Frequently Asked Questions About Membership

Membership FAQs

    • Visit www.caionline.org and click “Become a Member” to view the available membership categories.
    • Then select “Join Now,”
    • Enter your email address
    • Choose “No, I don’t have an account, but I would like to create one.”
    • Click “Create Account,”
    • Once your account is set up, you can continue with the membership application process.
    • Alternatively, hard copy applications are available on the Become a Member page.

  • Go to www.caionline.org and click on “Find a Chapter” at the top of the page.

  • No. Membership begins when you join and is valid for 12 months (for example, if you join in May, your membership will remain active through the end of May the following year).

  • No. The only person covered under the membership is the primary contact. All managers will need to join as individual members. The primary contact does NOT need a manager membership.

    1. To renew your CAI membership online, follow these steps:
    • Go to www.caionline.org
    • Click the Log In button in the upper right corner
    • Once logged in, click My CAI in the upper right corner
    • Select My Memberships from the dropdown menu
    • Click Renew/Rejoin at the top of the page
    • You can also access the My Memberships page directly by visiting  this link and logging in.

  • All affiliates receive member discounts, along with Members-Only login access to register for events and courses such as the Business Partner Essentials program, receive email newsletters, and participate in the Open Forum (Exchange) to network with other CAI members.

  • Yes, you can upgrade your individual membership at a later time. Just call or email our Member Service Center at (703) 970-9220 or [email protected], and they can prorate the upgraded dues for you.

  • CAI is not a governing body that oversees communities, but an education and reference center, as well as an advocacy group, supporting healthy and well-informed homeowners, board members, and the managers that oversee them. Our memberships and resources are geared toward helping you understand your rights and responsibilities, while living, or serving, in your community.

  • Membership depends on your role or profession within the community association industry. You can view the available membership categories on our website (www.caionline.org/become-a-member/). You can also call or email our Member Service Center at (703) 970-9220 or [email protected], to help you select the best option.

  • You will receive a welcome email within 24 hours that contains a link to set up your login credentials to access our website. Please note that the National login is separate from chapter logins, and each chapter website uses its own distinct username and password.
     

  • Yes, up to 15 board members are included in the homeowner leader membership.
     

  • Yes, see the Education page of the website CAI Education | Community Associations Institute for a list including online courses and webinars.

  • Yes, but you must first hold a Business Partner or Management Company membership to purchase additional chapters. All memberships must share the same expiration date, and dues will be prorated accordingly. Please call or email our Member Service Center at (703) 970-9220 or [email protected], and they can prorate the upgraded dues for you.
     

  • Yes. Only the primary contact listed on a management company membership receives member benefits through that company membership. To access the full range of benefits yourself, you will need your own individual manager membership.
     

  • Yes, you can add affiliate members at no additional cost. Affiliates are direct employees of the Business Partner member company. The affiliate receives access to members-only content on the CAI website, member discounts on event registrations and publications, and the opportunity to serve on committees and boards. Only the primary contact for each Business Partner membership has the right to vote in elections. Affiliate members do not have voting rights.

  • Yes, member pricing applies to courses and credential programs. However, a manager membership is required to receive discounts on manager-related products. For example, if a Business Partner affiliate holds an AMS credential, they must also have a manager membership to receive the member rate for the AMS annual maintenance fee.

  • Through chapter engagement, events, sponsorships, and our national opportunities.

  • Click “Forgot My Password” on the login screen, and a password reset email will be sent to the address on file. If you no longer have access to that email address, please contact the Member Service Center at [email protected].

  • They are available in your CAI account (www.caionline.org)  go to “My CAI,” and under “My Orders,” you can download your invoice or receipt.
     

  • Please email the Member Service Center at [email protected] to determine whether their business is best suited for a National Corporate membership or a multi-chapter membership

  • No, installment payments are not available, however, dues can be split between two credit cards if needed. Please contact Processing at [email protected] to arrange a split payment

  • Please confirm that you have an active Business Partner or Management Company membership. If your membership status is active, please email the Member Service Center at [email protected] for further review.
     

  • Please ensure the member joining includes your name in the application’s referral field. If it is not included, please contact the Member Service Center at [email protected] to have you added as the recruiter.

  • Yes, you can access our branded portal for artwork and instructions.

Mentor Match FAQs

  • An online tool that connects members for professional mentoring. Mentees search for Mentors (and vice versa) based on selected criteria such as topics, experience, and communication preferences.

  • No. Mentor Match is included in your membership.

  • Members can enroll as a Mentor, Mentee, or both. They then set their preferences and complete their profile. Members search the database to identify potential matches, and connection requests are sent by clicking the Mentor or Mentee badge on a profile. The recipient will then receive an email notification and can accept or decline the request.
     

  • Members can enroll online, select their preferences, and complete their profile, here.

  • Fellow members seeking professional guidance.

  • Yes, but it’s recommended to accept only as many as you can support effectively.

  • You’ll receive an email request.

  • Yes. It’s best to have an initial conversation first, but you may decline through the "My Mentoring Relationships" page.

  • Go to the "Mentor Enrollment" page, click the “Mentor Status” link then click on the check-box next to “Temporarily Not Participating.” Doing this will indicate that you are not accepting any Mentee requests at the moment, and your mentoring profile will not be included in a Mentee’s search for a Mentor. It is your responsibility to communicate your availability to your existing Mentees.

  • Mark it as “completed” in your dashboard and communicate with your Mentee.

  • Time commitment varies—discuss and agree on expectations at the start.

  • Mentors are volunteers but receive a special ribbon to recognize participation.

  • Members can enroll online, select preferences, and complete their profile online, here

  • Experienced members who volunteer to support other members’ careers.

  • Yes, but choose carefully to respect the time Mentors can offer.

  • Search the database, review profiles, and send a request via the Mentor badge.

  • Follow up after 1–2 weeks using the contact information in their profile.

  • Politely end the relationship and restart your search.

  • Decide together—most communication is virtual, but in-person meetings (e.g., at the annual meeting) are encouraged.

  • It’s up to you and your Mentor—set expectations at the start.

CAI Exchange FAQs

  • Our login credentials are the same username and password that you use to log in to the main site. If you have forgotten your login credentials or need assistance with your login information, please contact us.
     

  • Navigate to your profile page on the main CAI website to update your name, email, or address information. You may update your community profile by clicking the "Add" button to add your bio, job history, or education. Upload a profile picture by clicking "Actions" under the profile picture icon.

  • Navigate to your profile page, then select the "My Account" tab and choose "Privacy Settings" from the drop-down menu. This will let you control what information is visible to whom. After you’ve made changes, click the “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the page.

  • Communities allow you to participate in discussions and share resources with other members.

  • Go to “Communities” in the main navigation bar. Select “My Communities” to view the communities you currently belong to.

  • Navigate to your profile and click on the "My Account" tab. Choose "Community Notifications" from the drop-down menu.  On that page, there are subscription options: Real Time, Daily Digest, or No Email. 

    For each discussion, you have the following delivery options:

    Real time: sends an email every time a new message is posted.
    Daily digest: sends one email to you each day, consolidating all of the posts from the previous day.
    No Email: allows you to be part of the group without having emails sent to you. You can still post and read others’ messages by logging into the community site.
    Consolidated daily digest: allows you to combine multiple communities into one daily email.
    Consolidated weekly digest: sends a single email for all communities to which you belong once a week with all posts from the previous 7 days.

  • At the bottom of your community daily digest email, you will see a link to unsubscribe. Click the link Go to your profile and click on the "My Account" tab. Choose "Email Preferences" from the drop-down menu. Here, you will see a list of available communities and those to which you’ve subscribed. Select "Leave Community” under the Actions column for the discussions you wish to leave.

  • To respond to a discussion post, please navigate to the discussion post and click “Reply to Discussion” to send your message to the entire community.  To send a message to the only author of the post, please select “Reply to Sender” (located in the "Reply to Discussion" drop-down).  We recommend replying to the sender for simple comments like “me, too” that add little value to the overall discussion; and replying to the entire community when you are sharing knowledge, experience or resources that others could benefit from.

  • Go to “Participate" > “Post a message.” From an email (HTML version) for a particular discussion forum, you can use the “Post Message” link located at the top of the discussion email.

  • Yes, please enter a keyword in the search bar located in the main navigation. To refine your search results, please select "Show Advanced Search."

  • If you know which library the resource might be located in, find the affiliated community via the All Communities page. Click through the community's landing page, then click on the “Library” tab . If you do not know where the resource might be, enter search terms in the main search box the same way you might enter search terms into Google or another search engine.

  • Select the “Share a File” link found under “Participate” in the main navigation or "Create New Library Entry" on any community landing page. Please note that uploading a document is accomplished by completing a few steps, and each step must be completed before you can move on to the next:
    Choose a title for your document, and include a description (optional). Select the library to which you’d like to upload it, and select a folder to which you’d like to upload it (optional).  Then, choose an Entry Type (most will be Standard Files, but be cognizant of any copyright licensed material). Once you have completed these steps, please click “Next.”
    Upload your file.

    Select “Next” if you want to further describe your files and/or add tags to your file.  Otherwise, please click “Finish” to post your library entry

  • Go to “Participate" > “Post a message.” Once you choose your community, add a title, a check box will appear to Post Anonymously.

  • CAI staff moderate the Anonymous posts and will approve or reject your post within 24 hours.

  • Go to our profile > My contributions > Choose your post > Click the “Actions” arrow to the right to remove the post.