Comparison · 16 material differences
Family Business Association vs Women Presidents Organization
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 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…
Peer advisory
Women Presidents Organization
Women who own and run privately held companies above WPO's revenue thresholds.
What the records say
- Role or title: Family Business Association: No published role or title; Women Presidents Organization: Must lead the company and hold primary decision-making authority for day-to-day operations.
- Minimum company revenue: Family Business Association: No published minimum company revenue; Women Presidents Organization: US$2,000,000 in gross annual sales for a product-based business.
- Minimum ownership stake: Family Business Association: No published minimum ownership stake; Women Presidents Organization: Must hold an ownership interest in the business at some level, and the company must be privately held.
- Accredited-investor status: Family Business Association: Advisor members (accountants, lawyers, financial planners and consultants) complete an accreditation course to become an FBA Accredited Advisor; Women Presidents Organization: No published accredited-investor status.
- Annual dues: Family Business Association: A$695 a year; Women Presidents Organization: $2,000 a year.
Side by side
| Family Business Association | Women Presidents Organization | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Family-business organization | Peer advisory |
| Founded | 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.) | 1997 (Founded by Marsha Firestone; the first chapter was started in New York City.) |
| Headquarters | Melbourne, Australia | New York, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Australia and New Zealand, with team representatives across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia and both New Zealand islands | Chapters across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, South Africa and Australia |
| Members | 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. | Not currently disclosed. WPO does not publish a member total on its site; a 2022 account records 2,000 members across 137 chapters, which is now out of date. |
| 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. | 145 |
| Primary audience | 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 | Women who own and run privately held companies above WPO's revenue thresholds. |
| Typical member | 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. | Members are women who lead their own privately held companies, hold day-to-day decision-making authority and have an ownership interest. The entry threshold is US$2 million in gross annual sales for product-based businesses and US$1 million for service-based businesses, with higher tiers at US$10 million (Platinum) and US$50 million (Zenith). |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | No published role or title | Must lead the company and hold primary decision-making authority for day-to-day operationsverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum company revenue | No published minimum company revenue | US$2,000,000 in gross annual sales for a product-based businessBase (Chapter Member and Member-at-Large) threshold.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum ownership stake | No published minimum ownership stake | Must hold an ownership interest in the business at some level, and the company must be privately heldverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| 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 ↗ | No published accredited-investor status |
| Gender | No published gender | Women business ownersverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | Australia and New ZealandFBA describes itself as the peak body for families in business across Australia and New Zealand.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published geographic restriction |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | Not documented |
| Application process | 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. | Candidates apply and, if they meet the ownership, authority and revenue tests, are placed in a chapter in their geographic area. Women who meet the criteria but cannot access a chapter for geographic or other reasons can join as a Member-at-Large. |
| Selectivity | 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. | Not publicly disclosed |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | 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 ↗ | $2,000 a yearStated by Women Presidents' Organization (2021-12-09): WPO Chapter Member (global, USD; $1M+ service / $2M+ product revenue). “CHAPTER ANNUAL FEE: $2,000”verified October 2026 · source ↗ |
| Programme fee | 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 ↗ | Not publicly disclosed |
| Membership term | Annual | Not documented |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | 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 | Monthly chapter meetings for Chapter Members; Platinum and Zenith groups meet three times a year |
| Peer forums | 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. | Chapters draw members from diverse non-competing industries and are facilitated by a professionally trained Chapter Chair. Chapter size is reported at a maximum of 20 members, a figure WPO does not confirm on its own pages. |
| Confidentiality | Forum Groups operate on an explicit confidentiality rule dating to the programme's founding in 1998; FBA also publishes a Member Code of Conduct. | Chapter meetings are confidential; members share business expertise in confidence. |
| Time commitment | Forum Group participants commit to ten meetings a year, of four hours in person or three hours virtual | Not documented |
| Organized as | Forum-based, Event-focused, Chapter-based, Virtual | Chapter-based, Forum-based, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Yes |
| Local chapters | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual membership | Yes | Partial |
| Online community | Partial | Partial |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | Partial | Partial |
| Travel | No | Partial |
| Family programming | Yes | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | Partial | No |
| Next-generation programming | Yes | No |
| Investment discussions | No | Partial |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | Not documented |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Medium |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Family Business Association · Women Presidents Organization