What American Water Resources Association does

The American Water Resources Association (AWRA) is a U.S.-headquartered, 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association founded in 1964 and operating from a Chicago, IL mailing address with a remote staff of approximately 38 employees and a 12-member volunteer Board of Directors. Its mission is to serve as the preeminent multidisciplinary association for information exchange, professional development, and education about water resources, connecting engineers, hydrologists, biologists, ecologists, geographers, natural resource economists, policy specialists, and regulators across government, private sector, academic, and nonprofit organizations in 23 countries.

AWRA's core product portfolio is anchored by the Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA), a bi-monthly peer-reviewed journal published on its behalf by Wiley and hosted in the Wiley Online Library, which carries 6,000+ institutional subscriptions and 150,000+ annual article downloads. Complementing the journal are Water Resources IMPACT magazine, the Annual Water Resources Conference (with 3–4 conferences held annually), a webinar program delivering 10–12 PDH/CEU sessions per year plus a 20+ recording archive, and the careers.awra.org career center (powered by Naylor Association Solutions and partnered with the Engineering & Science Career Network). Supporting programs include technical committees, multiple named awards (Fellow Member, Boggess, Maidment, Caulfield, Marsh, Ackermann, Csallany, Iben, Lanfear, IWRM, Campana Emeritus, Honorary Member, Spangenberg Student Chapter), and student scholarship programs such as the Richard A. Herbert Memorial Scholarships ($2,000 each) and the DEI Professional Development Scholarship.

AWRA's business model is a multi-stream association revenue engine: tiered membership dues ($40 Student to $2,545 Gold Partner, on a calendar-year billing cadence), conference registration and sponsorship/exhibiting revenue, advertising and e-blasts sold against a 12,000-subscriber email database and IMPACT magazine, JAWRA open access article processing charges and Wiley royalty participation, paid webinar recordings for non-members, and career center job postings. The organization has no proprietary technology products beyond its websites (awra.org, careers.awra.org) and relies on Wiley and Naylor as core distribution and platform partners. Distribution is global (23 countries) and primarily digital self-service plus in-person conference sales.

Name

American Water Resources Association

Legal name

American Water Resources Association

Website

https://awra.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The American Water Resources Association is a nonprofit professional association founded in 1964 that connects over 12,000 water resources professionals across 23 countries through its peer-reviewed JAWRA journal, annual conferences, PDH/CEU webinars, career center, and tiered membership programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC), Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Compliance (BPAHAJAJ)

Keywords

• Water resources management
• Professional association services
• Scientific journal publishing
• Continuing education programs
• Conference and events

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: AWRA generates revenue through tiered membership dues ranging from $40/year (Student) to $2,545/year (Gold Partner). Membership includes one calendar year (January through December).
2. Conferences and Events: AWRA hosts 3-4 conferences annually. Conferences offer exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities and feature award luncheons. Student members receive special registration rates.
3. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA): JAWRA is published bi-monthly on behalf of AWRA by Wiley and hosted in the Wiley Online Library. It has 6,000+ subscriptions worldwide and receives 150,000+ downloads each year. Authors pay publication charges (APCs) for open access options.
4. Advertising, Exhibiting, and Sponsorship: AWRA offers advertising opportunities across its 12,000 email database, Water Resources IMPACT magazine, conference materials, and job postings on its career center. The media kit outlines customized multi-platform media strategies.
5. Webinars and Recordings: AWRA offers webinars for professional development hours (PDH/CEU credits). Webinars are offered free to members; non-members may pay fees. Recordings are available for purchase. Offering 10-12 webinars per year with an archive of 20+ recordings.
6. Career Center Job Postings: AWRA operates a career center (careers.awra.org) partnered with the Engineering & Science Career Network, offering job posting services to employers and resume writing and career coaching to job seekers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

American Water Resources Association is a multidisciplinary professional association that delivers membership services, conferences, peer-reviewed publications, webinars, career resources, and scholarships for water resources professionals worldwide. Its flagship outputs are the Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) published with Wiley, the Water Resources IMPACT magazine, the Annual Water Resources Conference, a multi-tiered membership program, and the AWRA Career Center.

Product overview

AWRA operates as a membership-based professional association offering a portfolio of products and services centered on professional development and information exchange for water resources professionals. The core offerings include the Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA), a peer-reviewed scientific journal published with Wiley; Water Resources IMPACT Magazine; the AWRA Career Center for job postings and career resources; and the Annual Water Resources Conference as the flagship event. Supporting these are AWRA Webinars providing PDH credits, multi-tiered membership programs spanning Student through Gold Partner levels, and scholarship programs including the Richard A. Herbert Memorial Scholarships and DEI Professional Development Scholarship. The organization hosts 3-4 conferences annually and maintains partnerships with organizations including Stantec (Gold Partner), ESRI, CDM Smith, and others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA)

Quantifiable outcome

• 12,000 industry professionals reached through advertising, exhibiting, and sponsorship opportunities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered gold partner (flagship), silver partner and core.

• Stantec (Gold Partner Member)gold partner (flagship)Strategic or Co-development PartnerStantec is a global design and consulting firm operating in the water resources sector. As a Gold Partner Member of AWRA, Stantec supports AWRA's mission and receives visibility and engagement opportunities with AWRA's 12,000+ water resources professionals across 23 countries.
• AQUAVEO (Silver Partner Member)silver partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerAQUAVEO is a software and consulting firm specializing in water resources modeling solutions. As a Silver Partner Member, AQUAVEO supports AWRA's multidisciplinary water resources community and gains visibility among AWRA's professional membership.
• ESRI (Silver Partner Member)silver partnerTechnology or IntegrationESRI is a leading provider of geographic information system (GIS) software and solutions. As a Silver Partner Member, ESRI supports AWRA's mission and reaches water resources professionals engaged in GIS and spatial analysis.
• CDM Smith (Silver Partner Member)silver partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDM Smith is a consulting engineering firm specializing in water resources, infrastructure, and environmental services. As a Silver Partner Member, CDM Smith supports AWRA's programs and gains visibility with the water resources professional community.
• City of Wilmington (Silver Partner Member)silver partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Wilmington is a municipal government with water resources management responsibilities. As a Silver Partner Member, the city supports AWRA's mission and engages with the broader water resources professional community.
• Decatur Electronics (Silver Partner Member)silver partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerDecatur Electronics is a technology company serving the water resources sector. As a Silver Partner Member, the company supports AWRA and reaches water resources professionals through AWRA's events and publications.
• Las Virgenes (Silver Partner Member)silver partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerLas Virgenes (Las Virgenes Municipal Water District) is a water district in California serving water, wastewater, and recycled water needs. As a Silver Partner Member, it supports AWRA's mission and connects with water resources professionals.
• City of Fort Collins (Silver Partner Member)silver partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Fort Collins is a Colorado municipality with water resources management programs. As a Silver Partner Member, the city supports AWRA's objectives and engages with the multidisciplinary water resources community.
• Department of Health Office of Drinking Water (Silver Partner Member)silver partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Department of Health Office of Drinking Water is a government agency focused on drinking water quality and safety. As a Silver Partner Member, it supports AWRA's programs and connects with water resources professionals across multiple disciplines.
• South Florida Water Management District (Silver Partner Member)silver partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe South Florida Water Management District is a regional governmental agency responsible for managing and protecting water resources in South Florida. As a Silver Partner Member, it supports AWRA's mission and engages with the professional water resources community.
• City of Greeley (Silver Partner Member)silver partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Greeley is a Colorado municipality with water resources and utilities responsibilities. As a Silver Partner Member, it supports AWRA's objectives and participates in the multidisciplinary water resources community.
• Ecological Resource Consultants (Silver Partner Member)silver partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcological Resource Consultants is a consulting firm specializing in ecological and water resources assessments. As a Silver Partner Member, it supports AWRA and reaches water resources professionals through AWRA events and publications.
• Wiley (JAWRA publisher)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWiley publishes the Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) on behalf of AWRA. JAWRA is hosted in the Wiley Online Library and reaches 6,000+ institutions worldwide with 150,000+ annual article downloads. This is AWRA's flagship product, representing a core strategic publishing partnership.
• Naylor Association Solutions (Career Center platform provider)coreTechnology or IntegrationNaylor Association Solutions provides the software and hosting for AWRA's careers.awra.org subdomain. Naylor's platform enables AWRA's career center services including job postings, resume management, and career coaching. The career center is partnered with the Engineering & Science Career Network.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Ground Water Association: NGWA is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization serving hydrogeologists and groundwater professionals, with membership tiers, the Groundwater journal, and an annual conference. It directly competes with AWRA for groundwater-focused members and sponsors.
• Water Environment Federation: WEF is a nonprofit technical and educational organization for water quality professionals, offering membership, conferences (WEFTEC), and peer-reviewed publications (Water Environment Research) - closely mirroring AWRA's multidisciplinary water resources community model.
• Soil and Water Conservation Society: SWCS is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization for conservation professionals, offering membership, peer-reviewed journals (Journal of Soil and Water Conservation), and annual conferences - closely parallel to AWRA's structure and overlapping water resources audience.
• International Water Association: IWA is the leading global membership organization for water professionals spanning science, technology, and management, with publications (Water Research, Water Reuse) and major conferences. It is AWRA's principal international peer with overlapping scope across the 23 countries AWRA serves.
• Universities Council on Water Resources: UCOWR is a nonprofit organization of universities and water resources professionals that publishes the Journal of Contemporary Water Research & Education and hosts annual conferences - directly parallel to AWRA's academic-facing membership and publication offerings.
• American Water Works Association: AWWA is the largest U.S. nonprofit scientific and educational association dedicated to safe water, with a comparable membership, conferences (ACE), and publications (Journal AWWA) model serving the same water professional audience. It is AWRA's most direct competitor for water resources members and sponsors.
• American Institute of Hydrology: AIH is a smaller professional organization dedicated to hydrology, offering membership and certification for hydrologists. It is a tighter specialty peer to AWRA but competes directly for the same hydrology professional audience.

Emerging players

• Hydrologic Research Foundation: HRF is a smaller nonprofit supporting hydrology research and education with limited public visibility. It serves as an adjacent niche peer, occasionally collaborating with or competing for visibility against AWRA in the hydrology research community.

Broad incumbents

• American Geophysical Union: AGU is a large scientific union whose hydrology section publishes leading journals (Water Resources Research) and hosts the AGU Fall Meeting. It competes with AWRA for academic hydrology members but covers all Earth and space sciences.
• American Society of Civil Engineers: ASCE is a much larger professional civil engineering association that includes a substantial water resources division (publishing the Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management). It competes with AWRA for hydrology and water engineering members but offers a much broader civil engineering portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AWRAHQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/NATIONALAWRA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-water-resources-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Water Resources Association