ACFE Chapters 2021 Year in Review

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We are very proud of the accomplishments our ACFE chapters made in 2021. This past year, we saw chapters become comfortable offering virtual events that were very profitable. Many chapters used these funds to invest in a new website or a new association management system to manage their membership. Many chapters also donated to the ACFE Foundation.

Chapters continued to come up with unique ways to solve problems and serve members. We saw a chapter organize a conference with 1,000 attendees. Chapters also collaborated and crossed borders to partner with each other to create larger and more successful events. Even through the continuing pandemic, chapters continue to find new ways to reach their members and offer benefits to increase membership.

Let’s look back at all we accomplished in 2021 and celebrate how the chapters have impacted the growth of the ACFE. Here are some highlights from the past year.

New Chapters
The ACFE welcomed three new international chapters in 2021. We now have 196 ACFE chapters worldwide. The new chapters are:

  • Vietnam Chapter #240

  • Madagascar Chapter #241

  • Sri Lanka Chapter #242

Chapter Awards Winners
At the 32nd Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference, the Greece Chapter was recognized as Chapter of the Year, and the South Florida Chapter was recognized for the Chapter Website of the Year. You are welcome to read the Greece Chapter’s award nomination form to see their accomplishments from the previous year.

Chapter Leaders Meeting
More than 200 chapter leaders attended the Chapter Leaders Meeting at the 32nd Annual ACFE Global Fraud Conference. The meeting took place over two days, and presentations were given by Central Ohio Chapter President James Rumph, CFE, and South Florida Chapter President Matt Molchany, CFE. On the first day, we discussed membership growth. It was a great discussion regarding different campaigns to reach new members and the different types of membership dues structures chapters employ. If your chapter is struggling to increase your membership or you are just looking for new ideas, you might consider watching the video of the leaders meeting and adopting some of the strategies by other chapters.

On the second day, we discussed what type of events chapters plan on offering in the future. Many chapters found virtual events very profitable, allowing them to pay for speakers they may not have been able to afford previously, as well as invest in their website, technology, and more. Chapters plan on continuing to offer virtual events or a virtual/in-person hybrid model into 2022 and beyond. We also discussed the benefits of chapters partnering with each other. Whether your chapter may not be offering events or you want to offer additional opportunities to your members, you might want to consider partnering with other ACFE chapters.

Scholarship Fundraising Challenge
ACFE chapters donated a record-breaking $109,505 to the ACFE Foundation in 2021. There were 35 chapters that donated and the Dallas Area Chapter was able to contribute $20,000. Both of these accomplishments were also records. Thank you to all the ACFE chapters that helped make the 2021 Scholarship Fundraising Challenge so successful.

Other Accomplishments

  • More than 30 chapters supported International Fraud Awareness Week 2021. More than 1,150 supporters and 32 ACFE chapters signed up to support Fraud Week in 2021. Each year, ACFE chapters find creative ways to promote Fraud Week to their members and the local community. This year, chapters hosted panel discussions, held week-long events, created video podcast challenges for students, and more.

  • South Florida and Twin Cities Chapters jointly hosted an event that 60 other chapters also helped promote, yielding nearly 600 attendees. Chapters that helped promote the event also received a share of the revenue for each attendee that registered from their geographic area.

  • The Central Ohio Chapter held its annual conference virtually. One thousand people attended the conference, making it the largest chapter event hosted in the United States.

  • The Italy Chapter used the pandemic as an opportunity to evaluate their existing processes and look for improvements. They made several key adjustments that yielded about a 50% membership increase compared to 2020.

  • The Greater Toronto Area Chapter developed an e-learning program that provides affordable, Canadian-themed, on-demand learning. Through the e-learning program, they were recently able to offer a FREE course for 1 CPE to any local CFE.

  • The Arizona Chapter completely redesigned their website after selecting Star Chapter as their association management system.

  • After being dormant for quite some time, the Gulf Coast Chapter formed a new board. Since then, they have created a new website, donated to the ACFE Foundation, begun the process of becoming a NASBA sponsor, and have their first event planned for late January.

  • The Poland Chapter also reformed with a new board and has since been very active. Their leadership participated at the International Congress in Poland and have promoted the ACFE and the chapter at several local conferences. They have plans to offer 1-hour trainings every other Wednesday to build interest in the chapter and hopefully increase their membership.

We would like to thank each and every one of you for supporting ACFE initiatives and volunteering your time to provide assistance to ACFE members. You provide an invaluable service to the anti-fraud community around the globe. We look forward to another great year and more accomplishments in 2022.