Membership in the American Benefits Council is an investment in sensible, forward-thinking employee benefits policy that can pay for itself many times over.
If you have a question about membership that is not answered below, please contact Deanna Johnson, vice president, membership.
If you are ready to apply, proceed here.
Please complete the form located here here. Council staff will reply with further information on membership levels and benefits and, at your request, a dues investment invoice. Following this, we’ll work with you to ensure all colleagues with benefits responsibilities employed by the organization are associated with your membership.
Any employee with benefits interests at a listed organization who supplies their corporate contact information can be associated with that membership. Because each business is the Council member, we cannot accept personal email addresses for associates. We welcome plan sponsors, benefits service providers, consulting and law firms, associations, and any other organization with a benefits interest as members. Please click here to request associate membership.
The cost of membership depends on the size and type of your organization, as well as your desired membership level. For a detailed description, contact Deanna Johnson, vice president, membership.
Dues investments are not deductible as a charitable contribution, but generally may be deductible as an ordinary and necessary business expense. Please contact Council staff for information on the percentage attributable to nondeductible lobbying for the quarter in which a company’s dues are paid.
Memberships are corporate, so anyone employed by the organization who has an interest in or responsibilities for benefits may sign up to avail themselves of Council products and services. Our associate members most often come from the human resources, legal, finance, government affairs, and client services departments, but can be employed by any office or corporate area.
Our members are large plan sponsors and service providers who provide retirement, health, compensation, and global benefit programs. A full list of corporate members is located here.
Several times a week. We don’t say “daily” as our materials are distributed as information warrants. All members will automatically receive Benefits Byte, the Council’s email news updates and invitations and registration information for our Webinar programming. Members can also sign up for additional emails addressing such matters as global benefits, actuarial issues and legal topics.
We are an approved sponsor of continuing education programming with a number of benefits, legal and actuarial organizations. Verification of participation in Council programs can be requested by emailing Deanna Johnson, vice president, membership. Please allow two business days after participating in a program before making your request so that staff has time to reconcile registrations.
Council members’ only webinars are free to attend. All sessions are recorded and links to the programs are available upon request.
Benefits policy is of top strategic importance to every employer and a major component of the federal government’s tax revenue structure. While our policy staff advocate upon your organization’s behalf on an ongoing basis, we also provide support and expertise to your government affairs colleagues through policy briefings, assistance with benefits-specific Capitol Hill and federal agency contacts and visits, forming lobbying coalitions, and hosting regular Washington, DC-based update meetings.
Council members have several means of networking and benchmarking with other members. You are encouraged to participate in our task forces and committees as meets your needs. We provide quick-turnaround member-wide polls on plan design questions you submit. For representatives of plan sponsor organizations, we hold a number of regional and industry Roundtable meetings. While the Council as needed forms coalitions and task forces of members to address specific issues, we would also be glad to individually connect you to other members at your request.
The Council holds regional Roundtable meetings of senior-level benefits professionals from plan sponsor member companies throughout the country each year. During these half-day sessions, staff present a legislative and regulatory update and participants contribute to a facilitated discussion of best benefits practices. For more information, please contact Deanna Johnson, senior director, membership. Additionally, as our staff travels throughout the country, we look for opportunities to meet with members located in those areas and set up individual corporate meetings as schedules permit.
The Council’s work has expanded on a number of global fronts. Our webinar series include ones specifically on global benefits issues. Several times a year we send out Benefits Passport summaries of meetings our staff have attended with international benefits organizations and other activities of interest. Members with global benefits responsibilities can also avail themselves of our partnership with the International Employee Benefits Association. This expanded Council membership benefit offers access to international networking and information-sharing opportunities, IEBA's comprehensive global benefits curricula and the opportunity to sit for examinations to earn the highly-regarded Diploma in International Employee Benefits (Dip. IEB).
Please see the Council’s newsroom for more information on media outreach and contact information for the Council’s communications staff. They will be happy to add you to the appropriate media distribution lists and connect you with staff experts for interview requests.
Because the Council is a nonprofit advocacy organization and there are also prohibitive continuing education requirements, members’ products and services cannot be promoted. As a benefit of membership, we never disclose, distribute, rent or lease any information about those affiliated with the Council without their prior explicit permission.
The Council’s website does not include advertising nor has opportunities for placement.
Websites whose content is specifically related to benefits policy, and not product or service placement, will be considered. Please note that we are a nonpartisan organization and post links accordingly. For inquiries regarding linking the Council’s website to yours or requests for link placement on the Council website, please contact Jason Hammersla, vice president, communications.
At this time, we do not. However, Council staff would be happy to direct you to a number of other benefits-related job listing web sites.
Our policy experts regularly speak on benefits issues at meetings and conferences around the world and would be honored to present at your event. More information regarding specific staff members, the required honoraria charged by the Council, travel and scheduling logistics, please contact Deanna Johnson, vice president, membership.