CAE Scholarship

The CAE Scholarship supports association professionals from underrepresented communities who are pursuing the Certified Association Executive credential. 

About the ASAE CAE Scholarship

Qualifying Applicants

• Employed by an organization that is not financially able to support taking the CAE exam
• Currently limited with personal finances to cover the cost of the CAE exam registration fee or exam preparation study materials
• Eligible to sit for the CAE exam and plans to sit for the exam within one year of applying for the scholarship; See CAE Exam Requirements to learn more
• An association professional who is committed to supporting a diverse workforce of association professionals of underserved communities
• Association professionals currently employed:
  • at any career level of the organization
  • in any functional area of the organization
  • with an organization of any budget or staff size

Background

The original CAE Scholarship program was founded in 2011 by ASAE volunteers of the Executive Management Council and ASAE staff, in homage to a beloved council member and credential holder, John P. Mamone. The previously established CAE Scholarship program intended to provide scholarship awards to association executives who have applied to sit for the CAE exam within the calendar year. In 2023, we have revitalized and reimagined the scholarship program, with the intentionality towards providing financial assistance to association professionals of underserved communities seeking to obtain the CAE designation as a pathway to greater opportunities and impact on their journey in the association workforce. 

Scholarship Details

The CAE scholarship program provides financial assistance to support a diverse workforce of underrepresented communities in pursuing the Certified Association Executive credential. Each scholarship recipient will receive an award of $500, which can be applied to the application fee ($500) or used for exam preparation (i.e., reading materials or prep courses). In addition, all scholarship recipients awarded the scholarship will receive the member rate for the CAE exam registration (including non-members), which must be used within one year of award receipt. Additionally, each non-member scholarship recipient will receive one-year of complimentary ASAE membership and the scholarship award amount. 

Past CAE Scholarship recipient Rebecca Morgan shares the impact this scholarship has had on her professional development and business growth.

Eligibility

• ASAE Members and Non-members are eligible
• Professional letter of support
• Able to demonstrate through essay response their intention and vision of a career in association management, their exam study preparation plan and will have a colleague who can speak to that intended commitment.

Program Cycle

Applications open January 12^th 2026 and close March 15^th 2026

Founding Donors

In 2023 Lowell Aplebaum, EdD, FASAE, CAE, IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator, Matthew Gertzog, FASAE, CAE, and ABSI made substantial contributions to reactivate the CAE Scholarship. This effort was rooted in their commitment to the association community by providing access to the CAE credential to those in need of financial assistance that has a commitment to furthering their career in associations.

Past Recipients

See past ASAE CAE Scholarship recipients

Contact

For more information, email: ASAEFoundation@asaecenter.org