Association of Women in Rheumatology

What Association of Women in Rheumatology does

The Association of Women in Rheumatology (AWIR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional society founded in 2014 by Dr. Grace C. Wright. Headquartered in Fayetteville, NC with a correspondence office in New York, AWIR is the only professional rheumatology organization exclusively dedicated to advancing women in the field, with 100% women leadership. The organization operates a community-led, event-driven model serving US rheumatology clinicians, fellows, allied health professionals, and international members across 120+ countries through 70+ US local chapters (spanning 40+ states) and a network of 22+ global partner organizations. Programs include the annual conference, free virtual summits with CME credits, accredited CME series (Nuts and Bolts of Rheumatology, Immunology Bootcamp), local chapter meetings, an advocacy program targeting federal and state policy, member newsletters, and member-driven publications.

AWIR's core deliverables are membership-based services, educational programming, advocacy, and clinical research. Its product/technology stack is conventional — a Joomla-based website (awirgroup.org), standard virtual event platforms, email newsletters, and social channels — with no proprietary platform or AI capabilities disclosed. The clinical research arm, Alliance of Women in Rheumatology (AWIR Alliance), conducts real-world studies and engages members in clinical trials and data collection.

The revenue model combines three streams: (1) recurring membership dues of $150/year for US physicians and allied health professionals, with free membership for fellows and trainees and reduced/waived fees for non-US members based on World Bank country classification; (2) one-time conference registration fees ($99–$199 virtual, $250–$875 in-person, $499–$1,400 industry, for the 2026 Annual Conference); and (3) recurring corporate sponsorships from major pharmaceutical manufacturers at tiered Amethyst, Sapphire, Ruby, and Emerald levels. The 2026 sponsor roster includes AbbVie, UCB, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Amgen, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Biogen, Sanofi-Regeneron, Argenx, Priovant, Sobi, and GlaxoSmithKline. Reach is amplified by 80+ volunteer local chapter leaders, 15,000+ digital touchpoints, and an inclusive model in which roughly 30% of members are men.

Name

Association of Women in Rheumatology

Legal name

Association of Women in Rheumatology

Website

https://awirgroup.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Association of Women in Rheumatology is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional society serving rheumatology clinicians through membership, annual conferences, virtual summits, accredited CME, local chapters, advocacy, and the AWIR Alliance clinical research arm across 120+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Medical Association

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKAFAC

National Governing Bodies (NGBs)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Rights Holders & Governing Bodies (Federations, Associations, Sanctioning Bodies)

Keywords

• Rheumatology professional society
• Continuing medical education
• Clinical research programs
• Physician advocacy services
• Membership association services

Headquarters

HQ city

Fayetteville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from US physicians ($150/year), with free membership for fellows/trainees and discounted rates for non-US members based on World Bank country classification.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Pharmaceutical companies sponsor AWIR at multiple tiers (Amethyst, Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald) for annual conferences and summits, providing exhibition space and marketing access to rheumatology professionals.
3. Conference Registration Fees: Registration fees for annual conferences and summits, with tiered pricing for members, non-members, and industry employees. AWIR 2026: $550-875 for 3-day in-person, $99-199 for virtual, $1,400 for industry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

AWIR is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 2014 that delivers continuing medical education, networking, advocacy, and clinical research support to rheumatologists, fellows, and allied health professionals. Its core offerings include an annual hybrid conference (AWIR 2026), free virtual summits, 70+ US local chapter meetings, accredited CME programs, advocacy initiatives supporting state and federal policy priorities, clinical research through the AWIR Clinical Research Alliance, and a tiered individual membership program serving members in 120+ countries.

Product overview

The Association of Women in Rheumatology (AWIR) is a professional medical membership organization offering a comprehensive suite of programs and services for rheumatology clinicians. The core offerings include the Annual Conference (a hybrid in-person and virtual event with CME credits), virtual Summits, 70+ Local Chapter Meetings, Accredited CME Programs including Nuts and Bolts and Immunology Bootcamp series, Newsletters, Publications from member research, Advocacy Programs, and Alliance Clinical Research initiatives. Membership provides access to events, education, advocacy resources, and professional networking across 120+ countries. AWIR operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with 100% women leadership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AWIR Membership Program Tiered annual membership program for practicing US clinicians ($150/year), fellows and medical students (free with attestation), and non-US based rheumatologists and allied health professionals (reduced or waived fees based on World Bank country classification). Membership unlocks access to all AWIR programs including the annual conference, summits, CME, advocacy, and clinical research.
• AWIR Annual Conference Flagship hybrid in-person and virtual conference bringing together rheumatology professionals for scientific sessions, workshops, networking events, and accredited CME credits. Features 30+ speakers, 25+ CME credits, and is supported across four corporate sponsorship tiers (Amethyst, Sapphire, Ruby, Emerald). Industry, Member, and Non-Member rate tiers apply, with Early/Regular/Late deadline pricing.
• AWIR Summits Free virtual summits offering live online educational programming for AWIR members and non-members worldwide. Sponsors receive visibility through branded programming.
• Local Chapter Meetings Free in-person local chapter meetings across 70+ US-based chapters providing regional programming, networking, and continuing education for rheumatology professionals in their local markets.
• Accredited CME Programs Accredited continuing medical education programming for rheumatology professionals, conferring CME credits toward licensure and board requirements. Delivered through AWIR conferences, summits, and dedicated CME activities including institutional-priced programs for academic and non-profit participation.
• Advocacy Programs Policy advocacy initiatives supporting AWIR's state and federal policy priorities, advancing the interests of women rheumatologists and equitable patient care. Members engage in policy education and grassroots advocacy action.
• Alliance Clinical Research The clinical research arm of AWIR, operated as the Alliance of Women in Rheumatology, focused on identifying avenues for improved access to specialty care and engaging AWIR members in clinical trials and data collection initiatives. Governed by its own board including Gail S. Kerr (President) and Sharon Dowell.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations (CSRO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational coalition of state rheumatology societies working to advocate for rheumatologists and patients at state and federal levels. AWIR partners on advocacy initiatives.
• National Organization of Rheumatology Managers (NORM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization focused on practice management for rheumatology offices. AWIR collaborates on resources for practice development.
• CreakyJointscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatient advocacy organization for people with arthritis. AWIR partners on patient advocacy and healthcare access initiatives.
• The Journal of RheumatologyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading peer-reviewed journal in rheumatology. Listed as partner organization for AWIR.
• Women in Rheumatology Australia (WIRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork within Australian Rheumatology Association supporting women in rheumatology practice, career development, and mentoring. AWIR global partner on six continents.
• The Caribbean Association for RheumatologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional organization uniting rheumatologists and allied health professionals in the Caribbean for collaborative research, education, and advocacy.
• Women in Rheumatology - Italy (reumatologhedonne)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian nonprofit association of women rheumatologists sharing clinical-scientific issues. AWIR global partner.
• American College of Rheumatology (ACR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading professional organization for rheumatology. AWIR advocacy partner collaborating on policy priorities and workforce initiatives.
• Arthritis FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor patient advocacy organization. AWIR advocacy partner working on healthcare access and policy issues.
• AbbViemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmethyst-level corporate sponsor for 2026. Supports annual conferences and summits with exhibition space and educational symposiums.
• UCBmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmethyst-level corporate sponsor for 2026. Supports conferences and summits with educational grants and symposium sponsorship.
• Eli LillymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmethyst-level corporate sponsor for 2026. Supports educational programs and conferences with grants.
• NovartismajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmethyst-level corporate sponsor for 2026. Supports summits and conferences with educational symposiums.
• Bristol Myers SquibbmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmethyst-level corporate sponsor for 2026. Major supporter of CAR T-Cell therapy summits with educational grants.
• PfizermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSapphire-level corporate sponsor for 2026. Supports annual conferences with exhibition and symposium sponsorship.
• AmgenmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmethyst-level corporate sponsor for 2026. Supports educational summits with product theater presentations.
• Sanofi-RegeneronminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmethyst-level corporate sponsor for 2026. Supports educational programming.
• ArgenxminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmethyst-level corporate sponsor for 2026. Supports local chapter meetings and summits.
• Priovant TherapeuticsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmethyst-level corporate sponsor for 2026. Supports dermatomyositis education at local chapter meetings.
• SobiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmethyst-level corporate sponsor for 2026. Supports educational initiatives.
• Johnson & JohnsonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmerald-level corporate sponsor. Supports advocacy projects and leadership programs.
• GlaxoSmithKlineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmethyst-level corporate sponsor. Supports advocacy projects at gold level.
• BiogenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEmerald-level corporate sponsor for 2026. Supports educational programming.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American College of Rheumatology (ACR): The dominant professional society for rheumatology in the US, offering CME, annual meetings, advocacy, and research programming across the full specialty. AWIR is a sub-specialty complement that partners with ACR on policy priorities, so ACR is a broader incumbent in the same category.
• European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR): European equivalent of ACR covering all of rheumatology across Europe with congresses, education, and advocacy. EULAR is the global broad incumbent; AWIR's Co-Chair of Global Affairs role and global chapter network position it as a complementary — not directly competing — international peer.
• National Medical Association (NMA): Largest US organization representing African American physicians and their patients, with annual convention, CME, and advocacy. NMA is a parallel identity-focused incumbent that has historically led EDI in medicine; useful as a comparable scale and operating-model benchmark.
• American Medical Association (AMA): Largest US physician membership organization, offering CME, advocacy, and conferences across all specialties. AMA is the broadest incumbent providing scale benchmarks for member benefits, sponsorship packages, and advocacy infrastructure relevant to AWIR.

Direct peers

• Association of Women Surgeons (AWS): Professional society dedicated to supporting women surgeons, with membership, mentorship, annual conference, and advocacy offerings structurally analogous to AWIR. Closest peer in operating model among other women-in-specialty medical associations.
• Arthritis Foundation: Major patient advocacy organization for arthritis, with which AWIR has a Core advocacy partnership. While focused on patients rather than clinicians, the Arthritis Foundation is a peer in scale, advocacy model, and pharma funding structure.
• Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC): Specialty-specific professional association advancing diversity within cardiology through education, mentorship, and advocacy. Operates under a near-identical model to AWIR but in a different specialty, making it a strong functional comparator.
• American Medical Women's Association (AMWA): National professional association specifically for women in medicine. AMWA is the closest structural peer to AWIR — same women-in-medicine membership model, advocacy focus, and CME programming — though it operates across all specialties rather than rheumatology specifically.

Emerging players

• Women in Medicine (WIM) Summit / Chapter Network: Annual summit and network organization advancing women across medical specialties with similar CME, networking, and advocacy focus. Comparable to AWIR at the cross-specialty women-in-medicine level, though smaller in scope and reach.

Others

• Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations (CSRO): National coalition of state rheumatology societies that AWIR partners with on advocacy. While not a competitor for members, CSRO shares overlapping advocacy and policy priorities and is comparable in operating scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AWIRGROUP
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrWtZzLTLPiuMOcpsbi_N2w
• Facebookfacebook.com/awirgroup.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-of-women-in-rheumatology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Association of Women in Rheumatology