Colorado Optometric Association

What Colorado Optometric Association does

The Colorado Optometric Association (COA) is a 501(c)-style professional membership association founded in 1892, serving over 700 licensed Doctors of Optometry practicing in Colorado. As the state affiliate of the American Optometric Association (AOA), COA's core functions are legislative advocacy at the state and federal level, continuing education programming, practice management resources, and public health initiatives including InfantSEE, Kids Welcome Here, and the Low Vision CCVIP program. The organization operates from a single Denver headquarters with approximately 5 staff employees, supported by a volunteer Board of Trustees led by an elected President and seven regional trustees.

COA generates revenue through three primary streams: tiered annual membership dues from optometrists, paraoptometrics, and students; registration fees from the annual Colorado Vision Summit continuing education conference (with 2026 pricing ranging from $200 for students to $985 for non-member doctors on-site); and a multi-tier sponsorship program (platinum, gold, silver, bronze, industry partner) offering access to 750+ members. Sponsorship partners include Bausch and Lomb, Healthy Eyes Advantage (HEA), Vance Thompson Vision, Johnson & Johnson Vision, and Cherry Hill Optical as gold- or platinum-tier supporters. Distribution is regional across Colorado, organized through four affiliated local societies (Denver Metro, Northern, Western, Southern Colorado) and delivered via direct membership sales, an annual event, a public Find a Doctor directory, a Career Center marketplace, and the monthly Viewpoints E-Magazine newsletter.

The strategic proposition rests on regulatory exclusivity as one of only two organizations (alongside AOA) authorized to advocate for the optometry profession at the state and federal level, combined with a 133-year operating history, established regional society structure, and bundled member benefits including the PECAA buying group endorsement. The organization has no disclosed venture funding, parent company, or M&A activity and operates under independent governance.

Name

Colorado Optometric Association

Legal name

Colorado Optometric Association

Website

https://colorado.aoa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Colorado Optometric Association is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1892, serving over 700 Colorado Doctors of Optometry with legislative advocacy, continuing education, practice resources, and public health programs; it generates revenue from membership dues, an annual CE conference, and a multi-tier sponsorship program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

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 Dues: Annual membership dues from optometrists and paraoptometrics in Colorado, with tiered pricing for different membership categories
2. Event Registrations: Revenue from Colorado Vision Summit registration fees, including various attendee categories (doctors, students, vision therapists)
3. Sponsorships: Annual sponsorships from industry partners at platinum, gold, silver, bronze, and industry partner levels with access to 750+ members

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Colorado Optometric Association (COA) is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1892 that serves over 700 licensed optometrists in Colorado. Its core offering is voluntary membership that bundles legislative advocacy, continuing education, practice management resources, and professional networking. COA also operates an annual Colorado Vision Summit conference and publishes Viewpoints E-Magazine as standalone offerings.

Product overview

The Colorado Optometric Association (COA) is a professional membership organization serving optometrists in Colorado since 1892. The organization provides a portfolio of member services organized around professional development (continuing education, Lead ON leadership program, Young Professionals program), practice support (billing & coding resources, member resources, third-party payer guidance), public health initiatives (InfantSEE, Kids Welcome Here, Low Vision CCVIP program), advocacy (legislative representation, regulatory resources, AOA PAC), career services (Career Center with classifieds, Find a Doctor patient locator), and annual events (Colorado Vision Summit conference, awards banquets). The COA also publishes Viewpoints E-Magazine and maintains local societies for regional networking. The association has over 700 member optometrists and connects members with sponsors and partner organizations in the optical industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• COA Membership Annual voluntary professional membership for Colorado optometrists, paraoptometrics, and students that bundles legislative advocacy, continuing education, practice management resources, networking, and member benefits.
• Colorado Vision Summit Annual continuing education conference for Colorado optometrists and paraoptometric professionals featuring lectures, an exhibit hall with 45+ optical vendors, and networking, sold via tiered paid registration.
• Career Center Online classifieds marketplace for Colorado optometry jobs, career seekers, equipment for sale, and practices for sale, serving ODs, practice owners, and students.
• Find a Doctor Directory Public-facing online directory enabling Colorado patients to locate COA member optometrists by region.
• Viewpoints E-Magazine Monthly digital newsletter publication for Colorado optometrists delivering industry news, clinical updates, and association information.
• Advocacy and Legislative Services Grassroots legislative advocacy service for Colorado optometrists including state legislator education (Colorado Quorum), AOA PAC support, regulatory resources, and a keyperson network.
• Annual Sponsorship Program Multi-tier annual sponsorship packages (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Industry Partner) sold to optical industry vendors providing access to 750+ Colorado optometrist members and event visibility.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, platinum, gold and minor.

• PECAA (Professional Eye Care Associates of America)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOA endorses PECAA as its preferred buying group, providing independent optometrists with collective purchasing power, vendor discounts, and business advisory services. In 2021, PECAA merged with HEA (Healthy Eyes Advantage) to form the nation's largest community of independent eye care professionals.
• HEA (Healthy Eyes Advantage)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough integration with PECAA, HEA maintains relationships with nearly 200 vendor partners providing consolidated billing and purchasing efficiencies for independent practices.
• Bausch and LombplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of COA with logo recognition at events and access to membership
• HEAplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of COA with logo recognition at events and access to membership
• Vance Thompson VisionplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of COA with logo recognition at events and access to membership
• Cherry Hill OpticalgoldGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of COA with logo recognition at events
• Johnson & Johnson VisiongoldGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of COA with logo recognition at events. Co-sponsor of InfantSEE program.
• Panorama EyeCaregoldGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of COA with logo recognition at events
• Colorado Vision Summit ExhibitorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOver 45 exhibitors including ABB Optical Group, Alcon, Bausch + Lomb, CooperVision, EssilorLuxottica, VSP Vision, and others participate in the annual Colorado Vision Summit exhibit hall
• American Optometric AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOA is the state affiliate of AOA, working together on advocacy, InfantSEE public health program, and national initiatives for optometry
• InfantSEE (AOA Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic health program providing no-cost infant eye assessments through AOA member optometrists. COA promotes and recruits volunteer providers for the program.
• Optometry Cares: The AOA FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOptometry's premier philanthropic organization supported by COA for charitable and public service activities
• Optometry Giving SightminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational organization addressing global vision care needs that COA supports
• Special Olympics - Lions Clubs International Opening EyesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVision screening program for Special Olympics athletes that COA members volunteer for
• VOSH - Volunteer Optometric Services to HumanityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational organization facilitating vision care worldwide that COA members can support
• The William B. O'Rourke FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerColorado-based non-profit supporting optometric education and humanitarian efforts, contributed nearly $1 million to organizations in Colorado since 1996
• Michael Best Law FirmminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal services partnership providing COA members with access to healthcare law expertise
• 2020 Eyes Colorado CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition launched by COA to educate and advocate for eye health in Colorado, partnering with employers on the Eye Health Pledge initiative

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Florida Optometric Association: Florida's state optometric association. Direct peer running the state-level professional association model — membership, legislative advocacy, continuing education, and public outreach — for Florida-licensed optometrists.
• American Optometric Association: The national professional association for optometrists and COA's direct parent affiliate. Shares the same membership association business model, advocacy mission, public health programs (InfantSEE), and continuing education delivery structure, simply at the national scale.
• Ohio Optometric Association: Ohio's state optometric association. Comparable state-level professional membership organization offering advocacy, CE, and member services to Ohio optometrists.
• Texas Optometric Association: Texas's state optometric association. Direct peer running the identical state-level professional association model — membership dues, advocacy in the state legislature, CE conferences, and public health initiatives — for a large optometrist population.
• New York State Optometric Association: New York's state optometric association offering the same core services as COA (membership, advocacy, CE, public awareness) to optometrists in a different state geography.
• California Optometric Association: California's state optometric association, the largest state affiliate of AOA. Operates the same membership, advocacy, and CE model as COA, but in a much larger state with thousands of members.
• Pennsylvania Optometric Association: Pennsylvania's state optometric association providing membership, advocacy, and continuing education services — the same functional role COA plays for Colorado optometrists.
• Illinois Optometric Association: Illinois's state optometric association. Operates the same membership/advocacy/CE model as COA, scaled to Illinois's optometrist population.

Broad incumbents

• American Dental Association: National professional association for dentists. While serving a different profession, ADA shares COA's fundamental business model — membership dues, legislative advocacy, CE accreditation, public health campaigns, and state affiliate network — at significantly larger scale.
• American Medical Association: National professional association for physicians. Mirrors COA's value proposition structure — exclusive advocacy authority, member services, CME, and state-level representation — but operates at national scale across a different healthcare profession.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/coa_connect
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCto54y6ue-SqjM_Nj5oxXkw
• Facebookfacebook.com/ColoradoOptometricAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/colorado-optometric-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/coloradooptometricassoc/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Colorado Optometric Association