Group Membership Frequently Asked Questions

Key Terms to Learn:

Individual Membership: Covers one person, and is owned by that person. If the member leaves their job and the organization paid for the membership, the individual has to request the transfer of the membership.

Key Contact: This is the person that can request updates to group roster and receive renewal notifications.

Email for Invoicing: This is the email of where the invoice for renewals will be sent.

Group/Organization: Contains all linked member profiles for an organization. Organizations can transfer membership slots to other employees during their renewal period or if an employee permanently leaves the organization.

Group Member/Linked Profile: A single employee profile within the Group umbrella.

Q: What's the difference between Individual and Group Memberships?

A: An Individual Membership is owned by the individual and a Group Membership is owned by the organization.

Individual Membership
An Individual Membership is one profile for one individual. An organization or an individual can pay for this profile, but the individual member has to request a transfer if the membership needs to be transferred to another individual. There are several types of individual membership, including Retired, Student Affiliate, and Distinguished Emeritus. Learn more about individual member types.

Group Membership
The organization owns the Group Membership and can transfer memberships (during the membership renewal period or with a permanent staff departure.) Group Membership includes four linked individual profiles. Larger organizations can add additional linked profiles at a set rate per profile.


Q: How do I set up a Group Membership?

A: The process is different for brand-new members and for those who are current members wanting to upgrade to group membership:

1) If you have never held a membership with IOA before, you can sign up through our online membership application. When you sign up for a Group Membership, you will designate a Key Contact from among the group members. The Key Contact will be responsible for updating your organization’s settings and information, as well as receiving membership renewal invoices, and establishing the allotted linked profiles that will be attached to your organization’s Group Membership.

2) If you or another employee of your organization hold a current membership with IOA and want to upgrade your membership to a Group Membership, please email the IOA office at [email protected] for further instructions. You will need to provide the organization name, names and email addresses for all those that will be included in the group membership, and the name and email address for the Key Contact.


Q: Can I replace or delete linked profiles within my Group Membership?

A: Yes, organizations have the ability to replace or delete employees in and out of their allotted linked profiles. This can be done in two instances:

1) During the organization’s membership renewal period, which is 60 days prior to your expiration date, the organization’s key contact will receive a current roster on their renewal invoice. This can be updated by sending the following roster information to [email protected]:
  • Full name of the person(s) being removed from the roster
  • Full name, email, and professional title of the person(s) being added to the roster
2) If someone permanently leaves your department or organization, please email [email protected] with their name for removal and the name, email, and professional title of the replacement.

Q: Can I transfer my Individual Membership?

A: Yes, a member can request that their membership be transferred. Learn more about the membership transfer process.


Q: I have a Group Membership. Can I add additional linked members to the group past the allotted amount?

A: Yes, you can add additional members at a set cost per member. For the most current pricing, please see our membership page.


Q: I’d like to add another member to our Group Membership, but we expire in 6 months. Will I be prorated for the cost of the new individual?

A: No, an organization may add members to the Group Membership, but all members under the Group Membership will hold the same expiration date. We recommend updating your roster during your renewal period.


Q: How can I find out what my expiration date is?

A:  Please follow the directions below to locate your expiration date.

  1. Log into www.ombudsassociation.org.
  2. Navigate to the Member Center (under the menu: Membership > Member Center).
  3. Click on the "View Your Member Profile" button.
  4. Your membership expiration date will be displayed under your name and above your profile details.

Q: My organization already has five members, but their expiration dates are throughout the year.  How can I move them into a Group Membership?

A: When the first member comes up for renewal, you will have to renew all 5 to get the group rate, even though some people still have time on their current memberships.  


Q: How do I designate a specific person ("Key Contact") on my team to receive invoices?

A: The Key Contact for your Group Membership will receive renewal invoices for the Group Membership. Other linked profiles will receive invoices individually when they register for programs, etc. Simply indicate your preference for your Key Contact when taking the membership application or renewal form. If you’d like to update another time, please contact [email protected].


Q: How can I update my personal profile?

A:  Please follow the directions below to update your personal profile.

  1. Log into www.ombudsassociation.org.
  2. Navigate to the Member Center (under the menu: Membership > Member Center).
  3. Click the “View Your Member Profile” button.
  4. Click the “Edit” button on the top-right corner of your profile information.

If you have additional questions about membership, please feel free to reach out to the office by calling +1 206-209-5275 or emailing [email protected].