California Association of Directors of Activities

Name

California Association of Directors of Activities

Legal name

California Association of Directors of Activities

Website

https://cada1.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• K-12 leadership development
• Activities director training
• Student leadership programs
• Professional certification programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: CADA generates revenue through various membership tiers including Individual Membership, School Membership, Affiliate Membership, and Associate Membership. These recurring memberships provide access to resources, training, conferences, and networking opportunities.
2. Conference and Event Registration: Revenue generated from registration fees for the CADA State Convention, CASL State Conference for students, Area Regional 1-Day Conferences across 8 regions, and Summer Leadership Camps.
3. Certification and Training Programs: Master Activity Advisor Certification program generates revenue through course fees, with offerings including course schedules, fees, college credit options, and field study/project components.
4. Merchandise Sales: CADA Store sells association merchandise and resources to members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

California Association of Directors of Activities (CADA) is a nonprofit professional association founded in 1957 that delivers membership services, conferences, leadership training, and certification programs to K-12 Activities Directors and student leaders in California. It operates tiered memberships (Individual, School, Affiliate, Associate), regional conferences across eight areas, an annual state convention, a student leadership conference (CASL), summer leadership camps, and a Master Activity Advisor Certification program.

Product overview

CADA is a professional association providing a comprehensive portfolio of programs and resources for activities directors and student leaders across California. The organization operates as a unified platform combining professional certification (Master Activity Advisor Certification), regional and statewide conferences (Area Regional 1-Day Conferences, CADA State Convention, CASL State Conference), leadership development (Leadership Development Days, Summer Leadership Camps), training for new directors (New Activities Directors Institutes), and resource services (Resource Library, Vendor Directory, CADA Store, CADA Online News). The portfolio is structured around tiered membership types (Individual, School, Affiliate, Associate) and serves as the largest statewide support network for Activities Directors in the nation, established in 1957.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CASL State Conference: Student leadership conference under CADA's programs
• Master Activity Advisor Certification
• CADA State Convention

Products and services

• CADA Membership Tiered annual membership program offering Individual, School, Affiliate, and Associate categories that provide access to resources, training, conferences, networking, and standards documentation for K-12 activities directors and student leaders.
• CADA State Convention Annual statewide convention for activity advisors featuring attendee and exhibitor registration, keynote speakers, pre-conference sessions, social events, lodging/transportation, and administrators' programming.
• CASL State Conference Annual state conference for student leaders focused on leadership development and growth experiences, with registration, lodging, scholarships, election/application, parent resources, and Outstanding Leadership Program Award (OLPA) components.
• Area Regional 1-Day Conferences Regional one-day conferences organized across eight geographic areas (Area A-H) covering NorCal, Bay Area, Central Valley, Central Coast, Los Angeles, OC/Riverside/San Bernardino, San Diego/Imperial, and Out of State.
• Master Activity Advisor Certification Professional certification program for activity advisors including course schedules, fees, course descriptions, a 301 field study/project, college credit options, and graduate listings.
• Summer Leadership Camps Seasonal leadership camps for students featuring registration, FAQs, scholarships, and camp staff programs.
• Leadership Development Days Professional development programming focused on enhancing leadership skills for activities directors.
• New Activities Directors Institutes Foundational training program for newly appointed activities directors.
• CADA Store E-commerce platform for purchasing CADA merchandise, association resources, and materials.
• CADA Online News Digital news platform at cadanews.org providing current updates and information for members.
• Master Degree Discount Program Discount program offering reduced tuition for CADA members pursuing master's degrees in relevant fields for continuing education.

Named customers2 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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alliance for Student Activities (A4SA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partnership organization that CADA participates in, providing collaboration with other state activities director associations and sharing best practices across state lines.
• California Interscholastic Federation (CIF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIF is the governing body for California high school athletics and activities. CADA maintains a partnership page for CIF, indicating close collaboration between activities directors and the state athletic/activities federation.
• CADA SponsorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsors that support CADA events, conferences, and programs. Sponsors gain visibility with school activities directors and administrators at CADA events.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• DECA: National student organization preparing emerging leaders for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. Comparable high school-focused nonprofit association model (chapters, state and national conferences, recognition programs) to CADA's CASL and convention structure.
• Association of California School Administrators (ACSA): California statewide association for school administrators. Operates in the same California K-12 ecosystem as CADA, with overlapping school leadership audience, but focused on administrators rather than activities directors.
• SkillsUSA: National nonprofit serving middle school, high school, and college students preparing for careers in skilled trades. Comparable nonprofit association model (memberships, state + national conferences, leadership recognition, chapters at schools) but with a different subject matter focus.
• Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA-PBL): National career-oriented student association with high school, middle school, and collegiate divisions. Highly comparable association model (school-based chapters, state and national conferences, leadership recognition, advisor training) operating alongside CADA in California schools.

Direct peers

• Alliance for Student Activities (A4SA): National umbrella organization for state and regional student activities director associations. CADA is explicitly listed as a participating member, making A4SA the most directly comparable peer operating at the national level.
• National Association of Student Councils (NASC): National student leadership and activities organization housed within NASSP that supports student councils and student activities advisors nationally. Closely comparable mission and audience (student leaders + advisors) to CADA's CASL and advisor programs.
• National Association for Campus Activities (NACA): National association supporting campus activities advisors and student programming at the higher education level. Closely comparable business model (memberships, regional conferences, institutes, resources) to CADA, but serves college rather than K-12 audiences.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP): National association for middle and high school principals that houses NASC. Comparable professional association model serving K-12 school leaders and activities programs with conferences, awards, and advocacy.
• Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD): Large national association serving educators including administrators and curriculum leaders with professional development, conferences, and resources. Comparable association model (memberships, conferences, PD resources) but broader educator audience than CADA's niche.
• California Interscholastic Federation (CIF): Governing body for California high school athletics and activities. Operates in the same California K-12 activities ecosystem as CADA, with overlapping audiences (schools, administrators, advisors), but with a broader regulatory and athletics mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-association-of-directors-of-activities

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 California Association of Directors of Activities