What Illinois Optometric Association does

The Illinois Optometric Association (IOA) is a non-profit professional membership association founded in 1898 and headquartered in Springfield, Illinois, representing more than 1,400 optometrists out of the 2,400 licensed Doctors of Optometry practicing in the state. The association's mission is protecting and advancing optometry for the benefit of public health, and it operates through a federated structure of 22 local optometric societies across Illinois. IOA is the only Illinois body actively engaged in legislative and regulatory advocacy on optometry issues, with a track record including scope-of-practice expansions, prescribing rights, telehealth standards, and — most recently — the 2023 Vision Care Plan Regulation Act (SB 764) and the 2026 SB 3707 vision care transparency legislation.

IOA's core service portfolio centers on continuing education (Annual Meeting, Winter CE Series, On-Demand CE Series, Coding Bites webinars, local society programming), practice support (third-party billing resources via OBC Insurance Billing Specialists, classified advertising, career center), and advocacy infrastructure (IOA PAC, Legislative Advocacy Center, Vision Care Plan Regulation Act FAQs). The organization also runs an Industry Partner Program with tiered sponsorships from major optical, pharmaceutical, insurance, and practice-management companies. The IOA is affiliated with the American Optometric Association (AOA) at the national level and operates a related philanthropic entity, the Illinois Foundation for Eyecare.

Revenue is generated through six primary streams: recurring membership dues (including pass-through AOA dues), one-time Annual Meeting registration fees, continuing education program fees (with member/non-member pricing tiers), exhibitor booth sales, classified advertising (free for members, $175 for non-members), and IOA PAC donations at Bronze/Silver/Gold/Platinum levels. The organization runs lean, with five employees supported by an elected volunteer board of optometrists including a President, Chair-Elect, Secretary, and functional directors for Third Party, Public Health, Membership, Legislative, and Education.

Name

Illinois Optometric Association

Legal name

Illinois Optometric Association

Website

https://illinois.aoa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Illinois Optometric Association (IOA) is a non-profit professional membership association founded in 1898, serving over 1,400 of the 2,400 licensed optometrists in Illinois through continuing education, legislative advocacy, practice support, and an industry partner program organized across 22 local societies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Springfield

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 for IOA/AOA membership, which includes membership in local societies, access to member benefits, continuing education programs, advocacy services, and other member resources.
2. Annual Meeting Registration: Registration fees for the IOA Annual Meeting with different pricing for members vs non-members, full weekend vs one-day registration, and OD vs paraoptometric staff registration tiers.
3. Continuing Education Programs: On-Demand CE Series courses available for purchase; members receive free access to 18 hours of regular CE, while AOA members from other states pay $25/credit hour and non-members pay $45/credit hour.
4. Exhibitor Fees: Booth fees for companies to exhibit at the Annual Meeting, starting at $1,500 with early bird discounts available.
5. Classified Advertising: Free classified advertising for IOA/AOA members; non-members pay $175 fee to place classified ads for career opportunities or equipment sales.
6. IOA PAC Donations: Political Action Committee donations at various levels: Bronze ($50-499), Silver ($500-999), Gold ($1,000-$1,999), and Platinum ($2,000+).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Illinois Optometric Association is a professional membership association that sells annual memberships to Illinois optometrists, bundled with access to continuing education programs, legislative advocacy, a career center, third-party billing resources, and an industry partner sponsorship network. It also sells paid continuing education courses, annual and winter meeting registrations, exhibitor booths, classified advertising, and accepts political action committee (PAC) donations at tiered levels.

Product overview

The Illinois Optometric Association operates as a professional membership organization offering a unified portfolio of member services. Core offerings include comprehensive Continuing Education programs (Annual Meeting, Winter CE Series, On-Demand CE, Coding Bites webinars, and local society meetings), a Career Center with classified advertising, advocacy services through the IOA PAC, Third Party Billing Resources, and an Industry Partner sponsorship program. The association serves over 2,400 licensed optometrists across Illinois with CE requirements, legislative representation, and practice support resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Continuing Education (CE) Programs

Named customers4 records

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

22 partnerships are on record, tiered diamond, diamond/platinum, platinum, gold, silver, bronze and core.

• Cincinnati Insurance CompaniesdiamondGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond level industry partner providing business insurance products specifically designed for optometrists. Partners with IOA to access the optometric community through sponsorship.
• Bausch + Lombdiamond/platinumGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor vision care and pharmaceutical company as Diamond and Platinum sponsor, providing products and marketing support to IOA members.
• JnJ Vision (Johnson & Johnson Vision)diamondGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond level industry partner offering vision care products including ACUVUE contact lenses, surgical products, and comprehensive eye care solutions.
• Merchant AdvocatediamondGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond partner providing merchant services and payment processing solutions tailored for optometric practices.
• VSP VisiondiamondGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond level vision benefit manager and industry partner offering vision care plans and provider network services.
• Kovach Eye InstituteplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum partner - regional eye care practice and surgical center providing comprehensive ophthalmology services.
• Bard OpticalgoldGTM or Marketing PartnerGold level partner providing optical laboratory services and eyewear products for Illinois optometrists.
• IDOC (Independent Doctors of Optometry)goldGTM or Marketing PartnerGold partner - practice management group providing purchasing discounts, consulting services, and practice support for independent optometrists.
• Jak LabsgoldGTM or Marketing PartnerGold partner optical laboratory providing lens manufacturing and finishing services.
• Lenz TherapeuticsgoldGTM or Marketing PartnerGold partner developing pharmaceutical solutions for presbyopia treatment, sponsor of IOA CE programs.
• AlconsilverGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver partner - global eye care company providing surgical equipment, pharmaceutical products, and vision care solutions.
• Chittick Eye CaresilverGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver partner - regional optometric practice and optical dispensary serving the Illinois market.
• Midland OpticalsilverGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver partner - optical laboratory providing lens processing and distribution services.
• AbbVie (Allergan)bronzeGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze partner - pharmaceutical company offering eye care medications and treatments.
• Cherry Optical LabbronzeGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze partner - optical laboratory providing lens manufacturing and finishing services.
• Chicago Eye ConsultantsbronzeGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze partner - ophthalmology practice offering surgical and medical eye care services.
• Hauser-Ross Eye InstitutebronzeGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze partner - eye care practice and surgical center in the Chicago metropolitan area.
• KeenovabronzeGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze partner - company developing optical technology solutions.
• MacuHealthbronzeGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze partner - company providing nutritional supplements for macular health.
• Ruffatti Ophthalmic InstrumentsbronzeGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze partner - distributor of ophthalmic instruments and equipment.
• American Optometric Association (AOA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization affiliation providing membership pipeline, Optometry's Meeting events, EyeLearn education platform, AOA Career Center, InfantSEE program, and national advocacy coordination.
• Illinois Foundation for EyecarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhilanthropic arm of IOA advancing community eye health awareness, supporting optometric education, and funding research in eye care.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Optometric Association (AOA): The national umbrella professional association for optometrists in the U.S. IOA is an AOA state affiliate and shares the membership dues and advocacy mission, but AOA operates at a national scope with broader policy and education programs.

Direct peers

• Ohio Optometric Association: Ohio state optometric association running membership, advocacy, CE, and an annual meeting - a like-for-like state affiliate peer to IOA in scope and service mix.
• Florida Optometric Association: Florida state AOA affiliate offering membership, CE events, and advocacy, with similar structure to IOA but operating in a state with a larger licensed-OD population and a more competitive retail vision market.
• California Optometric Association: State-level AOA affiliate serving California optometrists with a comparable mix of membership dues, CE programming, legislative advocacy, and annual meeting. Most analogous to IOA by structure, though with a larger member base given California OD headcount.
• Texas Optometric Association: Texas state optometric association providing membership, continuing education, and legislative advocacy for Texas ODs. Closely mirrors IOA's mix of state-level advocacy, CE, and an annual convention.
• New York State Optometric Association: State-level professional association for New York optometrists, offering membership, CE, advocacy, and an annual conference - directly comparable to IOA's operating model and member-benefit portfolio.
• Pennsylvania Optometric Association: Pennsylvania state AOA affiliate with a comparable operating model: membership dues, CE programming, legislative advocacy, and an annual conference. Mid-Atlantic regional analog to IOA.

Emerging players

• American Academy of Optometry (AAO): Optometric professional body focused on continuing education, fellowship, and research rather than state-level advocacy. Partial overlap with IOA on the CE side; differentiated by IOA's stronger emphasis on legislative and regulatory advocacy.

Others

• American Dental Association (state chapters): Analogous healthcare-professional membership association structure at national plus state-chapter level. Adjacent rather than direct: distinct profession but nearly identical revenue model (dues, CE, advocacy, annual meeting, PAC), useful for benchmarking nonprofit professional-association economics.
• IDOC (Independent Doctors of Optometry): Practice-management group serving independent optometrists with purchasing discounts and consulting. Already a Gold-level IOA industry partner, so an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor; comparable only as a complementary optometry-services organization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/IllinoisOptometric
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illinoisaoa
• Instagraminstagram.com/illinoisoptometricassociation/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Illinois Optometric Association