Professional Associations – Sustainable Business
Professional associations are organizations that provide their members opportunities for learning, advocacy, and networking. Their membership is typically comprised of individuals in a particular profession, folks who work in the same industry, or people who share a common identity—similar to the student organization’s here in the College of Business, like Society for Human Resource Management, Real Estate Club, or Latinx Business Association.
Joining a professional association (even as a college student!) provides numerous benefits worth considering.
One of the biggest reasons to join a professional association is to build relationships with people in your industry or role. Connecting to a community of professionals while you’re in college can help you gain career insights, access to possible mentors (many associations have membership directories), and build a foundation of professional contacts that will be helpful as you begin your post-grad career.
Many professional associations have LinkedIn pages or groups you could join, too!
Attending conferences, webinars, and meet-ups hosted by a professional association will allow you to keep up with trends, knowledge, and skills necessary to be successful in your future career. You can dive deeper into niche topics, or even earn a credential, which will set you apart from other soon-to-be graduates. There may even be opportunities to volunteer on a committee or gain leadership experience, which can bolster your resume.
Apart from networking with members and professionals who may have job or internship opportunities to share, many professional associations have job boards (some are open, some require membership to access) or job announcements they send out to members.
As a membership benefit, professional associations may send out a newsletter, industry journal, or provide access to other resources to their members, again providing you the opportunity to learn from other professionals and stay on top of current news and trends.
Some professional associations offer scholarships and funding opportunities to make attending conferences and events, or earning credentials, more financially feasible for students. Associations often offer discounted student membership pricing you can take advantage of, too.
Below is just a sample of professional associations related to the Sustainable Business concentration. For a more comprehensive list visit CareerOneStop, linked below, where you can search a database of hundreds of organizations by industry and/or role.
*Check association websites for up-to-date membership information and pricing.
🫱🏾🫲🏻 Denotes a Networking Group.
Networking groups are focused on providing connection opportunities for professionals in a similar role/industry, rather than supporting continuing education of members or policy advocacy.
Sustainable Business
Professional Associations
International Society of Sustainability Professionals
The International Society of Sustainability Professionals is the world’s leading network of sustainability professionals. Leading sustainability efforts in all sectors and around the world, ISSP members work together to provide the community, training, and tools needed to meet goals and create sustainable change.
🎓 Free membership available to CSU Impact MBA students!
📚 SEA certification resources available for Sustainable Business Club members!
National Association of Environmental Professionals
NAEP is an interdisciplinary organization dedicated to developing the highest standards of ethics and proficiency in the environmental profession. Our members are public and private sector professionals who promote excellence in decision-making in light of environmental, social, and economic impacts of those decisions.
🎓 Discounted student and new professional memberships!
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting prosperous, healthy and resilient communities. Their mission is to transform how buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated to create thriving, healthy, equitable, and resilient places that advance human and environmental wellbeing.
🎓 Discounted student and new professional memberships!
Association of Climate Change Officers
ACCO is the premier professional development organization and cross-sector community of practice for individuals addressing climate change in their organizations’ operations and mission. ACCO membership fosters collaboration with leading edge practitioners, policy makers, climate scientists and researchers to advance solutions and build capacity in addressing climate change.
International Society for Industrial Ecology
The International Society for Industrial Ecology (ISIE) promotes industrial ecology as a way to address sustainability challenges and achieve a circular economy. The science of industrial ecology applies a systems perspective to explore how material and energy are used by society to find solutions to complex environmental problems. The ISIE facilitates communication among scientists, engineers, policymakers, managers, and advocates who are interested in better integrating environmental concerns with economic activities.
🎓 Discounted student and young professional memberships!
Colorado Renewable Energy Society
The Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES) drives environmental, social, and economic benefits for Colorado by promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency. CRES and its local chapters provide education, policy advocacy, and community engagement that accelerate the adoption of all forms of renewable energy, energy efficiency, high-performance building, energy storage, and emerging technologies that will help Colorado achieve 100% renewable energy.
🫱🏾🫲🏻 Networking Group
Sierra Club is the most historic grassroots environmental organization in the country. For more than 130 years, they’ve gathered millions of activists and volunteers to fight for the places, people, and planet we all love. Sierra Club works tirelessly to protect wildlife and wild places, ensure clean air and water for all, and fight the devastating effects of climate change.
Rocky Mountain Association of Environmental Professionals
RMAEP strives to promote advancement in scientific, interdisciplinary, environmental education through the formation and operation of a non-partisan, multidisciplinary society. We want to encourage and facilitate full member participation in RMAEP activities in order to assimilate the widest range of views and concerns of professionals engaged in the environmental field.
🎓 Discounted student membership!
Women in Clean Tech & Sustainability
Women in Cleantech and Sustainability fosters an influential network of professionals to further the roles of women in growing the green economy and making a positive impact on the environment. Our members consist of all genders and range from students and entry-level professionals, to founders, C-Suite executives, and investors.
🎓 Discounted student membership!