Comparison · 12 material differences
CREW Network vs Society for Information Management
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 CREW Network
Professionals working full time in commercial real estate - transaction, design, development, construction, management and investment disciplines - who want to advance women in…
Professional association
Society for Information Management
Senior IT and technology executives - CIOs and their direct reports - plus academics in information systems, consulting partners and non-IT leaders whose roles affect technology…
What the records say
- Role or title: CREW Network: No published role or title; Society for Information Management: Practitioner: a senior-level IT professional in a public or private sector organisation - a corporate or divisional IS head, or a member of an IS management staff supporting them in a key management role.
- Gender: CREW Network: "Membership is open to both women and men, as men are important allies in the advancement of women." CREW also states it welcomes applicants "of all backgrounds, experience levels, genders, race, ethnicity, origin, sexual orientation, and ability"; Society for Information Management: No published gender.
- Geographic restriction: CREW Network: Applicants join through the chapter or affiliate nearest them; at-large membership is for those with no chapter or affiliate "within a reasonable distance" of their primary residence; Society for Information Management: No published geographic restriction.
- Industry restriction: CREW Network: "you must be employed in a full-time professional position with responsibility in one of CREW Network's Qualified Fields of Commercial Real Estate"; Society for Information Management: No published industry restriction.
- Annual dues: CREW Network: $139–229 a year; Society for Information Management: Not publicly disclosed at national level. SIM does not publish a single national dues figure; members join through a chapter and the chapter sets the rate..
Side by side
| CREW Network | Society for Information Management | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Professional association | Professional association |
| Founded | 1989 (Founded in 1989 to enable women in commercial real estate to exchange information, develop business contacts and advance professionally.) | 1968 (SIM's inaugural meeting was held on 22 November 1968 at the US Atomic Energy Commission in Washington DC, after a conversation between Robert Head and Herb Schwartz at an ACM conference; the first conference followed in September 1969 at the University of Minnesota. Sources give 1968 or 1969 depending on which event is treated as the founding.) |
| Headquarters | Lawrence, United States | Mount Laurel, United States |
| Geographic footprint | "more than 14,000 members in over 80 major markets worldwide"; chapters are incorporated independently in their state or province across North America, with global affiliate groups typically formed outside North America | United States and Canada: 38 chapters listed on SIM's own chapter index, including one in Toronto, plus a Member At-Large option for those without a nearby chapter |
| Members | 14,000as of September 2026 | 5,000as of September 2026 |
| Chapters | 85 | 38 |
| Primary audience | Professionals working full time in commercial real estate - transaction, design, development, construction, management and investment disciplines - who want to advance women in the industry | Senior IT and technology executives - CIOs and their direct reports - plus academics in information systems, consulting partners and non-IT leaders whose roles affect technology strategy |
| Typical member | Full-time commercial real estate professionals across all disciplines of the industry. Full membership requires that the majority of an individual's responsibilities lie within commercial real estate and that their field is necessary to the transaction, design, development, construction, management, investment or functioning of commercial real estate; those who only supply goods and services to the industry are admitted as affiliate or vendor members instead. | Members are corporate or divisional heads of information systems and the management staff supporting them, plus full-time academics in the IS field, partner-level consultants and non-IT executives with a major role in strategic technology direction. SIM says its members' employers account for over $200 billion in technology spend. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | No published role or title | Practitioner: a senior-level IT professional in a public or private sector organisation - a corporate or divisional IS head, or a member of an IS management staff supporting them in a key management roleverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Gender | "Membership is open to both women and men, as men are important allies in the advancement of women." CREW also states it welcomes applicants "of all backgrounds, experience levels, genders, race, ethnicity, origin, sexual orientation, and ability"The organisation's mission is to accelerate success for all women in global commercial real estate, but membership itself is not restricted by genderverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published gender |
| Geographic restriction | Applicants join through the chapter or affiliate nearest them; at-large membership is for those with no chapter or affiliate "within a reasonable distance" of their primary residence"While most members are located in North America, CREW Network is expanding globally, and we welcome new members from all continents."verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published geographic restriction |
| Industry restriction | "you must be employed in a full-time professional position with responsibility in one of CREW Network's Qualified Fields of Commercial Real Estate"CREW's screening question is: "Is the applicant's field necessary to the transaction, design, development, construction, management, investment and/or functioning of CRE?" If not, the applicant is admitted as an affiliate or vendor member rather than a full member.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published industry restriction |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | Yes | No |
| Application process | Four published steps: find a CREW chapter or affiliate near you, review the membership benefits and qualifications, apply for membership, and pay the invoice. At-large applicants apply centrally and submit demographic and location details, their Qualified Field, a description of their role, why they want to join, two professional references, a LinkedIn profile or resume, and a US$25 application fee; the outcome is notified within one week and dues are billed on approval. | Applicants apply to a local chapter, selecting one of the four membership categories, or apply as a Member At-Large if no chapter covers their area. The membership year runs 1 January to 31 December. Chapters review applications against the published category definitions; there is no sponsor or committee vote published. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed as a rate. Applications are screened against the Qualified Fields definition, which determines whether an applicant becomes a full member or an affiliate or vendor member. | Not publicly disclosed. Admission turns on meeting one of the four published category definitions; no acceptance rate is published. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $139–229 a yearAt-large membership: "you will be billed for annual membership dues at either $229 USD for the full year or $139 USD if applying between June 15 and September 30." Membership runs on a calendar year, renewable from November; dues are non-transferable and non-refundable.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed at national level. SIM does not publish a single national dues figure; members join through a chapter and the chapter sets the rate.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Only at-large dues are published centrally. Chapter members pay dues set by their independent chapter, which include network-level benefits; CREW supplies a template members can use to ask an employer to sponsor the cost. | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 |
| Local chapter dues | Not publicly disclosed centrally. CREW chapters "are created and incorporated as independent organizations in their state or province", set their own dues, and bill members directly; the network's site directs applicants to their local chapter rather than publishing chapter prices.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | $205–285 a yearSouthern California chapter published schedule: $285 for corporate IT executives/practitioners and consultants, $205 for academic, retired or non-profit IT professionals. Dues are set by each chapter and vary; other chapters publish higher two-tier plans.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Calendar year, renewable from November for the coming year; dues non-transferable and non-refundable | Calendar year, 1 January to 31 December |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Chapter programming locally, plus the annual CREW Convention, the Leadership Summit, CREW Collective member-led webinars and networking at ICSC, MIPIM and NMHC events | Chapters typically hold four to six events a year, plus peer groups, special interest groups and national programmes |
| Peer forums | CREW Councils bring members together at the global level for deals, knowledge exchange and relationship building; CREWbiz hosts an open forum and topic communities | Chapter-level peer groups bringing together members in similar roles, plus SIM Interest Groups on topics such as cybersecurity; the Advanced Practices Council is a separate senior research peer network |
| Confidentiality | CREW publishes a Code of Conduct and forum etiquette rules governing member conduct and the online community | No published forum confidentiality rule; SIM is a professional association rather than a closed advisory body |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Chapter-based, Event-focused, Virtual | Chapter-based, Event-focused, Cohort-based |
| Confidential peer forums | Partial | Partial |
| Local chapters | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual membership | Yes | Partial |
| Online community | Yes | Yes |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | Partial | Yes |
| Investment discussions | Partial | No |
| Investment opportunities | Partial | No |
| Philanthropic component | Yes | Yes |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Medium |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: CREW Network · Society for Information Management