Join AASD as a Founding Member
Regular Membership
Associate Membership
What is Regular Membership?
AASD’s Regular Members are afforded full access to the growing privileges and benefits of membership (see below). This includes access to educational and governance resources, networking, up to one vote per special district organization on business matters, and much more.
There are three categories of Regular Membership for special district members, for individual district officials, and for academic and research-driven organizations interested in resolving special districts’ issues and telling their story.
Who is Regular Membership for?
The American Association of Special Districts welcomes the following to join AASD as a Regular Member:
Special Districts
Special district governments are welcome to join. A “special district” is considered a political subdivision of a state created pursuant to the laws of the state wherein it is located, established with significant autonomy from other governing structures in the state, and created to provide a specific or limited set of public services within a specified geographic boundary. (May be referred to in some states as: “special purpose districts,” “municipal authorities,” “authorities,” or simply “taxing district” or “authority.”)
Individual Special District Officials
A member of a special district governing board, manager, or administrative staff member of an unaffiliated special district may join as a Regular Member.
Research, Academic, and Data (RAD) Stakeholders
RAD Stakeholders offer academic services to investigate complex problems in understanding special districts at the federal, state, and local levels. These organizations may be nonprofits, institutions of higher education, businesses, or other organizations with a stated interest and agreement of the Association’s underlying mission to advance, using academic tools, understanding and standing of the nation’s special districts.
What are the benefits of Regular Membership?
AASD’s Regular Members are afforded direct opportunities to engage with AASD’s professional service providers, receive advocacy support, network with fellow special districts across the country, and directly contribute to the advancement and understanding of the nation’s 35,000 special districts.
See below for a full listing of AASD’s growing set of benefits for special districts and research stakeholders.
What is the cost of Regular Membership?
Coming Soon
Annual dues schedule for 2025 coming Fall 2024
Expected range: $50 – $2,000 based on annual revenue.
What is Associate Membership?
AASD Associate Membership is founded firmly upon special districts’ stakeholder support.
AASD Associate Members are the force behind the collaborative effort to strengthen special districts’ ability to efficiently and robustly serve their communities while advancing state and federal recognition of their services
Who is Associate Membership for?
AASD welcomes all special districts’ service organizations; fellow local government partners; as well as public, private, and professional stakeholders who agree with our mission to unite, strengthen, and advance America’s special districts.
Associate Membership is divded into our categories:
Associate Professional Membership (AASD Professional Network) –Businesses, firms, and other providers of professional goods and services to the local government sector.
Associate District Organization Membership – Nonprofit, unincoporated, or developing organizations providing governance, advocacy, and other services to any or all special districts on a local, regional, or state level.
Assocate Local Government Partner – A town/township, city/municipality, county, school district, college district, or other local public agency, that is not an autonomous special district, that supports AASD’s mission for special districts.
Assocate Former District Member – A former elected or appointed special district representative or a retired special district staff member who supports the stated mission and goals of the Association.
What are the benefits of Associate Membership?
Associate Professional Members
Our Professional Members are immediately part of the AASD Professional Network and are afforded priority invitations to engage with AASD’s Regular Members at regionaln in-person Summits and workshops, as well as online and interactive virtual opportunities – All included* as a benefit of AASD Professional Network membership.
The Professional Network grants flexibility to Professional Members to approach special districts in the way that works best for them, using a credit system. Read more below.
Associate District Organization Members
Nonprofit organizations serving the state, regional, and local interests of special districts that join AASD pass all benefits of Regular Membership to their individual special district members – including individual voting power.
District organizations, regardless of whether they have been established for 80 years or are still in development, are invited to join and access the Professional Network and receive support to stregthen their own grassroots capacities. AASD affords significantly reduced dues to Districts’ organizations based on size and overall average district revenues.
Contact cole@americasdistricts.org for more information.
Local Government Partners & Associate Former District Officials
Local government partners, including city/county/schools and their administrative staffs, may access AASD Membership events and resources at discounted rates, and do not hold voting power.
What is the cost of Associate Membership?
Coming Soon
Annual dues schedule for 2025 coming Fall 2024
AASD Professional Network credit tiers for engagement.
AASD Schedule of 2025 Events
Founding Membership Opportunity
As AASD finalizes its establishment, AASD is accepting applications of interest for Founding Members, who will begin receiving benefits as AASD launches in a so-called “beta test” phase.
Special Districts, Individual Officials, or RAD Stakeholders may join on a risk-free trial basis between August 14 and November 30 1, 2024. Those completing at least three months of the trial period will be invited to officially join as an AASD Founding Member beginning no sooner than January 1, 2025.
Founding Members will be recognized as Founding Members for the duration and entirety of their Membership. AASD will also offer Founding Members a signficiant discount and founding/base annual dues and certain Association activities (TBD). This is intended to benefit Founding Members over time.
AASD Regular Membership Benefits
Special district members receive full AASD member benefits. Regular Special District Members are eligible for appointment or election to the AASD Board of Directors, receive one full vote in business, and are fully authorized to participate in the Association’s annual meetings, regional meetings, webinars and workshops, roundtables, networking forums, and other Association activities.
A Regular Special District Membership is extended to all special district officials and individuals affiliated with the district – including but not limited to: elected and appointed district officials, managers, and staff. Membership privileges do not extend to contracted entities providing services to the special district, except for management/staff.
Resources for Special Districts
Advocacy for Special Districts
Research for Special Districts
Governance & Best Practices Resources
AASD’s Special Districts receive access to live and recorded monthly webinars from alliance professional partners/stakeholders on relevant topics including, but not limited to: governance, finance, communications, strategic planning, other trends (established and emerging) impacting special district governance, and much more.
Regional Summits & Online Forums
In an effort to meet special districts where they are, AASD hosts state-based and regional in-person events for special districts to gather for resources and advocacy on mutual needs. These “Summits” serve as miniature conferences and workshops for all types of special districts to network, build advocacy capacity, and take home best practices and information from AASD Professional Network Members presenting and exhibiting at each event.
Likewise, AASD hosts routine online and interactive opportunities for special districts to receive governance resources without leaving their office or home.
Connection to a Network of America's Special Districts
AASD’s special districts – including their governing board members, managers, and administrators – are able to connect with fellow special districts across the nation through any of AASD’s 12 Special District Division Forums.
These Division Forums are a powerful networking resource for special district leaders to connect with each other and actively collaborate with others providing similar services across the nation on topics of shared interest, discuss “industry” trends, and learn from each other.
As a Regular Member, each Special District is afforded “membership” to one AASD of the 12 Divisions:
- Emergency Services & Public Safety
- Energy Services
- Environmental Services
- Hospital & Healthcare
- Housing, Community Development & Broadband
- Irrigation & Flood Control
- Library
- Mosquito, Vector, and Pest Control
- Natural Resources Conservation
- Park & Recreation
- Transportation
- Water Utilities
AASD Professional Network & Governance Library
Regular Member of the American Association of Special Districts are granted access to the AASD Profesional Network, a trusted and vetted “marketplace” of professional services and goods providers to the public local government sector. Special districts may connect with the Network for a growing set or needs (finance, communications, legal counsel, etc.).
AASD’s Professional Network also stocks AASD’s Governance Resource Library (coming soon).
Leadership & Engagement Opportunities
AASD Regular Members are eligible to be seated on Association Charter Committees, guiding AASD activities on (1) Research, Academic & Data Leadership, (2) Education, Resources & Services, and (3) Coalition Development & Advocacy.
Empowering Local, Regional, and State Special District Organizations
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Quarterly Legislative & Regulatory Updates
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Legislative & Regulatory Advocacy Support
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Collaborating to Recognize & Understand Special Districts
RAD Stakeholders actively collaborate with academic, federal, and commerce partners to develop a full, recognized picture of the nation’s special districts – including the establishment of a committee to examine issues impacting the proper recognition and understanding of special districts across the 50 states.
Co-Authorship and Citiation on Public Best Practices
Co-authorship and contributions to full research projects and white papers for best practices in governance surveys, statistical analysis for local governments and special districts, and more.
Leveraging and Citing Original, Collaborative Work
Co-authorship, contributions, and citation in formal AASD policy white papers leveraging the AASD Research and Data Committee’s valuable perspectives and insights.
AASD White Papers will be leveraged in the coalition development space as the Association supports advocacy capacities across states, citing RAD Stakeholder work.
Leadership & Engagement
RAD Stakeholders’ work and contributions are considered so essential to AASD’s mission that there are three positions specifically for Regular RAD Members on the Association’s Board of Directors.
RAD Stakeholders will also routinely meet to advance studies and research, online and in-person when able.
AASD Associate Membership Benefits
Our Associate Membership category provides the backbone of AASD services, and are considered trusted resources for America’s special districts.
We recognize and appreciate the value our Associate Members add to all categories of AASD Membership, and we strive to ensure that realized through valuing, in turn, engagement for our Professional Network. For our special district organization members, we strive to boost the value of your membership (to your own members) as a conduit for AASD.
AASD Professional Services Network
Special Districts Organizations
Local Government Partners & Retired Officials
Direct Engagement with Local Government Decisionmakers
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Priority Invites to Present, Exhibit at Summits
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Flexible Options for Engagement
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AASD District Organization Engagement Program (Pilot)
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Investing Resources to Empower your Districts' Organization
The American Association of Special Districts invests resources in the development and sustainability of new special district organizations in states and regions where broad organizations for special districts advocacy, resources, and services currently do not exist.
Likewise, we seek to leverage resources – from data, statistics, and research-based products to the AASD Professional Network – to strengthen existing special district organizations’ programming, as a benefit of their organizational membership.
Discounted Dues for District Organizations
AASD affords heavily discounted membership dues to special districts’ associations/organizations – regardless of whether they were formed with AASD assistance – based on the total number of districts in membership and the average annual revenue of the organization’s special districts. (Dues schedule coming Fall 2024.)
The Power of AASD Regular Membership for YOUR Members
As a perk of AASD Special District Organization Membership, all special district members of the organization/association (reported in good standing) may be considered AASD Regular Members, afforded the pull priveleges of Regular Special District Members.
The Special District Organziation Member’s staff and/or volunteers are extended the benefit of attending events and accessing governance resources.
Networking Professional Resources to Special District Organizations
Networking Professional Service Network with Districts’ Organization Members
The five highest AASD Professional Network tiers include a pilot progam that offers them financial incentives after engaging with our Organization/Association Members’ workshops, conferences, or otherwise.
This network structure is aimed to mitigate membership competition for regionally- and nationally- oriented services, and drives investment in our state and regional organizations’ programs.
To request a 30-minute meeting to learn more about joining AASD as an Associate Professional Member, contact Cole Arreola-Karr, AASD Prospective Chief Development and Operations Officer, at cole@americasdistricts.org.
Provide Perspective
Health municipal and county partnerships are essential to intergovernmental success. Further, our retired career special district officials and managers offer a wealth of institutional knowledge.
To provide two-way communication and to foster ongoing educational opportunities for the current and future generations of special district leaders, AASD invites our local government and retired official partners to engage with AASD Members.
Engaging with AASD Programs
Local Government Partners and Retired/Former Special District Officials are invited to participate in AASD’s annual meetings, regional meetings, webinars and workshops, roundtables, networking forums, and other activities.
AASD Member Dues Schedules
AASD will announce dues schedules in Fall 2024 for all categories of Regular and Associate Members.
In the meantime, America’s special districts and their stakeholders are invited to join AASD on a trial basis as we are “open while under construction.” Our Trial and Founding Members are essential to early feedback and engagement for the long-term success of AASD programming.
Accordingly, AASD’s Founding Board of Directors will offer a Founding Members’ Benefits Package to Trial/Founding Members submitting their interest to join by November 30, 2024, and completing three-months of the no-risk trial period.
Trial Members will receive more information, including proposed dues schedules (feedback requested), calendar of events, and more for the ASDA’s 2025 Program Year.
Submit your interest below. Email contact@americasdistricts.org for questions.