Professional Face-to-Face Fundraising Association

What Professional Face-to-Face Fundraising Association does

The Professional Face-to-Face Fundraising Association (PFFA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit industry association founded in 2015 and headquartered in McLean, Virginia. It functions as the self-regulatory body for the U.S. face-to-face (F2F) fundraising industry, setting standards through a Code of Conduct (most recently updated September 2023), coordinating member organizations to minimize fundraising conflicts, and advocating for sustainable practices. The PFFA serves three membership tiers: Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) that use F2F to acquire sustaining donors, Professional Fundraising Agencies (PFAs) that execute F2F campaigns on contract (representing more than 90% of U.S. F2F service delivery), and Affiliate Organizations that supply supporting services. Its membership base exceeds 60 organizations with offices in more than 45 U.S. cities across 25+ states.

The PFFA's product surface centers on a member portal powered by CharityEngine CRM, the CharityEngine User Center, downloadable membership benefits guides, a public Code of Conduct, a Jobs Board, and educational content via blog and newsletter. It does not develop proprietary technology, AI, or data products. The association runs quarterly Work Group sessions that have convened industry experts since 2015 for benchmarking and best-practice sharing. Distribution is digital self-serve via the pffaus.org website, supplemented by direct contact ([email protected], +1 833.4.PFFAUS) and in-person Work Group meetings.

Revenue is generated through annual membership dues across the three tiers (subscription/recurring model); specific dues amounts are not publicly disclosed. The organization is governed by a nonprofit-led Board of Directors with representation from member NPOs (IFAW, MSF, Save the Children, Oxfam America, Special Olympics International) and major agencies (Public Outreach, One Voice Fundraising, BriteVox, Ascenta Group). No parent company, subsidiaries, or external funding rounds exist; the PFFA operates as an independent association within the United States.

Name

Professional Face-to-Face Fundraising Association

Legal name

Professional Face-to-Face Fundraising Association

Website

https://pffaus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The Professional Face-to-Face Fundraising Association is a U.S. 501(c)(3) self-regulatory industry association that sets standards and coordinates more than 60 member non-profits, professional fundraising agencies, and affiliates to ensure sustainable face-to-face donor acquisition across 45+ U.S. cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Industry Association (Trade Association for Face-to-Face Fundraising)

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Trust Advisory (FSAEAKAH)

Keywords

• Nonprofit industry association
• Self-regulatory standards
• Fundraising best practices
• Member association services
• Donor acquisition standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Mc Lean

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: The PFFA generates revenue through annual membership dues from three membership categories: Non-Profit Organizations, Professional Fundraising Agencies, and Affiliate Organizations. Each membership type has a benefits guide and dues schedule. The association is a registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization (EIN 82-1519942) and files annual reports with the IRS.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The PFFA is a nonprofit industry association that sets standards, educates, and advocates for sustainable face-to-face fundraising practices in the U.S. It sells annual memberships across three tiers (Non-Profit Organization, Professional Fundraising Agency, and Affiliate), provides the PFFA Code of Conduct as a self-regulatory standard, and convenes Work Group meetings three times per year to coordinate territory management, conflict resolution, and best-practice sharing among member NPOs, professional fundraising agencies, and affiliate service providers.

Product overview

The Professional Face-to-Face Fundraising Association (PFFA) is a nonprofit industry association, not a product company. It offers three membership tiers (Non-Profit Organization, Professional Fundraising Agency, and Affiliate Membership) that provide access to self-regulatory resources including the PFFA Code of Conduct, member portal (powered by CharityEngine), Work Group sessions, and educational materials. The organization focuses on setting standards, providing education, coordinating members, and advocating for sustainable face-to-face fundraising practices in the U.S.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Non-Profit Organization Membership Annual membership tier for U.S.-based non-profit organizations that utilize face-to-face fundraising to acquire sustainable donations through internal teams or agency relationships.
• Professional Fundraising Agency Membership Annual membership tier for professional fundraising agencies operating within the U.S. that hold a current, direct contract with a non-profit to acquire new sustaining donors through face-to-face methods.
• Affiliate Membership Annual membership tier for organizations, fundraising agencies, and consulting firms that supply services supporting face-to-face and monthly giving programs, including subcontracting agencies without direct NPO contracts and non-profit organizations operating outside the United States.
• PFFA Code of Conduct Self-regulatory code that sets minimum standards of acceptable practice for sustainable face-to-face fundraising in the U.S., governing fundraiser behavior in addition to state regulations and licensing requirements.
• CharityEngine User Center Individual user dashboard linked to members' CharityEngine contact records, allowing members to update personal contact information, communication preferences, and event registrations.
• PFFA Work Group Sessions Sector expert meetings organized three times annually since 2015, providing opportunities for collaboration, best practice sharing, and industry improvement for face-to-face fundraising professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 350,000 new regular donors pledge to NPOs every year through face-to-face fundraising, contributing hundreds of millions of dollars to mission-related work
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Association of Direct Response Fundraising Counsel (ADRFC): ADRFC is a U.S. trade association for direct response fundraising firms and suppliers across channels including F2F, DRTV, and digital. Directly comparable as a trade association for F2F-adjacent fundraising agencies, sitting one level upstream of PFFA's PFA membership.

Emerging players

• Resource Alliance: Resource Alliance is an international organization that convenes fundraising professionals (notably through the IFC) and shares best practices across fundraising disciplines. Comparable to PFFA in convening F2F and broader fundraising practitioners, though its scope is global and educational rather than standards-setting.
• Fundraising Regulator (UK): The Fundraising Regulator is the UK self-regulatory body for charitable fundraising, setting the Code of Fundraising Practice. Closely analogous to PFFA's U.S. role but covers all fundraising channels in the UK, providing a relevant international comparable for F2F-specific self-regulation.

Direct peers

• Charity Navigator: Charity Navigator is the largest U.S. charity evaluator, rating nonprofits on financial health and accountability. Overlaps PFFA's mission of donor protection and sector standards, though it operates in donation destination evaluation rather than acquisition-channel standards.
• Independent Sector: Independent Sector is a national membership coalition of nonprofits, foundations, and corporate philanthropy programs that advocates for the charitable sector. Comparable as a U.S. nonprofit membership association advancing sector-wide standards and advocacy.
• BBB Wise Giving Alliance: BBB Wise Giving Alliance evaluates charities against standards for donor trust and publishes charity reports. Comparable to PFFA as a nonprofit self-regulatory/standards body in the U.S. charitable sector that supports donor confidence.
• National Council of Nonprofits: National Council of Nonprofits is a network of state and regional nonprofit associations serving as an advocacy and resource hub for the U.S. nonprofit sector. Comparable to PFFA as a membership-driven association strengthening nonprofit capacity and practice.
• Giving USA Foundation: Giving USA produces the annual Giving USA report on U.S. charitable giving and operates as a nonprofit research/education organization supporting philanthropy. Comparable to PFFA as a sector-serving nonprofit that informs fundraising practice through research and education.
• ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability): ECFA accredits faith-based and other nonprofits against financial accountability standards. Comparable as a U.S. nonprofit self-regulatory body setting sector standards and signaling trustworthiness to donors, with a similar dues-based membership model.
• Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP): AFP is the largest professional association for fundraisers globally, with U.S. chapters and credentialing (CFRE). It overlaps PFFA directly on fundraising professional development, ethics, and standards, and represents a broader fundraising audience where PFFA focuses specifically on F2F.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pffaus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Professional Face-to-Face Fundraising Association