Comparison · 14 material differences
Commonwealth Club World Affairs vs The Battery
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
Networking organization
Verified September 2026 Commonwealth Club World Affairs
The general public in the San Francisco Bay Area and, through broadcast and podcast distribution, a national audience; membership is open to anyone
Private club
The Battery
The club says it exists "to play host to bright minds with big ideas"; its own copy describes a clubhouse for the curious rather than a professional or income band
What the records say
- Maximum age at joining — Commonwealth Club World Affairs: No published maximum age at joining; The Battery: Under 30 membership is "available to applicants under 30 years old".
- Geographic restriction — Commonwealth Club World Affairs: No published geographic restriction; The Battery: Out of Town membership is "available to members who don't have a home within a 100 mile drive of the club".
- Annual dues — Commonwealth Club World Affairs: $135 a year; The Battery: Not publicly disclosed. Separate rates exist for Member, Partner, Out of Town and Under 30, and the Battery Alliance upgrade is charged in addition, but no amounts are published..
Side by side
| Commonwealth Club World Affairs | The Battery | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Networking organization | Private club |
| Founded | 1903 (Founded on 3 February 1903 by San Francisco Chronicle agriculture editor Edward F. Adams, per the Club's own history.) | 2013 (Founded by Michael and Xochi Birch, the founders of the social network Bebo, in a converted building at 717 Battery Street in San Francisco.) |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, United States | San Francisco, United States |
| Geographic footprint | San Francisco Bay Area — headquarters at 110 The Embarcadero plus volunteer-run regional chapters in the East Bay, Marin County, Napa Valley and the Peninsula, and a Silicon Valley programme; national reach through radio, television and podcasts | A single clubhouse in San Francisco, with reciprocal access to more than 70 private clubs in 23 countries through the optional Battery Alliance |
| Members | 20,000as of September 2026 | Not publicly disclosed |
| Chapters | Not published as a number. The Club names volunteer-run regional chapters in the East Bay, Marin County, Napa Valley and the Peninsula alongside its San Francisco headquarters and Silicon Valley programming, but gives no total. | 1 |
| Primary audience | The general public in the San Francisco Bay Area and, through broadcast and podcast distribution, a national audience; membership is open to anyone | The club says it exists "to play host to bright minds with big ideas"; its own copy describes a clubhouse for the curious rather than a professional or income band |
| Typical member | Members are the general public rather than a screened cohort. The published tiers accommodate individuals, two people at one address, small groups, students and educators, single-issue supporters through the Climate One programme, and companies buying access for employees. A Leadership Circle from $1,000 upwards functions as a donor programme with escalating access to speakers. | The club publishes no occupational or wealth criteria. Its own materials emphasise conversation, cultural programming and collective giving through Battery Powered rather than industry or seniority. |
| Qualification | ||
| Maximum age at joining | No published maximum age at joining | Under 30 membership is "available to applicants under 30 years old"verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | No published geographic restriction | Out of Town membership is "available to members who don't have a home within a 100 mile drive of the club"Distance is expressed as a driving distance from the clubhouse.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | Yes |
| Application process | Membership is bought online by selecting a plan; auto-renewal on the annual renewal date is an option at signup. Student and educator applicants apply through a separate form. There is no sponsorship, interview or committee review. | The club sets out four steps: complete the online application form; obtain a nomination; attend an open house, described as "an afternoon at the club and a chance to meet both members and our team"; and then, on approval, receive a membership kit. The club states that "Membership is by introduction, and it begins with a conversation." Applicants choose between Member, Partner, Out of Town and Under 30 types, with The Battery Alliance available as an upgrade. |
| Selectivity | Not selective. Membership is open to all and most events are also open to non-members who buy tickets. | Not publicly disclosed. The club publishes no acceptance rate, waitlist size or member count. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $135 a yearIndividual membership, annual plan ($13 a month monthly, cancel anytime). Includes one 30 percent discounted ticket per event, excluding special events.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed. Separate rates exist for Member, Partner, Out of Town and Under 30, and the Battery Alliance upgrade is charged in addition, but no amounts are published.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosed; no joining fee appears alongside the published dues.verified September 2026 | Not publicly disclosed. The club's apply page lists membership types without prices and no figure appears in its Charter.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Annual or monthly; annual memberships can be set to auto-renew and monthly plans can be cancelled at any time | The Charter contains sections on Membership Duration and Membership Renewal; specific terms are not published, and Lifetime Membership classes exist alongside renewable membership |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Hundreds of events a year, in person and online, at the San Francisco headquarters, the regional chapters and Silicon Valley | The clubhouse operates daily, with a member events calendar covering talks, tastings, music and social nights |
| Peer forums | Member-led forums organised by subject, plus volunteer-run regional chapters; no confidential facilitated peer forum | Not documented |
| Confidentiality | None; programmes are public and are broadcast on radio and television and distributed as podcasts | House rules ask members not to take, post or tag people in photos, and to put phones and laptops away in public areas during social hours |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Event-focused, Chapter-based, Virtual | Clubhouse premises, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | No | No |
| Local chapters | Yes | No |
| Virtual membership | Yes | No |
| Online community | Partial | Not documented |
| Member directory | No | Not documented |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | No | No |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | Yes | Yes |
| Family programming | Partial | Partial |
| Spouse and partner programming | Partial | Yes |
| Next-generation programming | Yes | No |
| Investment discussions | No | Not documented |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Yes | Yes |
| Networking emphasis | Low | Medium |
| Social emphasis | Medium | High |
Next
Last verified: not yet reviewed
Report an error on this page
Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Commonwealth Club World Affairs · The Battery