Comparison · 15 material differences
Angel Capital Association vs NAWBO
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 Angel Capital Association
Individual accredited angel investors, organised angel groups, angel funds, family offices investing in private companies, equity crowdfunding platforms, and ecosystem…
Professional association
NAWBO
Women who own an equity interest in a business in the United States, at any size, stage and industry
What the records say
- Minimum ownership stake: Angel Capital Association: No published minimum ownership stake; NAWBO: Ownership as "sole proprietor, partner, LLC member, independent contractor or 5%+ corporate shareholder".
- Accredited-investor status: Angel Capital Association: Individual membership is aimed at accredited angel investors; online equity marketplace platform members must be comprised of accredited investors; NAWBO: No published accredited-investor status.
- Gender: Angel Capital Association: No published gender; NAWBO: "Any individual who identifies as a woman who owns an equity interest in her business" qualifies as a woman business owner for the Premier, Basic, NextGen and Virtual levels.
- Geographic restriction: Angel Capital Association: No published geographic restriction; NAWBO: Members within 45 miles of a chapter join at chapter level; those more than 45 miles away join the national Virtual membership.
- Annual dues: Angel Capital Association: $310 a year; NAWBO: $479 a year.
Side by side
| Angel Capital Association | NAWBO | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Professional association | Professional association |
| Founded | 2004 (Formed out of four Angel Organization Summits convened by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in 2002 and 2003. One business directory gives 2005; 2004 is the date recorded on Wikipedia and in ACA's own account of its origins.) | 1975 ("They formed NAWBO in 1975 in Washington, DC" - Susan Hager, NAWBO's founding president, and eleven other founding members.) |
| Headquarters | Overland Park, United States | United States |
| Geographic footprint | United States, with some international members; ACA also serves as the US representative to the World Business Angels Association | Chapters across the United States, grouped into four regions, plus a Virtual membership for women more than 45 miles from a chapter; NAWBO also maintains international alliances |
| Members | 15,000as of September 2026 | Not publicly disclosed. NAWBO describes itself as the voice of "more than 12 million women-owned businesses" in the United States, which is a national statistic rather than a membership figure. |
| Chapters | ACA has no chapters. Its 250+ member angel groups and platforms are independent organisations that join as institutional members. | 46 |
| Primary audience | Individual accredited angel investors, organised angel groups, angel funds, family offices investing in private companies, equity crowdfunding platforms, and ecosystem organisations such as accelerators and universities | Women who own an equity interest in a business in the United States, at any size, stage and industry |
| Typical member | Individual members are accredited angel investors, most of whom belong to one of ACA's member angel groups and are automatically included through that group's membership. Institutional members are angel networks, funds, family offices and platforms. | Women business owners of all sizes and stages, from sole proprietors and independent contractors to owners of larger companies. NAWBO's own definition covers "Any individual who identifies as a woman who owns an equity interest in her business (sole proprietor, partner, LLC member, independent contractor or 5%+ corporate shareholder)". Male business owners and executives of either gender may join as supporting members without voting rights. |
| Qualification | ||
| Minimum ownership stake | No published minimum ownership stake | Ownership as "sole proprietor, partner, LLC member, independent contractor or 5%+ corporate shareholder"The 5 per cent test applies to corporate shareholders; other ownership forms have no percentage thresholdverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Accredited-investor status | Individual membership is aimed at accredited angel investors; online equity marketplace platform members must be comprised of accredited investorsACA states that membership is available to individual angels, accredited platforms, angel group investors and family offices. It does not publish a separate verification procedure for individual members.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published accredited-investor status |
| Gender | No published gender | "Any individual who identifies as a woman who owns an equity interest in her business" qualifies as a woman business owner for the Premier, Basic, NextGen and Virtual levelsMale business owners and male and female business executives may join at the Individual Supporting and Corporate Supporting levels, which do not carry voting rightsverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | No published geographic restriction | Members within 45 miles of a chapter join at chapter level; those more than 45 miles away join the national Virtual membershipverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | Applicants complete an online application, agree to the ACA Member Code of Conduct and pay annual dues for the relevant category. Online equity marketplace platforms are asked to contact the membership team rather than self-serve. Individual investors who belong to a member angel group are enrolled through that group. | Three steps published by NAWBO: choose a chapter or the Virtual option depending on distance from the nearest chapter; choose a membership level; and complete a short online application. A welcome email is sent immediately, followed by a member packet, a connection to the chapter or Virtual community, and access to the member portal. There is no interview, sponsor or committee review. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. Admission is by application and code-of-conduct agreement rather than by selection; ACA publishes no rejection or acceptance data. | Not applicable in the usual sense: NAWBO admits any applicant meeting its ownership definition and publishes no acceptance rate. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $310 a yearIndividual Investor membership, "starting at $310". Members of ACA angel groups are automatically included.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | $479 a yearPremier level: "$479.40* annually" - for women who actively participate in their business, with full voting rights, leadership and award eligibility, and both chapter and national benefits. The asterisk on NAWBO's page notes that a US$75 Spring Membership Campaign discount had been applied to the one-time application fee at the time of access.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Event costs | Not publicly disclosed. ACA's annual summit carries a registration fee that is not published on the membership pages.verified September 2026 | Prices shown were displayed during a Spring Membership Campaign that applied a US$75 discount to the one-time application fee; the underlying application fee is not published. Chapter-level and national benefits come together at the Premier and Basic levels. |
| Membership term | Annual | Annual |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Annual summit held in a different city each year, plus webinars and education programming through the year | Chapter programming locally, plus national events including the NAWBO Summit, monthly new member orientations and virtual community events |
| Peer forums | Peer group syndication channels rather than confidential peer forums | No confidential peer forums are published; NAWBO Institute programmes such as Circle ($1 Million+) group members by business stage |
| Confidentiality | Members agree to the ACA Member Code of Conduct; no separate confidentiality regime is published | Not publicly disclosed |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Event-focused, Virtual | Chapter-based, Event-focused, Virtual |
| Confidential peer forums | Partial | Partial |
| Local chapters | No | Yes |
| Virtual membership | Yes | Yes |
| Online community | Yes | Yes |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Partial | Yes |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | No | Partial |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | No | Yes |
| Investment discussions | Yes | Partial |
| Investment opportunities | Yes | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | Partial |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Low | Medium |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Angel Capital Association · NAWBO