Comparison · 16 material differences
The Economic Club of Chicago vs Forbes Councils
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
Invitation-only community
Verified September 2026 The Economic Club of Chicago
Chicago-area business and civic leaders at C-suite level or reporting directly to a chief executive
Networking organization
Forbes Councils
Owners, founders, partners and senior executives who want a bylined publishing platform on Forbes.com alongside a vetted online peer network
What the records say
- Role or title: The Economic Club of Chicago: Top-level leadership, C-suite, or reporting directly to the CEO, with operational oversight and P&L responsibility; Forbes Councils: Owner, founder, partner, C-level executive, or vice president and above leading a region or division, in the council's field.
- Minimum company revenue: The Economic Club of Chicago: Company generates at least US$10 million in annual revenue; Forbes Councils: "Your business generates a minimum of $1M USD in revenue".
- Minimum employees: The Economic Club of Chicago: Company employs 25 or more people; Forbes Councils: No published minimum employees.
- Minimum capital raised: The Economic Club of Chicago: No published minimum capital raised; Forbes Councils: "Your business has received a minimum of $1M USD in financing".
- Annual dues: The Economic Club of Chicago: Not publicly disclosed. Neither the membership page nor the Club's own membership brochure names a dues figure.; Forbes Councils: Not publicly disclosed. The Business Council page confirms this is "a fee-based professional organization" offering "1-year and 2-year membership payment plans", and the membership agreement refers to "the then-current membership fee for each year of the Term", but no amount is published. Figures quoted on affiliate and agency blogs could not be independently verified..
Side by side
| The Economic Club of Chicago | Forbes Councils | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Invitation-only community | Networking organization |
| Founded | 1927 (Founded in 1927 by leaders who set out to "aid in the creation and expression of an enlightened public opinion on the important economic and social questions of the day".) | Not documented |
| Headquarters | Chicago, United States | Boston, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Chicago and Illinois; members are drawn from the city's business, civic, cultural and nonprofit leadership | Nine online councils with no local chapters; the operator, Community.co, is based in Boston, Massachusetts |
| Members | 2,400as of September 2026 | Not publicly disclosed. Forbes Councils publishes member directories per council but no total. Community.co, which operates Forbes Councils and several sister communities, states "25k+ Members to date" across "50+ Communities", which is not a Forbes Councils figure. |
| Chapters | No chapters. The Club participates in a reciprocity programme with the Economic Clubs of New York and Washington, D.C. | No chapters; the councils are online communities |
| Primary audience | Chicago-area business and civic leaders at C-suite level or reporting directly to a chief executive | Owners, founders, partners and senior executives who want a bylined publishing platform on Forbes.com alongside a vetted online peer network |
| Typical member | Around 70 per cent of members are C-suite executives. Candidates are expected to have operational oversight with profit-and-loss responsibility at a company generating at least US$10 million in annual revenue and employing 25 or more people, and to have a record of civic engagement. Government and nonprofit candidates are assessed under separate criteria. | Members are owners, founders, C-level executives, partners and vice presidents who lead a region or division, drawn from the industry each council covers. The financial test is set at the company level rather than personal wealth: US$500,000 or US$1,000,000 in annual revenue or capital raised, depending on the council. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | Top-level leadership, C-suite, or reporting directly to the CEO, with operational oversight and P&L responsibilityGovernment and nonprofit candidates are considered under separate criteria that are not published.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Owner, founder, partner, C-level executive, or vice president and above leading a region or division, in the council's fieldThe Technology Council specifies "founders, partners, and CEOs of technology companies, C-level technology executives such as CTOs and CIOs, and VPs of technology teams"verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum company revenue | Company generates at least US$10 million in annual revenuePublished as part of the Club's candidate criteria.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | "Your business generates a minimum of $1M USD in revenue"Applies to the Agency, Business Development, Communications, Finance, Human Resources and Technology Councilsverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum employees | Company employs 25 or more peoplePublished alongside the revenue test.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum employees |
| Minimum capital raised | No published minimum capital raised | "Your business has received a minimum of $1M USD in financing"Alternative to the revenue test for the senior-level councilsverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | Chicago-area business and civic leadershipThe Club describes its membership as reflecting the diversity of the city and state; no formal residence rule is published.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published geographic restriction |
| Industry restriction | No published industry restriction | "No MLM/direct sales, gambling, adult entertainment, adult websites, adult products, or cannabis companies are allowed"Certain marketing agencies (link sellers, guaranteed media placements) and some cryptocurrency companies, such as those attached to initial coin offerings, are also excludedverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | Yes | No |
| Sponsor required | Yes | No |
| Application process | Six steps. Two current members agree to sponsor the candidate and send a secure link for the biography and application. Both sponsors write letters of support. The candidate attends a Club meeting, preferably with a sponsor. A representative of the relevant membership subcommittee reviews the application and decides whether to interview. The Membership Committee then elects candidates at its quarterly meetings. | Candidates apply online to a specific council. A selection committee reviews the application against the published criteria and, if approved, issues a membership invitation. Payment is taken after acceptance, for a one-year or two-year term. Applications are made in an individual's own name, not a company's, even where an employer pays the fee. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. The Club describes a rigorous application and election process and reports a 92 per cent renewal rate, but publishes no acceptance rate. | Not publicly disclosed. Forbes Councils states that applications are vetted by a selection committee and that acceptance is at the company's sole discretion, but publishes no acceptance rate. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Not publicly disclosed. Neither the membership page nor the Club's own membership brochure names a dues figure.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed. The Business Council page confirms this is "a fee-based professional organization" offering "1-year and 2-year membership payment plans", and the membership agreement refers to "the then-current membership fee for each year of the Term", but no amount is published. Figures quoted on affiliate and agency blogs could not be independently verified.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 | Not publicly disclosed. The membership agreement states a one-time initiation fee, where applicable, is "non-refundable and will not be refunded once paid regardless of termination or cancellation".verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Annual; the Club reports a 92 per cent membership renewal rate | One-year or two-year terms, renewing automatically for equal periods |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Keynote speaker programmes through the year, member forums several times a year, and smaller Member Exchanges | Monthly Expert Panel cycles and private virtual events; no scheduled local meetings |
| Peer forums | Large keynote events plus small, member-driven Member Exchanges; no standing confidential forums are described | No facilitated peer forums; members join interest-based and geography-based online groups |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed; keynote programmes are published on the Club's YouTube channel | Not publicly disclosed |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Event-focused | Virtual, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Partial | Partial |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | No | Yes |
| Online community | Partial | Yes |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Partial |
| Leadership development | Partial | Partial |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | No | Partial |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | Partial | No |
| Investment discussions | Partial | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Partial | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | Medium |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Low |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: The Economic Club of Chicago · Forbes Councils