contact lens society of america

What contact lens society of america does

Contact Lens Society of America (CLSA) is a 501(c)(3)-adjacent nonprofit professional membership society founded in 1955 in New York City (originally as The Contact Lens Guild of America) and currently headquartered at PO Box 253, Highland Lakes, NJ. It serves contact lens fitters across opticianry, optometry, and ophthalmology, plus contact lens manufacturers and apprentices pursuing state licensure. The organization delivers education and credentialing through three product layers: (1) foundational reference content, including the Contact Lens Manual Vol I and Vol II, Test Review Vol I, and the Photo Atlas, sold through an online bookstore at clsa.info; (2) the CLSA University online continuing education platform hosted at quantumoptical.com/clsa and the quarterly EyeWitness digital journal, both of which award CE credits to members; and (3) the Fellow Program (FCLSA), the society's most prestigious credential requiring the National Contact Lens Exam, professional development, and a practical exam, plus state-specific home study/apprenticeship programs for Alaska, Nevada, and New York. The underlying technology is a conventional content-and-membership platform: a public website, a member login portal, an external CE course library, and an online automated quiz grading system for chapter tests, with no disclosed AI, API, or proprietary ML capabilities.

Revenue is generated across four streams: recurring membership dues (Career Starter, CLSA Member, Retired Member tiers), one-time bookstore sales of manuals and study packages ($29-$275), CLSA University CE course fees, and the CooperVision CE Rebate Program, where members earn $7 per $100 in incremental quarterly CooperVision product purchases, redeemable as CLSA Dollars for membership, educational materials, and meeting expenses. Distribution is domestic (United States), direct-to-individual via the website and mail, with marketing driven by content (EyeWitness, CLSA University), organic social (Facebook), and member referrals. CLSA holds 1981 Category B recognition from the National Commission of Health Certifying Agencies, operates the CLSA Education Foundation (a separate 501(c)(3) created in 1984), and is governed by an elected Board of Directors with representation from member professionals and industry partners including CooperVision, Tangible Science, and Obrig Contact Lens.

Name

contact lens society of america

Legal name

Contact Lens Society of America

Website

https://clsa.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CLSA is a 1955-founded nonprofit professional society providing continuing education, credentialing (including the FCLSA Fellow credential), and reference publications for contact lens opticians, optometrists, and ophthalmologists across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Highland Lakes

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from opticians, optometrists, ophthalmologists, and contact lens industry professionals. Membership types include Career Starter (reduced rate), CLSA Member, and Retired Member.
2. Bookstore Sales: Sales of contact lens manuals, textbooks, home study programs, and exam preparation materials. Products include Contact Lens Manual Vol I ($129), Vol II (advanced), Test Review Vol I ($79), Photo Atlas ($29), and various apprenticeship/home study programs ($175-$275).
3. CLSA University Online CE Courses: Continuing education courses offered through the CLSA University online platform for professional development credits.
4. CooperVision Rebate Program Administration: Administration of rebate program where CooperVision products earn members $7 per $100 in incremental quarterly sales, redeemable for CLSA services and materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Contact Lens Society of America (CLSA) is a nonprofit professional membership organization that provides education, training, and certification resources for contact lens professionals. It sells printed manuals and atlases, offers home-study and apprenticeship programs approved by state boards, and delivers online continuing education (CE) courses through CLSA University. The organization also publishes the EyeWitness Journal, administers the Fellow Program credential, and operates a member benefit rebate program with CooperVision.

Product overview

CLSA operates as a professional membership society offering a comprehensive suite of educational products and services for contact lens professionals. The core offerings include the Contact Lens Manual (Volumes I and II) as foundational study guides, Test Review workbooks, and the Photo Atlas educational tool. Online learning is delivered through CLSA University and a digital quizzing system, while the EyeWitness Journal provides quarterly CE content. The organization also administers state-specific Home Study/Apprenticeship Programs for Alaska, Nevada, and New York, and offers the Fellow Program as its highest professional certification. A CooperVision CE Rebate Program provides financial incentives for members purchasing CooperVision products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CLSA University: Online continuing education platform for contact lens professionals offering courses and CE credits
• EyeWitness
• Contact Lens Manual
• CLSA Continuing Education Rebate Program

Products and services

• Contact Lens Manual Vol I
• Contact Lens Manual Vol II
• Test Review Vol I
• Photo Atlas
• Just the Quizzes, Please - Volume 1 (BASIC)
• Just the Quizzes, Please - Volume 2 (ADVANCED)
• Personal Home Study Program - BASIC
• Alaska, Nevada, New York Home Study/Apprenticeship Program
• Nevada Home Study/Apprenticeship Program - Part 2
• CLSA University
• EyeWitness Journal
• Fellow Program
• CLSA Membership
• CooperVision CE Rebate Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Members receive 1 FREE CE credit with each EyeWitness issue
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CooperVisioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCooperVision sponsors the CLSA Continuing Education Rebate Program, allowing members to earn CLSA dollars on CooperVision product purchases. Members earn $7.00 for every $100 in incremental quarterly sales over baseline, redeemable for CLSA membership, educational materials, meeting registration, and travel expenses. Eligible products include Avaira Vitality, Biofinity, clariti 1 day, MyDay, and Proclear 1 day brands.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American Optometric Association (AOA): The largest US professional association for optometrists, offering membership, CE, and advocacy. AOA overlaps with CLSA on optometry membership and continuing education but operates as a much broader optometric body rather than specializing in contact lens fitters.
• American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO): The largest US association for ophthalmologists, offering membership, CE, and the Annual Meeting. AAO serves the ophthalmology side of CLSA's tripartite membership base (opticians, optometrists, ophthalmologists) but at much broader scope.

Direct peers

• National Contact Lens Examiners (NCLE): The primary US certification body for contact lens technicians, administering the NCLE exam that underpins state licensure. CLSA's apprenticeship programs and Fellow Exam directly interface with NCLE certification, making it the closest functional peer.
• American Board of Opticianry (ABO): Certifies dispensing opticians in the US through the ABO exam. Shares the same parent organization as NCLE and serves a closely adjacent eye-care practitioner base that CLSA's apprenticeship programs and credentials also target.
• International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE): Global organization dedicated to contact lens education, particularly for educators in optometry programs. IACLE's academic and educator focus parallels CLSA's contact lens education mission, though IACLE operates globally and targets educators rather than practitioners.
• Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists (CLAO): A US-based professional association for ophthalmologists specializing in contact lenses. CLAO shares CLSA's narrow focus on contact lens practice within the ophthalmology community, making it a directly comparable niche peer.
• Association of Optometric Contact Lens Educators (AOCLE): A US-based organization of optometric educators specializing in contact lens curriculum. AOCLE parallels CLSA's educational mission within optometry schools and shares overlapping faculty members such as CLSA's president at Indiana University School of Optometry.
• Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO): Certifies allied health personnel in ophthalmology including ophthalmic technicians. JCAHPO's certification and CE scope closely mirrors CLSA's training programs for ophthalmic assistants who support contact lens practice.
• Opticians Association of America (OAA): The US national association for dispensing opticians, providing advocacy, education, and professional development. OAA's optician-focused membership overlaps with CLSA's optician segment and shares similar state-licensure advocacy interests.

Regional players

• British Contact Lens Association (BCLA): The leading international contact lens professional association, headquartered in the UK. BCLA is the closest international analog to CLSA — both serve contact lens practitioners with CE, conferences, and credentials — but does not directly compete in the US market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/214658405239895
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/contact-lens-society-america

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 contact lens society of america