Annual report

Annual AIA report

“AIA has made significant strides toward advancing our mission in 2024. We are immensely proud of our growth as an organization as well as our positive impact on the built environment as a global network. An unwavering commitment to excellence has fostered heightened operational efficiency, greater financial stability, improved service to our members, and enhanced responsiveness to the evolving needs of the architecture profession. AIA remains at the forefront of empowering architects to improve society and transform the world. Our strategic priorities of climate action and equity have remained central to AIA, bolstering our impact across the broader AEC industry in the U.S. and internationally. We will continue to forge strong connections among our 100,000+ members and the communities that we serve.”

—Kimberly Dowdell, AIA, 2024 AIA President

—Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE, AIA EVP/CEO

AIA by the numbers

We championed architecture’s role in policy and secured real wins for the profession.

AIA's awards highlight excellence in design, sustainability, and social responsibility. In 2024, we celebrated these outstanding achievements:

$167,393

87%

raised in 2024

increase in fundraising receipts over 2023

House and Senate candidates supported

of supported candidates are serving in the 119th Congress

ArchiPAC supports candidates who serve on committees that have influence on AIA’s policy platform with the goal of influencing critical legislation, leading to tangible outcomes that strengthen the profession and ensure the long-term success of our members.

27%

Women

18%

Underrepresented racial & ethnic groups

3,300

Fellows

204

Chapters

Members

Community

AIA by the numbers

Advocacy efforts

celebrating excellence

Awards received

professional development

growth

firsts & innovations

US Conference of Mayors Collaboration: Secured a policy resolution urging mayors to partner with AIA on revitalizing downtowns, creating livable cities, and appointing chief architects for urban planning.

D7 Summit: Leaders from the nation’s seven top design organizations gathered for the first time to tackle global challenges collaboratively.

Automated renewals: Simplified the renewal process for members, boosting retention rates.

New chatbot: tool on AIA.org allows visitors to quickly find the information they need.

New AIA website: An upgraded, streamlined experience provided a faster, more reliable and easier-to-navigate user experience. These improvements led to an 18% increase in website engagement, a 10% boost in member satisfaction, and a 225% surge in activity in the “Become a Member” section.

Legislative wins

This image captures the dramatic interior of a modern architectural space. The perspective is angled upward, emphasizing the soaring height and intricate structural details. A massive, curved glass wall on the left reveals a complex framework of steel beams and supports, creating a grid-like pattern against the sky. In stark contrast, the right side features a smooth, undulating orange wall, its warm tones illuminated by hidden lighting, suggesting a pathway or corridor. Overhead, a network of white structural elements forms a sweeping, skeletal canopy, culminating in a central, almost conical shape that appears to descend from the ceiling.

Twenty-five Year Award

The Tokyo International Forum Owner: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs Architect: Rafael Viñoly Architects Photo credit: Kawasumi-Kobayashi Kenji Photograph Office Location: Tokyo, Japan

Architecture Firm Award

Quinn Evans Project image: National Academy of Sciences Headquarters Owner: National Academy of Sciences Photo credit: Robert Benson Location: Washington, D.C.

The image depicts a contemporary building in a city environment during the transition from day to night. The bright green accents and lit windows provide a welcoming and lively feel to the building.

Whitney M. Young Jr. Award

Douglas Ito, FAIA Project image: Bertha Pitts Campbell Place Owner: Plymouth Housing Photo credit: William Wright Photography Location: Seattle, Washington

A natural landscape with a river and trees in the foreground, leading to a contemporary building with a series of white, sail-like arches in the background.

Gold Medal Award

David Lake, FAIA and Ted Flato, FAIA Project image: Confluence Park Owner: San Antonio River Foundation Photo credit: Casey Dunn Location: San Antonio, Texas

Signature events like AIA24 and Women’s Leadership Summit (WLS) as well as 33 Knowledge Community events delivered top-tier education, inspiration, and networking.

AIA’s global impact reached new heights through international collaborations at key conferences worldwide:

Federation of Pan-American Association of Architects at the Royal Institute of Canada (RAIC)

Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)

Nigerian Institute of Architects

Architectural Association of Kenya

COP29, United Nations Climate Change Conference

International Union of Architects (UIA)

AIA International Conference at AIA Hong Kong

Japan Institute of Architects

ASHRAE International Conference on Building Decarbonization

Contents

An historic milestone with a 90.81% renewal rate!

Community

Advocacy efforts

Celebrating excellence

Firsts & innovations

Growth

Professional development

In the news

A professional conference session in a grand historic venue with high ceilings, intricate wood paneling, and large stained-glass windows. Attendees sit at round tables, listening to a speaker at a podium in front of a screen displaying a presentation titled 'Youth Development & Care Center.' A large chandelier hangs from the ceiling, and the room features a black-and-white checkered floor near the stage

AIA24

Knowledge Community events

WLS

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Community Hub: Launched new platform to improve digital collaboration for knowledge communities and components.

Engagement & strategic initiatives

Climate & sustainability advocacy

Legislative & policy advocacy

A diverse group of leaders stand together in a room adorned with various pictures on the walls.

A group of professionals engaged in conversation in a well-decorated office, featuring a mix of framed documents and personal artifacts.

A group of people is seated around a conference table in a meeting room. An American flag and framed photos are visible in the background.

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AIA Materials Pledge

AIA 2030 Commitment

AIA Communities by Design

Image of a mockup of email headers promoting AIA's online continuing education platform, AIAU

Image of two AIA volunteers at a 2030 booth promoting sustainability

Image of students creating architectural drawings

‣ 36,613 followers gained across AIA social

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‣ 11% growth in subscribers ‣ 12% revenue growth

‣ 298 signatory companies ‣ 19% increase in signatories from 2023 ‣ 92 reporting signatories (first year of the program's reporting cycle)

‣ 1,397 signatory companies ‣ 7% increase in signatories from 2023 ‣ 490 reporting signatories ‣ 14% increase in reporting signatories

‣ Engaged over 2,000 participants in activities

Social media

Architecture Week

AIA Awards program

Architecture Billings Index (ABI)

Image of AIA members celebrating Architecture Week

Image from the AIA awards gala featuring prominent AIA leadership and award recipients

Image of a mockup showcasing slides from the monthly Architectural Billing Index (ABI) infographic

Image of a mockup of the AIA Materials pledge PDF

This year marked a period of member-centric growth, expanding resources, strengthening advocacy, and enhancing opportunities to better support and elevate architects.

We invested heavily in AIAU, upgrading the technology to improve functionality and user experience. AIAU highlights

12 premium courses launched (23.5 hours) on the topics of business acumen, ethics, EDI, climate action, and disaster management

1,240+ members subscribed for continuous learning

160 total courses (66 live, 94 on-demand)

41,150 credits earned by learners (34,549 LU|HSW)

61,027 – users of our online learning platform (members and non-members)

A panel of four people sitting on stage discussing at the

Image of a mockup of the Good Morning America feature, titled

Collage of media mentions of AIA: one is of a Bloomberg article titled,

Media spotlights

America byDesign

Good Morning America feature

Positive feature stories in Forbes, Bloomberg, and Fast Company and cited as experts in publications including the Wall Street Journal, NPR, and the New York Times.

CEO Lakisha Woods & President Kimberly Dowdell advocating for architecture careers

Ongoing collaboration showcasing AIA members’ impact

AIA and its members are making headlines, earning national recognition for their expertise, leadership, and impact on the built environment.

Published

Member Demographics Report The Business of Architecture: Firm Survey Report Architects Journey to Specification Architecture & Design Materials Pledge report 2030 Commitment report Today’s Buildings for Tomorrow: A Guide to Building Reuse for Climate Action

Image of Lakisha Woods accepting an award at an event

Looking ahead From record membership to legislative victories, cutting-edge learning to global impact—AIA is shaping the future of architecture. Stay inspired. Stay engaged. Let’s build something extraordinary—together.

100,783

Get involved

800+ leaders, continuing its annual tradition since 2022

33 live events Hosted 22,500+ attendees 65+ courses, webinars, town halls, and resources

Conducted multiple issue briefings for AIA staff, chapter executives, and AIA members regarding AIA’s “Super Seven” federal priorities, and post-election results. Hosted first of recurring fly-in with six firm leaders who met with key Congressional committee leaders on AIA’s priority issues.

Advocated for a national definition of Zero Emissions Buildings, announced at the AIA24 Conference by White House Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. Submitted comments on the White House’s National Definition of Zero Emission Building for Operating Emissions and Net Zero Embodied Carbon Emissions Definition.

$100 billion in disaster relief funding secured in the year-end resolution. Advocated for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and research and development expense reforms, with over 1,500 members participating in campaigns. Engaged AIA’s Public Architects Working Group to petition the Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council regarding federal design fee limitations.

Transformed the AIA Awards Program experience and celebration of design excellence, achieving a 50% increase in sponsorship revenue Streamlined the awards process with a unified deadline and universal submission form, making it easier for architects to plan and submit their best work while improving the user experience, which drew nearly 64,000 unique visitors to the website award page Increased ticket sales 10% for the Awards Celebration

We celebrated the profession with one of the most successful Architecture Week campaigns in recent history that included AIA’s first viral video about the value of an architect. Nationwide participation included outreach by 44 chapters, 93 firms, 70 affiliate organizations and 35 states in the U.S. and Canada.

Association Trends, TRENDY award: Architects designing a better world membership campaign 2024 DCA Live, one of the Washington D.C. area’s Best Associations ASAE Power of A Silver Award, AIAU, Industry/Professional Advancement

Awards received

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published

in the news

Learn more

‣ Learners earned 1,431,737 hours of continuing education

Image of a mockup showcasing several of AIA's viral instagram reels

Continuing Education (CES)

‣ 600 brands ‣ 13,434 attendees ‣ 124 press (+24% from 2023) ‣ 10.4% revenue growth ‣ 19.5% engagement increase ‣ 450+ media mentions reaching 81.7M+people ‣ 81,000+ Instagram reel views

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600 brands 13,434 attendees 124 press (+24% from 2023) 10.4% revenue growth 19.5% engagement increase 450+ media mentions reaching 81.7M+ people 81,000+ Instagram reel views