Strengthen.
Advance.
Unite.
The American Association of Special Districts is here to partner and build capacity with special districts across the nation.
Building & Empowering Strong District Associations
AASD brings special districts together through a range of in-person and virtual events to build capacity for “umbrella” special district organizations in states where they do not yet exist. Through this, we deliver governance and professional resources to special district leaders. AASD also invests in and empowers existing special district associations to deliver more value-add resources to their special district members.
Coalition Development for Policy Advocacy
Through building grassroots coalitions and associations, AASD assists special districts be the force of local government they are. AASD supports and provides resources for special districts and stakeholders to advocate on a range of relevant regional, state, and national policy issues that impact delivery of essential services to their communities
Recognizing District Services: Research & Data Leadership
AASD’s Research, Academic, and Data (RAD) Stakeholders offer academic services to investigate complex problems to better understand special districts at the federal, state, and local levels. RAD Stakeholders dive in to better understand the policy-based obstacles they face to access funding resrouces. They are core to AASD’s mission to advance recognition of the public services 35,000+ special districts provide to millions of Americans everyday.
The Fiscal Benefits of Special Districts’ Hazard Mitigation Plan Engagement
Is your special district ready for disaster? Learn more about how engaging with fellow local governments can unlock federal funding for district mitigation projects.
Get Involved With AASD
At AASD, we’re all about engagement.
Learn more about how to get involved and engage with our member-driven programs for special district directors, managers, and stakeholders.
Join AASD as a founding trial member to get involved in AASD programs, risk-free and at no cost, through November 30, 2024.
Those who successfully complete three months of founding trial membership will be offered a special AASD Founding Member package for the lifetime of their AASD membership.
Join an AASD Division of Special Districts
AASD hosts 12 Divisions of Special Districts, each grouped by general service category. Each AASD Division meets throughout the year for virtual forums offering special presentations, resources/insights, and national conversations on trending topics of interest for the different types of special districts.
Our Division approach is aimed to network special districts to work through common issues, share best practices with one another, and focus on unique issues impacting special districts as units of local government.
Each Division has a governing structure. Special districts join a Division when they become AASD Members and elect their leadership, each of which are seated in one of 12 special district representative seats on the AASD Board of Directors.
Our 12 Divisions include:
- Emergency Services & Public Safety (ambulance, fire, safety, 9-1-1.)
- Energy Services (electricity, natural gas)
- Environmental Services (solid waste, recycling)
- Hospital & Healthcare
- Housing, Community Development & Broadband
- Irrigation & Flood Control
- Library (includes museums)
- Mosquito, Vector, and Pest Control
- Natural Resources Conservation
- Park & Recreation (includes cemeteries)
- Transportation (airport, highway/road, river port, seaport, transit, etc.)
- Water Utilities (water and wastewater)
Interested in joining? Click the “Join as Founding Trial Member” button to the left.
Attend a Regional Summit
AASD aims to offer six regional in-person summits across the country in 2025 to connect special districts with essential resources for board governance, district management, and staff professional development. Summits are coordinated leveraging the expertise of the AASD Professional Network to deliver resources to special district leaders and stakeholders. AASD’s Members receive heavily discounted registration as a benefit, and AASD’s Professional Network members are offered priority or exclusive invitations to engage with America’s special districts.
2025 Summit Schedule TBA
- Late March 2025: Greater New Orleans Area
- Spring 2025: Kansas City Area
AASD is available to coordinate local and regional workshops for special districts by stakeholder request. Contact cole@americasdistricts.org for more information.
AASD Webinars
AASD’s webinars provide a platform to reach special districts where they are. AASD offers two types of webinars to advance special districts’ good and transparent governance and another type that highlights professional service needs and trends, and has 24 slots open (12 each) for 2025 webinar presentations.
Governance/Transparency webinars are those that convey best practices and understandings of board practices, good governance, transparency, finance administration, accountability and related demands.
Trends/Professional Needs are those that deliver information to enhance special districts’ processes, staff efficiencies and professional development, management best practices, investment best practices, communications/public relations, and related needs.
AASD Professional Network
Businesses, firms, nonprofits, and other organizations providing professional goods and services are invited to join AASD as an Associate Professional Member and dubbed a member of the “AASD Professional Network.”
AASD’s Professional Network is the backbone of AASD’s services, and its members are recognized as a trusted resource 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.
Professional Network members benefit from formal referrals for professional services, flexible in-personal and virtual engagement invites, contributions to AASD’s biweekly newsletter, offers to present to AASD Division meetings, and much more.
Pro Networkers will have flexibility to put their membership dues to work. Member engagements are included in AASD Associate Professional Membership on a seven-tiered level. Pro Networkers will be allocated credits (the higher the tier, the more the credits) that they can “spend” on a “menu” of engagement options. Professional Network tiers and engagement options in 2025 will be finalized October 25, 2024.
Researching to Understand Special Districts
Research, Academic, and Data (RAD) Stakeholders are the centerpiece to AASD’s overarching mission to drive deeper understanding of the nation’s special district services.
RAD AASD Members are on the frontlines of active collaboration 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.
RAD Stakeholders offer academic services and brainpower to investigate complex problems in understanding special districts at the federal, state, and local levels. White papers and policy papers will be produced and leveraged for related policy efforts and to advance state-based district priorities. Involvement may lead to:
- 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.
- Co-authorship, contributions, and citation in formal AASD policy white papers leveraging the AASD Research and Data Committee’s valuable perspectives and insights.
Interested to be part the research and data side of policy change to help all special district governments? Email us at evan@americasdistricts.org.