Association of Fraternity & Sorority Advisors

What Association of Fraternity & Sorority Advisors does

The Association of Fraternity & Sorority Advisors (AFA) is a 501(c)-style professional membership association founded in 1976 and headquartered in Fishers (Indianapolis), Indiana, serving professionals who advise and support fraternity and sorority life on U.S. college campuses. Its primary constituents are campus-based fraternity/sorority advisors, coordinators and directors, supported by national fraternity/sorority organization staff, higher education institutions, and volunteer alumni. AFA positions itself as the field's premier community of practice, articulating a Core Competencies framework and publishing formal position statements on hazing, sexual violence, student safety, DEI&A, and the value of the fraternity/sorority experience.

AFA's product portfolio centers on three publications (Perspectives magazine, Essentials briefs, and the JSFLRP peer-reviewed academic journal), a flagship Annual Meeting conference, and a suite of professional development offerings including AdvanceU (on-demand courses), Annual Meeting Reload (recorded sessions), the First 90 Days program for new advisors, and a Research Writer's Retreat. Distribution runs through the FSCentral member portal, regional chapters, Communities of Practice, the AFA Career Center job board, and an Educational Partners channel program. Technology infrastructure is association-standard rather than proprietary: FSCentral for member management, Salesforce for donation processing, and Mailchimp for email — there is no in-house product platform or API surface.

Revenue is diversified across four streams: recurring membership dues, Annual Meeting registration, professional development program fees, and donations through the affiliated AFA Foundation (including the "Elevate the Standard" multi-year campaign and a one-day "1,976 Minutes of Giving" event). With only 11 employees, AFA runs an extremely lean operation, relying on a volunteer Board of Directors, member volunteers, and a network of fraternal partners to deliver programming. The organization is preparing for its 50th anniversary celebration in Chicago in December 2026.

Name

Association of Fraternity & Sorority Advisors

Legal name

Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors

Website

https://afa1976.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AFA is a 50-year-old U.S. nonprofit professional membership association serving campus-based fraternity and sorority advising professionals through publications, an annual conference, on-demand professional development, and career resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fishers

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for fraternity/sorority professionals
2. Annual Meeting Registration: Conference registration fees for the annual meeting event
3. Professional Development Programs: On-demand courses, AdvanceU, and other educational programming fees
4. Foundation Donations: Philanthropic contributions through the AFA Foundation 'Elevate the Standard' campaign and 1,976 Minutes of Giving
5. Foundation Fundraising: Campaign contributions including multi-year commitments and planned giving

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AFA is a nonprofit professional membership association that delivers publications, in-person and on-demand professional development programs, an annual conference, a member portal, scholarships, and career resources to fraternity and sorority advising professionals working in higher education and at national fraternity/sorority headquarters. Its core deliverables include the Perspectives magazine, Essentials briefs, JSFLRP academic journal, the Annual Meeting conference, and structured learning programs such as AdvanceU, Annual Meeting Reload, the First 90 Days program, and the Research Writer's Retreat.

Product overview

The Association of Fraternity & Sorority Advisors (AFA) is a professional membership organization offering a portfolio of publications, professional development programs, events, and career resources for fraternity and sorority advisors in higher education. The core offerings center on two major publications—Perspectives (the flagship magazine) and Essentials (practical guidance materials)—alongside the JSFLRP academic journal. Professional development is delivered through the Annual Meeting, AdvanceU on-demand courses, Annual Meeting Reload recordings, the First 90 Days program for new professionals, and the Research Writer's Retreat. The association also provides the Core Competencies framework, a Career Center for job placement, Foundation scholarships for professional support, an Educational Partners program, and Awards recognizing excellence in the field. The 50th anniversary celebration is planned for December 2026 in Chicago.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Perspectives: The official magazine publication of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors
• AFA Essentials
• JSFLRP
• AdvanceU
• AFA Foundation

Products and services

• Perspectives Magazine Professional magazine publication serving as the flagship publication of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors, featuring articles on fraternity and sorority advising, research, and industry trends. Targeted at AFA members, fraternity/sorority advising professionals, and national organization staff.
• AFA Essentials Publication providing practical guidance and resources for fraternity and sorority professionals on topics such as hazing prevention, risk management, and operational best practices.
• JSFLRP - Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice Academic journal providing peer-reviewed research on student affairs topics relevant to fraternity and sorority life professionals.
• AFA Annual Meeting Annual conference bringing together fraternity and sorority professionals for education, networking, and professional development, with special 50th anniversary celebrations scheduled for December 2026 in Chicago.
• AdvanceU On-Demand Courses On-demand professional development courses offering self-paced learning opportunities for fraternity and sorority advisors at various career stages.
• Annual Meeting Reload On-demand access to recordings and materials from the Annual Meeting, allowing professionals to engage with content after the event.
• First 90 Days (F90D) Program Structured professional development program designed for new fraternity and sorority advisors to build foundational skills and competencies during their early career.
• AFA Research Writer's Retreat Program focused on advancing research in the fraternity and sorority field, supporting professionals in developing scholarly work.
• AFA Career Center Job board and career resources platform connecting fraternity and sorority professionals with employment opportunities in the field.
• AFA Foundation Scholarships Financial support programs including Annual Meeting Scholarships to help professionals attend association events and programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 donors contributing to 'Elevate the Standard' campaign - positioned to be the most successful fundraising effort of any peer higher education association
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• StopHazingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStopHazing is the only research-to-practice entity focused solely on hazing and its prevention. AFA collaborates with StopHazing on content including articles on Building Healthy Groups to Prevent Campus Hazing and resources for hazing prevention education.
• National Panhellenic Conference (NPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNPC is the world's largest trade association for sororities with 26 women's-only member organizations. AFA publishes NPC content including articles on sorority recruitment marketing, growth strategies, and best practices for College Panhellenic communities.
• RISE PartnershipscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE Partnerships is a company dedicated to organizational development in fraternity/sorority life. AFA publishes their content including articles on post-pandemic priorities, sustainability, and professional development for the field.
• AFLV (Association of Fraternal Leadership Consultants)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFLV manages the UIFI (Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute) program, a four-day immersive leadership experience. AFA collaborates on programming content related to UIFI and leadership development.
• North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIC was one of the founding organizations of AFA in 1976. The organizations collaborate on advancing the fraternity/sorority profession and professional standards.
• Fraternal Executives Association (FEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFEA was one of the founding organizations of AFA in 1976 and provided early support that helped AFA grow from concept to full association.
• Northwestern UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFA publishes content featuring Northwestern University's Fraternity/Sorority Life and Office of Community Standards collaboration on student conduct processes.
• Educational PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAFA maintains a network of Educational Partners who register and collaborate with AFA for professional development and resources in the fraternity/sorority advising field.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Association for Student Conduct Administration (ASCA): Professional association for student conduct administrators in higher education. Comparable niche higher education professional association serving campus administrators with conferences, publications, and credentialing.
• ACPA - College Student Educators International: Major professional association for student affairs educators and administrators. Directly comparable membership-based model serving higher education professionals with conferences, publications (including the Journal of College Student Development), and credentialing frameworks.
• NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education: The largest US professional association for student affairs administrators in higher education. Directly comparable to AFA in serving campus-based higher education professionals through membership, conferences, publications, and professional development.
• Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values (AFLV): Directly comparable professional association for fraternal leadership and values, including management of the UIFI program. Overlaps with AFA on fraternal leadership development content and audiences.
• National Panhellenic Conference (NPC): Trade association for 26 women's-only sororities and a strategic AFA partner. Comparable membership/trade body serving sorority organizations with overlapping audiences of campus advisors and headquarters staff.
• Fraternal Executives Association (FEA): Founding organization of AFA and peer association for headquarters executives of fraternal organizations. Directly comparable as a fraternal-ecosystem membership body serving national organization staff.
• North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC): Trade association for men's fraternities and one of AFA's founding organizations. Comparable as a fraternal-industry membership body operating in the same ecosystem of chapters, advisors, and headquarters staff.
• National Association for Campus Activities (NACA): Professional association for campus activities professionals and student union staff. Comparable higher education membership association serving campus professionals with events, professional development, and resources.

Emerging players

• Association of Higher Education Parent and Family Program Professionals (AHEPPP): Emerging professional association for parent and family program professionals in higher education. Comparable niche professional association serving a specialized higher education audience, with overlapping interest in student well-being content.

Others

• NASSS - North American Society for the Sociology of Sport: Academic society publishing the Journal of Sport and Social Issues. Thematically adjacent as a higher-education-oriented scholarly society with a peer-reviewed journal like AFA's JSFLRP, but serving sport sociology rather than fraternal life.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/afa1976
• Facebookfacebook.com/afa1976
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-of-fraternity-sorority-advisors
• Instagraminstagram.com/afa1976

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Association of Fraternity & Sorority Advisors