American Business Women's Association

The American Business Women’s Association is a national professional association for women, established by Kansas City businessman, Hilary Bufton, Jr. [http://www.abwa.org]

On Sept. 22, 1949, Mr. Bufton and three Kansas City businesswomen incorporated the American Business Women’s Association.

“It was my feeling all women were seeking and deserved equal business opportunities.” He later wrote, “They had gained tremendous business knowledge during World War II, through necessity, and I felt a new organization for all businesswomen was needed.”

About ABWA

The mission of ABWA [http://www.abwa.org] is “to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and to provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership; education, networking support and national recognition.”

Unlike profession-specific associations, ABWA is a professional organization for women in all stages of their career and in all professions. Members include everyone from teachers and administrative assistants to CEOs and small-business owners.

Membership data [http://www.abwa.org/Media/media.cfm?ID=2] includes:

• 35,000 members nationwide
• 850 chapters
• Located in all 50 states
• 7,000 members are business owners
• 36% of members are Executives, Managers, Professionals and Business Owners
• 36% are Administrative, Clerical and Technical Support
• 28% are Retired Businesswomen
• Over 97% of members have graduated from high school
• Over 34% of members have attended college
• Over 29% have earned college degrees
• Over 10% have earned Masters/Doctorate degrees
• 64% live in major metropolitan area
• 36% live in a town (less than 50,000) or rural area

The American Business Women’s Association represents a range of 23 different industries [www.abwa.org/pdf/2008memberprofile.pdf] , including:

• Service
• Healthcare
• Education
• Retail
• Wholesale
• Banking
• Insurance
• Government
• Armed Forces
• Real Estate
• Finance
• Manufacturing
• Utility
• Publishing
• Advertising
• Broadcasting
• Transportation
• Construction
• Mining
• Recreation
• Entertainment
• Agriculture
• Forestry

Education and Professional Development

This is a central focus for the Association. There are three main concentrations for professional development, including:

Regional and National Conferences

ABWA offers six regional and one national conference every year that feature professional speakers and educators from many industries. Seminars and workshops feature topics relevant to today’s workingwomen.

ABWA-KU MBA Essentials

The ABWA-KU MBA Essentials program is a product of a partnership [http://www.business.ku.edu/news-KUABWA] between the University of Kansas School of Business and ABWA. Each MBA Essentials course delivers business subjects at a master’s degree level including “Accounting Tools for Financial Success,” “Organizational Behavior and Management Principles” and “Human Resources: Principles and Practices.” This program is only offered at the ABWA annual meeting, the National Women’s Leadership Conference.

ABWA-KU Management Certificate Series

The ABWA-KU Management Certificate Series is designed as a series of business concentrations, each with specialized courses. Previous programs include “Steps to Becoming an Entrepreneur” and “The Lean Thinking Revolution.” This series is only offered at ABWA’s six regional conferences.

Interactive Web site at www.abwa.org

The members-only section of the Association Web site features professional development tools, including online training that cover a ranges of topics from leading a team to networking 101.

National Recognition

National recognition is one of the four tenets of the association’s mission. Members have the opportunity to run for national office for a seat on the organization’s National Board of Directors.

Members also compete for the Top 10 Business Women of ABWA based on personal and professional achievements. Every year, ABWA groups nominate one accomplished member as a candidate for the Top Ten Business Women of ABWA.

From the ten finalists, the American Business Woman of ABWA is chosen. The Top Ten are introduced at the Association’s annual meeting, the National Women’s Leadership Conference.

National Publications

ABWA offers a varied collection of informational tools to their members. "Women in Business"® [http://www.abwa.org/Media/media.cfm?ID=3] , the award-winning [http://www.kcbronzequill.org/winners.aspx] national magazine of ABWA, offers articles on a blend of personal and professional development topics. Published six times a year, "Women in Business"® features a continuing education department focused on business and market-relevant topics.

Members also enjoy custom-designed online newsletters to serve the individual needs of different groups: "Company Connection"® for business owners, "Express Network"® for busy professionals and "Council Communications" for council officers. "PrimeTime Connection"® is mailed to retired and PrimeTime Connection members.

References

1. American Business Women’s Association, history http://www.abwa.org/About/about.cfm?ID=2

See also, http://www.thenationalnetworker.com/articles/2006_10_womensnetworking.shtml

See also, http://som.csudh.edu/dkarber/501sp01/cdavis/ABWA.htm

See also, http://www.las.iastate.edu/kiosk/1086.shtml

2. ABWA Membership statistics, http://www.abwa.org/Media/media.cfm?ID=2

3. ABWA Member profiles, www.abwa.org/pdf/2008memberprofile.pdf

4. Professional development options, http://www.abwa.org/pdf/2008Facts.pdf

5. ABWA-KU Certificate Series, http://www.business.ku.edu/news-KUABWA

See also, http://www.business.ku.edu/ExecutiveEducation

6. National Board of Directors, http://www.abwa.org/About/about.cfm?ID=4

7. "Women in Business" magazine, http://www.abwa.org/Media/media.cfm?ID=3

See also, http://www.kcbronzequill.org/winners.aspx