Comparison · 11 material differences
Family Business Alliance vs Family Business Association
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
Family-business organization
Verified September 2026 Family Business Alliance
Family-owned businesses in West Michigan — owners and family leaders running the business, next-generation family members preparing to lead, and the non-family executives who work…
Family-business organization
Family Business Association
Owners, family members, emerging-generation members and non-family executives of Australian and New Zealand family businesses, family enterprises and family offices — plus the…
What the records say
- Accredited-investor status — Family Business Alliance: No published accredited-investor status; Family Business Association: Advisor members — accountants, lawyers, financial planners and consultants — complete an accreditation course to become an FBA Accredited Advisor.
- Geographic restriction — Family Business Alliance: West Michigan, centred on Grand Rapids; Family Business Association: Australia and New Zealand.
- Annual dues — Family Business Alliance: $625 a year; Family Business Association: A$695 a year.
Side by side
| Family Business Alliance | Family Business Association | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Family-business organization | Family-business organization |
| Founded | 2006 (The Alliance's about page states it was "Founded in 2006 by family business leaders who saw the need to establish a supportive community for family business professionals" and marks 2026 as its 20th year. Secondary sources describe the launch as being spearheaded by the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce and the Family Owned Business Institute at Grand Valley State University's Seidman College of Business.) | 1998 (FBA dates the merger that created Family Business Australia to 1998, while tracing its origins to Family Business Services SA in 1992 and the Australian Family Business Network in 1995. It describes itself as supporting the sector for over 25 years.) |
| Headquarters | Grand Rapids, United States | Melbourne, Australia |
| Geographic footprint | West Michigan, based in Grand Rapids | Australia and New Zealand, with team representatives across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia and both New Zealand islands |
| Members | 200as of September 2026 | Not publicly disclosed — FBA describes "a growing community of family business members and advisor members" and says 44 industries are represented across its membership, but publishes no member figure. |
| Chapters | A single-market organisation with no chapters. | FBA does not publish a chapter count. It lists team representation across seven Australian states and territories plus New Zealand's North and South Islands, and runs Forum Groups by region. |
| Primary audience | Family-owned businesses in West Michigan — owners and family leaders running the business, next-generation family members preparing to lead, and the non-family executives who work alongside them | Owners, family members, emerging-generation members and non-family executives of Australian and New Zealand family businesses, family enterprises and family offices — plus the accountants, lawyers and consultants who advise them |
| Typical member | Members are family-owned companies in the Grand Rapids region across a wide size range. The dues scale runs from a Small Business tier restricted to firms under $3 million in annual revenue up to a $10,000 Community tier, so both very small family firms and substantial regional employers sit in the same organisation. Peer groups also admit non-family key executives. | Members are people connected to a family business, family enterprise or family office in Australia or New Zealand, at any size and any stage — the association names start-up founders, family members in the business, the emerging generation, family business leaders, non-family executives, transitioning leaders and retired mentors as its audiences. A separate advisor membership serves accountants, lawyers, financial planners and consultants seeking FBA accreditation. |
| Qualification | ||
| Accredited-investor status | No published accredited-investor status | Advisor members — accountants, lawyers, financial planners and consultants — complete an accreditation course to become an FBA Accredited AdvisorAdvisor dues fall from A$810 to A$635 plus GST once accreditation is complete.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | West Michigan, centred on Grand Rapidsverified September 2026 · source ↗ | Australia and New ZealandFBA describes itself as the peak body for families in business across Australia and New Zealand.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | Companies join by selecting one of the five published membership tiers. Peer group entry is separate: applicants complete an FBA Peer Group Application or contact the Director of Membership, who advises which of the three streams fits, and are then placed into a group of eight to ten peers at a comparable career stage. | Family businesses join online through the FBA join page by selecting Family Business Membership and adding further family members at the reduced rate; there is no published vetting. Advisors join on a separate track and then complete the accreditation course. Forum Group entry is a four-step process rather than a purchase: an expression of interest, a conversation with the Forum Group team about fit, an introduction to the proposed facilitator, then formal placement into a group of non-competing peers. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed — membership appears open to family-owned businesses in West Michigan at the published rates. Peer group placement is curated by staff rather than open. | Not publicly disclosed for membership, which appears open at the published rates. Forum Group placement is curated: the FBA team matches participants to a group of non-competing peers and both sides confirm the fit before joining. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $625 a yearSmall Business tier, for businesses earning less than $3 million annually: 2 signature event tickets, 1 peer group slot, leadership programme and partner workshop access.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | A$695 a yearFamily Business Membership, first family member, plus GST. Each additional member from the same family business joins for A$350 plus GST.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | No membership initiation fee is published.verified September 2026 | All published prices exclude GST. Card payments attract a surcharge and processing fee; EFT does not. Prices are quoted in AUD; the join page also offers an NZD toggle. |
| Programme fee | $625 one-timeOne-time placement fee for the NextGen Peer Group. Placement fees for the NowGen and KeyGroup streams are not published.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | A$4,345 a yearIn-Person Forum Group: ten four-hour sessions a year, plus GST. Additional participants from the same family business pay A$3,695 plus GST. Requires an FBA Family Business Membership.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Annual | Annual |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Peer groups meet monthly for half-day sessions; the Alliance holds more than 16 events a year alongside its succession, leadership and governance programmes | Forum Groups meet ten times a year, monthly from February to November; plus a year-round calendar of local networking events, education courses and the annual Family Business Conference: Asia-Pacific |
| Peer forums | Peer groups of eight to ten members with a seasoned outside professional as moderator, in three streams: NowGen (family members currently running the business), NextGen (younger family members not yet leading) and KeyGroup (non-family key executives) | Small confidential peer groups of non-competing family business peers, led by an independent facilitator, meeting ten times a year for four hours in person or three hours online. Streams include In-Person, Virtual, Women in Forum and a two-year Emerging Leaders programme. Running since 1998 on a "what's said in the room stays in the room" rule. |
| Confidentiality | The Alliance describes its peer groups as confidential spaces built on a circle of trust, and states that networking primarily for lead generation is not a programme goal. No written confidentiality policy is published. | Forum Groups operate on an explicit confidentiality rule dating to the programme's founding in 1998; FBA also publishes a Member Code of Conduct. |
| Time commitment | Peer group members commit to a monthly half-day meeting | Forum Group participants commit to ten meetings a year, of four hours in person or three hours virtual |
| Organized as | Forum-based, Event-focused | Forum-based, Event-focused, Chapter-based, Virtual |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Yes |
| Local chapters | No | Yes |
| Virtual membership | No | Yes |
| Online community | Partial | Partial |
| Member directory | Partial | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | Not documented | Partial |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | Yes | Yes |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | Partial |
| Next-generation programming | Yes | Yes |
| Investment discussions | No | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | Medium | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Medium |
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Last verified: not yet reviewed
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Family Business Alliance · Family Business Association