What AFCEA DC does

AFCEA DC is the Washington, DC chapter of AFCEA International, a nonprofit membership association founded in 1946 that operates as a bridge between government and industry across the Department of War, Intelligence Community, Homeland Security, and Fourth Estate. The chapter's core offering is a portfolio of programming rather than a unified product: a STEM Scholarship Program (over $3 million and 530+ awards since 1989), an Annual Tech Summit, the Military IT & Cyber Leadership Awards (20-year run), a Monthly Luncheon Series at the Army Navy Country Club, the Annual Winter Gala (50-year run, held at the National Building Museum), and an Emerging Leaders division for members age 40 and under. The organization had 600 individual members and 200 corporate members as of 2025, and its events attract nearly 5,000 registrants per season with 100+ government speakers annually.

The chapter is run by a lean team of 27 employees out of Falls Church, VA, supported by an elected board of 12 officers and 27 board members, and an Emerging Leaders leadership bench of nine additional officers. The technology stack is standard association infrastructure — WordPress for the website, Swoogo for event and sponsorship management, Constant Contact for email, and MemberSuite for membership processing — with no proprietary software or AI components.

The business model combines recurring membership dues (corporate and individual, processed through AFCEA International), tiered event sponsorships (Silver Chapter-Level and Small Business Chapter-Level with multi-event bundling discounts), and signature-event fundraising whose proceeds support STEM scholarships. The customer base is a mix of individual professionals (~600) and corporate members (~200, including Cisco, IBM, AWS, HPE, Palo Alto Networks, Red River, and Tyto Athene) seeking access to senior government decision-makers in defense, intelligence, and homeland security.

Name

AFCEA DC

Legal name

AFCEA Washington, DC

Website

https://dc.afceachapters.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AFCEA DC is the Washington, DC chapter of AFCEA International, a nonprofit association serving 600 individual and 200 corporate members in defense, intelligence, and homeland security through events, awards, scholarships, and networking programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Defense Universities & Joint Professional Military Education (PME) (EDAHAOAB)

Keywords

• Defense industry networking
• Professional association services
• Military technology events
• Government industry partnership
• STEM scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

Falls Church

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Memberships: AFCEA DC has 200 corporate members that pay membership dues through AFCEA International's membership system. Corporate memberships provide access to networking events, sponsorship opportunities, and visibility to government decision-makers.
2. Individual Memberships: AFCEA DC has 600 individual members who pay membership dues. Individual members gain access to events, professional development, and the AFCEA network spanning military, government, and industry.
3. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support individual events (luncheons, Tech Summit, Military IT Awards, Winter Gala) in exchange for logo placement, brand recognition, complimentary event tickets, and access to government speakers and attendees. Companies contracting multiple sponsorship packages receive additional discounts.
4. STEM Scholarship Fundraising: Scholarships are funded through proceeds from the Winter Gala and other chapter events. The Gala serves as the primary fundraising vehicle for educational programs supporting STEM education in the Washington DC region.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

AFCEA DC is a membership-based nonprofit professional association (the Washington, DC chapter of AFCEA International, established in 1946) that operates a portfolio of programs including the Annual Tech Summit, Military IT & Cyber Leadership Awards Dinner, Monthly Luncheon Series, Annual Winter Gala, Golf Tournament, the STEM Scholarship Program, and the Emerging Leaders division, all aimed at fostering collaboration among military, government, and industry in the defense, intelligence, and homeland security communities.

Product overview

AFCEA DC is a membership-based nonprofit professional association (the Washington, DC chapter of AFCEA International) that serves as a bridge between government and industry in the defense, homeland security, and intelligence communities. Rather than offering a unified software product, the organization operates a portfolio of programs including: the STEM Scholarship Program (educational awards for high school seniors pursuing STEM degrees), Annual Tech Summit (cybersecurity and national security conferences), Military IT & Cyber Leadership Awards (recognizing service members' IT achievements), Monthly Luncheon Series (networking events with government speakers), Annual Winter Gala (premier social networking event), and the Emerging Leaders Program (professional development for members 40 and under). These programs collectively advance the organization's mission of fostering collaboration between government and industry in support of national security while investing in the next generation of STEM leaders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Emerging Leaders: A robust division of the AFCEA Washington, DC chapter hosting monthly meetings and various events throughout the year for members age 40 and below.

Products and services

• STEM Scholarship Program

Named customers12 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AFCEA InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFCEA DC is the Washington, DC chapter of AFCEA International, a membership-based nonprofit organization established in 1946 dedicated to advancing knowledge in IT, communications, and electronics for defense, homeland security, and intelligence communities. The chapter operates under AFCEA International's umbrella with access to global network, committees, SIGNAL Magazine, and international chapter connections.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA): Headquartered in Arlington, VA, NDIA is the leading US defense industry association, running policy committees, conferences, and networking events for the DoD/industrial base. Directly comparable in mission and member base to AFCEA DC.
• AFCEA International: Parent organization of AFCEA DC and operator of the global membership infrastructure, SIGNAL Magazine, and committees (EPIC, Emerging Leaders). It is directly comparable as the umbrella nonprofit for the same defense IT/communications community.
• Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA): DC-based nonprofit that connects industry, academia, and government in the intelligence and national security community. Highly comparable to AFCEA DC given its overlapping IC and Homeland Security stakeholder focus.
• Professional Services Council (PSC): Arlington, VA-based trade association representing government services contractors, with active networking, policy, and event programs serving the same DC government-industry bridge as AFCEA DC.
• AFCEA NOVA Chapter: Sister AFCEA chapter serving Northern Virginia, a high-density defense IT corridor. Comparable in programming model, member structure, and reliance on AFCEA International infrastructure.
• CompTIA Public Sector: Operating arm of CompTIA focused on government and contractor IT workforce, training, and events. Comparable in audience (DoD/IC IT professionals) and in offering training, certifications, and networking programming.
• AFCEA Belvoir Chapter: AFCEA chapter focused on the Fort Belvoir / DMV defense community, running comparable luncheons, scholarship, and awards programs. Directly parallel to AFCEA DC's structure and GTM.

Broad incumbents

• Information Technology Industry Council (ITI): DC-based global tech industry trade association with public sector and policy advocacy programs. Overlaps with AFCEA DC's mission of bridging industry and government on technology policy and procurement.
• Aerospace Industries Association (AIA): Major DC-based aerospace and defense industry association covering a broader set of primes and supply chain members. Overlaps with AFCEA DC on government-industry convening and policy advocacy but serves a wider portfolio.

Emerging players

• Government Technology Leadership Coalition: Industry-led coalition convening senior government technology leaders and industry partners around federal IT modernization. Comparable in mission and stakeholder set to AFCEA DC's Tech Summit and luncheon programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DCyoungAFCEA
• Facebookfacebook.com/DCyoungafcea
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/afcea-dc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 AFCEA DC