American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers

What American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers does

The American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (AACFB) is a nonprofit, U.S.-domiciled trade association headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, founded in 1990 (originally as the National Association of Equipment Leasing Brokers, NAELB). The association represents commercial finance brokers, funding sources/lenders, and associate service providers in the equipment and commercial finance industry, organizing them into four tiered membership categories — Broker ($369/year), Broker/Funder ($725/year), Funding Source ($899/year), and Associate ($725/year) — plus a $30 application fee. AACFB claims representation of 400+ broker member companies, 200+ individual CLFP (Certified Lease Finance Professional) members, and 24 Best Practices Broker certification holders, with a member-estimated $12 billion in origination and transaction placement.

AACFB's core product is a members-only online community and resource platform built on Higher Logic infrastructure, which hosts discussion boards, a searchable funding source directory, webinars, document library, legal library, credit bureau access, and member discount programs. Ancillary product lines include the recurring Meet the Funder-Associate Webinar Series (May-September 2026), an annual in-person AACFB Annual Conference (Louisville, May 2027), the Commercial Financing Expo (Irvine, October 2026), a Best Practices Broker certification (two-part ethics exam with two-year membership prerequisite), and the Rosanne Wilson Memorial Scholarship.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring annual membership dues on an anniversary billing basis, supplemented by event registrations, exhibit/sponsorship fees from platinum (Avtech Capital, AFG, United Capital Source) and event-level sponsors, and webinar/sponsor revenue. Distribution is via direct website enrollment and approval-based onboarding (24-48 hour review). AACFB serves the U.S. and Canada, with no disclosed AI capabilities, public API, or external funding. The organization is governed by an elected member Board, currently led by President Katie Baker (MC2 Finance) with Monica Harper as Executive Director managing operations.

Name

American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers

Legal name

American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers

Website

https://aacfb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers (AACFB) is a U.S. nonprofit trade association founded in 1990 that serves 400+ commercial finance broker member companies, funders, and associate service providers through tiered memberships ($369-$899/year), an online community, annual conferences/expos, webinars, and a Best Practices Broker certification.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: AACFB generates revenue primarily through annual membership dues, billed on an anniversary basis. The association offers four membership tiers with different pricing: Broker ($369/year), Broker/Funder ($725/year), Funding Source ($899/year), and Associate ($725/year). An additional $30 non-refundable application fee covers background check costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AACFB is a nonprofit trade association providing tiered membership ($369-$899/year) to commercial finance brokers, funders, and service providers in the U.S. and Canada. Its deliverables include a members-only online community and discussion platform, a searchable funding source directory, an annual conference, a Commercial Financing Expo, a webinar series, the Best Practices Broker certification, and member-discount programs (credit bureau access, legal assistance, document library). The association also enforces a Code of Ethics and a non-circumvention policy protecting brokers from funders.

Product overview

AACFB is a trade association (not a technology product company) providing a unified membership-based service ecosystem for commercial finance professionals. The core offering is the AACFB Members Only Community platform combined with tiered membership categories (Broker, Funding Source, Associate, Broker/Funder) priced from $369-$899 annually. Supporting services include the Meet the Funder-Associate Webinar Series, Annual Conference, Commercial Financing Expo, Brokering Essentials Video Series, Document Library, Commercial Break Newsletter, Purchasing Plans discount programs, Legal Library, Searchable Funding Source Directory, Credit Bureau Program, and the Rosanne Wilson Memorial Scholarship. A distinct certification program offers the AACFB Best Practices Broker (BPB) designation for members demonstrating ethics expertise. No AI capabilities or public API are offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Higher LogiccoreTechnology or IntegrationHigher Logic provides the platform infrastructure for AACFB's members-only community website and online platform. The association operates its website and community portal through Higher Logic's infrastructure.
• Avtech CapitalminorOthersPlatinum level sponsor for annual programming, supporting AACFB events and member benefits.
• AFG (American Financial Group)minorOthersPlatinum sponsor providing charitable event support at conferences and expo.
• United Capital SourceminorOthersPlatinum level sponsor for annual programming.
• 4 Hour FundingminorOthersEvent sponsor for the Commercial Financing Expo.
• Channel Partners CapitalminorOthersExpo event sponsor providing coffee bar sponsorship.
• Financial Pacific (Finpac)minorOthersExpo event sponsor for refreshment and networking events.
• instaCOVERminorOthersEvent sponsor for the Commercial Financing Expo.
• Navitas Credit CorpminorOthersMultiple expo event sponsorships including key card and name badge visibility.
• NewLane FinanceminorOthersExpo event sponsor for tote bags and welcome materials.
• BanescominorOthersExpo event sponsor.
• Universal Finance CorpminorOthersExpo event sponsor for pen giveaways.
• YES LeasingminorOthersExpo event sponsor for breakfast.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation: The research and education foundation affiliated with the equipment leasing industry, conducting studies and professional credentialing in the same domain AACFB serves. Comparable ecosystem participant but organized as a 501(c)(3) research arm rather than a competing membership association.

Direct peers

• Equipment Leasing & Finance Association (ELFA): The largest US trade association serving the equipment leasing and finance industry, with overlapping broker, funder, and service-provider membership and similar event/conference-driven member acquisition. Directly comparable as a dues-based association providing advocacy, networking, and education to the same ecosystem AACFB serves.
• International Factoring Association: Membership association serving the factoring and accounts-receivable finance industry with similar broker, funder, and service-provider tiers plus an annual conference. Directly comparable in operating model to AACFB's dues tiers, education programming, and broker certification frameworks.
• Secured Finance Network (formerly Commercial Finance Association): Trade association serving the secured/commercial finance and asset-based lending industry with a comparable broker-lender member model, education programs, and annual conferences. Closest peer in mission and operating model, anchored on the lender side of the same broker-funder marketplace.
• National Equipment Finance Association (NEFA): Trade association focused on equipment finance with overlapping broker and funder membership, annual conferences, and educational programming. Directly comparable as a competing/adjacent association in the same equipment-finance broker segment AACFB historically served before its rebrand.

Broad incumbents

• American Bankers Association (ABA): The largest US banking trade association, providing advocacy, education, and conferences that touch commercial lending, equipment finance, and broker-funder relationships. Comparable as a membership-based industry association operating at much greater scale, but spanning the entire banking industry rather than specializing in brokers.
• American Financial Services Association (AFSA): Established national trade association representing a broad range of consumer and commercial finance providers. Overlaps with AACFB on funder-member companies (e.g., AFG is a current AACFB platinum sponsor) and shares the association-for-services model, but with a much wider industry remit than AACFB's broker niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/naelb_aacfb
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC55HCRwvvqNSHJ6WsDNZKrw?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/AmericanAssociationofCommercialFinanceBrokers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aacfb
• Instagraminstagram.com/aacfb_association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 American Association of Commercial Finance Brokers