking rather than technology. Core offerings include the Distinguished Speaker Series, the Annual Dinner (900+ attendees), the Vault Series, the CFA Women's Network, a six-month mentorship program, a podcast library distributed across major platforms, a YouTube webcast channel, and a member-only LinkedIn group. The society runs nearly 70 events per year across 8 active advisory groups and co-develops the ALTSCHI alternative-investment forum with CAIA Association. Sponsorship relationships with major investment firms (UBS, Northern Trust, William Blair, Cboe, Fitch, RMB Capital) anchor flagship programming.

Distribution is primarily regional and centered on in-person events at prestigious Chicago venues (University Club, Union League Club, Hyatt Regency, Radisson Blu Aqua) plus direct membership enrollment through the CFA Institute portal. A strategic partnership with Kaplan Schweser extends discounted exam-prep offerings to candidates. The society is governed by a volunteer board of investment professionals and operated in 2025 under President and CEO Chris Vincent, CFA, with James Boudreault, CFA (Global Head of Data Science, CME Group) taking the Chair role and the organization marking its Centennial through a black-tie gala and the CFA Live 2025 Global Investment Conference (1,500+ attendees).

Name

CFA Society of Chicago

Legal name

CFA Society Chicago

Website

https://cfachicago.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CFA Society Chicago is a 501(c)(6) non-profit professional membership association founded in 1925, serving 4,500+ Chicago-area investment professionals through tiered membership, credentialing pathways, events, and networking under the global CFA Institute network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Investment Membership Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK)

Keywords

• Professional membership association
• Investment certification programs
• Continuing education events
• Investment industry networking
• Professional development services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues collected from Regular, Affiliate, Candidate, and Student members. Dues are collected on an annual basis from July 1 through June 30. Regular membership dues are $200 for CFA Society Chicago plus $299 for CFA Institute. Candidate membership is $149. Student membership is complimentary.
2. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships from investment firms and vendors for events including the Annual Dinner and educational programs. Tiered sponsorship levels available at various price points.
3. Event Revenue: Revenue from member events, luncheons, seminars, and educational programs. Members receive complimentary function tickets and discounted rates; non-members and guests pay standard rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CFA Society Chicago is a non-profit professional membership association that sells tiered memberships to investment professionals and supports them with continuing education events, networking programming, career resources, and certification pathways. Its core deliverables are annual membership subscriptions, an event calendar of nearly 70 functions per year (luncheons, Distinguished Speaker Series, education seminars, social events, Annual Dinner), podcasts/webcasts, and a structured mentorship program. The society operates as a regional chapter of CFA Institute and serves as a community hub for charterholders, candidates, affiliates, and students in the Chicago area.

Product overview

CFA Society Chicago is a professional membership organization offering tiered membership programs (Regular, Affiliate, Student, and Candidate memberships) for investment professionals. The society provides educational certification pathways including the CFA Program, CIPM Program, and CFA Institute Investment Foundations (Claritas). Its product portfolio centers on professional development through event programming including the Distinguished Speaker Series, Vault Series, and Annual Dinner, supplemented by digital content via podcasts and a mentorship program. The society functions as a regional chapter under CFA Institute, serving over 4,500 investment professionals in the Chicago area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regular Membership
• Affiliate Membership
• Student Membership
• Candidate Membership
• Mentorship Program
• Distinguished Speaker Series
• Vault Series
• Annual Dinner
• Podcasts
• CFA Program Support
• CIPM Program Support
• CFA Institute Investment Foundations (Claritas)

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Kaplan SchwesercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership providing CFA Society Chicago members with 20% discount on Kaplan Schweser CFA Exam Prep materials, Masterclasses, and review workshops. Candidates receive 10% discount. The partnership gives candidates flexibility in study programs and access to latest exam preparation technology.
• CAIA AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer of ALTSCHI event alongside CFA Society Chicago. ALTSCHI provides education-focused content for individuals who manage, advise, allocate to, or oversee alternative investments. The event covers topics including global asset allocation, risk management, private markets, real assets, and ESG.
• MarketsGroupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarketsGroup hosts the ALTSCHI event with CFA Society Chicago as a co-lead organization, handling event logistics and promotion for the alternative investment forum.
• UBS Asset ManagementflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier and Platinum sponsor of CFA Society Chicago Annual Dinner. Provides corporate sponsorship support for society flagship events and receives visibility exposure to over 4,700 members and 10,000+ industry professionals.
• Northern Trust Asset ManagementflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier and Platinum sponsor of CFA Society Chicago Annual Dinner. Supports society events and receives prominent brand visibility among investment professionals.
• William BlairflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier and Platinum sponsor of CFA Society Chicago Annual Dinner. Receives sponsorship benefits including exposure to society's elite membership base.
• Cboe Global MarketsflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier and Platinum sponsor of CFA Society Chicago Annual Dinner. Supports society programming and receives event sponsorship benefits.
• Fitch RatingsflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier and Platinum sponsor of CFA Society Chicago Annual Dinner. Provides sponsorship support for society events.
• RMB CapitalflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier and Platinum sponsor of CFA Society Chicago Annual Dinner. Receives sponsorship benefits for supporting society events.
• University Career Centers (DePaul, Illinois Tech, Kellogg, Loyola, UChicago Booth, UIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with major Chicago-area university career centers to provide resources for student members and potential recruits. Includes DePaul University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Kellogg School of Management, Loyola University Quinlan, University of Chicago Booth School, and University of Illinois at Chicago.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• CFA Society UK: UK-based CFA Institute member society. Comparable operating model (nonprofit, events, sponsorships) but serves a different geographic market. Useful benchmark for international society structure and programming depth.

Direct peers

• CAIA Association: Global association administering the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designation; co-develops the ALTSCHI event with CFA Society Chicago. Directly comparable as a parallel nonprofit certification body serving investment professionals.
• GARP (Global Association of Risk Professionals): Nonprofit membership association administering the FRM and other risk certifications, with member chapters and event programming. Comparable operating model — nonprofit, dues + events + sponsorships, serving investment/finance professionals.
• CFA Society Los Angeles: CFA Institute member society serving Southern California investment professionals. Same nonprofit structure, member tiers, Distinguished Speaker Series, and corporate sponsorship pattern as CFA Society Chicago.
• CFA Society San Francisco: CFA Institute member society in San Francisco with identical membership, programming, and sponsorship model. Highly comparable in size, geography type (major financial center), and sponsor roster patterns.
• 100 Women in Finance: Global nonprofit membership network for women in finance with local chapters, events, and educational programming. Comparable as a member-driven finance professional association running flagship events and corporate sponsorships.
• CFA Society New York: Largest CFA Institute member society serving New York investment professionals. Operates the same nonprofit professional body model with member dues, events, and sponsorships; directly comparable on member scale, programming, and sponsorship mix.
• CFA Society Boston: CFA Institute member society serving Boston's investment community. Runs the same dues + events + sponsorship model for charterholders, candidates, and affiliates in a comparable U.S. financial hub.

Others

• MarketsGroup: Event logistics and production partner for ALTSCHI alongside CFA Society Chicago. Adjacent ecosystem participant that supports the society's alternative-investment event franchise.

Broad incumbents

• CFA Institute: Global parent organization of the CFA Program and the network of member societies including CFA Society Chicago. Sets charter standards, exam administration, and brand framework under which the society operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CFA_Chicago
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/CFASocietyChicago/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/groups/108714

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 CFA Society of Chicago