Comparison · 9 material differences
ACG vs AM&AA
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Professional association
Verified September 2026 ACG
Middle-market mergers and acquisitions professionals: private equity investors, corporate development officers, lenders, investment bankers, lawyers, accountants and advisers…
Professional association
AM&AA
Middle-market M&A advisers: investment bankers, CPAs, attorneys, valuation specialists, corporate financial investors and business advisers
What the records say
- Industry restriction: ACG: No published industry restriction; AM&AA: Individual membership is for M&A and supporting trade professionals who practise independently.
- Annual dues: ACG: Dues are set by each chapter, so the amounts above are examples rather than a national schedule.; AM&AA: $545 a year.
Side by side
| ACG | AM&AA | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Professional association | Professional association |
| Founded | 1954 | 1998 (Established in 1998 to bring together CPAs, attorneys and corporate financial advisers working in middle-market M&A) |
| Headquarters | Chicago, United States | Dallas, United States |
| Geographic footprint | 61 local markets worldwide, grouped into seven regions (Canada, Central, Europe, Great Lakes, Northeast, Southeast, West); most chapters are in North America, with chapters in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom | Chapters are all in the United States plus a virtual chapter; the membership network spans 25 countries |
| Members | 14,000as of September 2026 | 1,100as of September 2026 |
| Chapters | 61 | 24 |
| Primary audience | Middle-market mergers and acquisitions professionals: private equity investors, corporate development officers, lenders, investment bankers, lawyers, accountants and advisers, plus PE-backed CEOs | Middle-market M&A advisers: investment bankers, CPAs, attorneys, valuation specialists, corporate financial investors and business advisers |
| Typical member | Members come from corporations, private equity firms, lenders and professional service firms working on middle-market transactions. ACG reports that 75% of members say they have done business with another member. Specialist networks exist for corporate development officers, family offices, PE-backed CEOs, operating partners, women and young professionals. | Members are M&A and supporting trade professionals: accountants, lawyers, investment bankers, valuation and due diligence specialists, and corporate financial investors working in the middle market. Individual membership is aimed at those who practise independently; corporate membership covers teams of five or more from one firm. |
| Qualification | ||
| Maximum age at joining | Reduced young-professional rates are limited to first-time members aged 35 and underApplies to discounted categories only (for example ACG New York's Forward membership, available for a maximum of two years); standard membership has no age limitverified September 2026 · source ↗ | Young Professional membership is limited to those aged 35 and under in the early stages of an M&A careerIdentification and proof of age are required during the application processverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Industry restriction | No published industry restriction | Individual membership is for M&A and supporting trade professionals who practise independentlyverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | Applicants pick a chapter using ACG's chapter locator and join or renew through the central portal at my.acg.org. There is no published interview, sponsorship or committee review; payment of chapter dues completes membership. A member referral programme exists but referral is not required. | Applicants complete an application through AM&AA's membership portal at amaa.wildapricot.org, or contact the association directly. Young Professional applicants must supply identification and proof of age. Corporate memberships are arranged by email with custom pricing. There is no published interview, sponsorship or committee review, but all members must accept the ethics and standards rules and the no-solicitation condition. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed: ACG publishes no acceptance criteria or rejection data, and membership appears to be open to anyone working in middle-market M&A who pays chapter dues | Not publicly disclosed: AM&AA publishes membership categories and conditions but no acceptance data |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Dues are set by each chapter, so the amounts above are examples rather than a national schedule. | $545 a yearIndividual membershipverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosed: no separate initiation fee was found; the first-year rate is higher than the renewal rate at some chaptersverified September 2026 | Not publicly disclosed |
| Local chapter dues | $725 a yearACG New York standard membership, first yearverified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed |
| Programme fee | Dues are set by each chapter, so the amounts above are examples rather than a national schedule. | $5,200 one-timeCertified Merger & Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA) programme fee, which includes first-year membership and materialsverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Annual, renewed through the chapter | Annual |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | More than 1,200 events a year across the network; individual chapters typically run monthly or more frequent programmes, plus national conferences including DealMAX | Monthly chapter events plus two annual conferences (Summer and Winter), and CM&AA certification courses run in person and virtually |
| Peer forums | No confidential peer forums; members organise through chapters and seven cross-chapter specialist networks (corporate development officers, family offices, PE-backed CEOs, operating partners, Women of ACG, young professionals) | No confidential peer forums; members organise through chapters, including a virtual chapter, and deal-sourcing tools |
| Confidentiality | Could not be independently verified: no published confidentiality policy was found | Members agree not to solicit fellow members without written board permission; no broader confidentiality policy was found |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Chapter-based, Event-focused | Chapter-based, Event-focused, Virtual |
| Confidential peer forums | Partial | No |
| Local chapters | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual membership | No | Yes |
| Online community | Partial | Partial |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Partial | Yes |
| Leadership development | Partial | Partial |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | Yes | Yes |
| Investment discussions | Yes | Yes |
| Investment opportunities | Yes | Yes |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Medium |
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