By Sara Albert, PICPA member relations manager

In 2020, all PICPA members who renewed their membership were offered an opportunity to complete a survey about their membership. Among the results, survey takers identified which of the benefits presented they considered as among the most valuable parts of membership. These are the four benefits that garnered the largest percentages* of votes:

• Discounts on professional education and complimentary CPE (65%)
• Quarterly Pennsylvania CPA Journal (56%)
• Advocacy work that the PICPA team does in Harrisburg (24%)
• Networking and connection opportunities with fellow members (15%)

*Note: Survey takers could choose multiple items as “most valuable,” so percentage results will not add up to 100%.

As we move into a new membership year, I wanted to provide some more details on these key areas of member value.

Complimentary and Discounted Professional Education

Professional education sets CPAs apart from most other business professionals. The PICPA offers thousands of education programs on topics ranging from tax, to auditing, to technology, to corporate finance … and so much more. Early in the pandemic, the PICPA cancelled all in-person events, so all of our conferences have been held via webcast and we have made much of our conferences content accessible on-demand. We look forward to a day when we can resume in-person programming, but in the meantime the PICPA has committed to making the digital experience a key part of our business going forward.

New benefit: Beginning May 2021, PICPA members can subscribe to the PICPA CPE Academy, an unlimited self-study course library, for only $299. Additionally, all PICPA members receive at least 16 hours of complimentary CPE annually. This benefit alone pays for the cost of membership.

Keeping Members Informed

At the PICPA, we are keenly aware that our members deeply desire information, as the results for the Pennsylvania CPA Journal show. But in addition to the journal, we offer numerous channels for members to share critical updates. Our team and membership carefully monitor and report on professional issues via our CPA Now blog, CPA Conversations podcast series, and professional education courses. A recent addition is our COVID-19 resources webpage, a hub for all the information surrounding COVID-19 and ways we can help our members serve their clients.

Advocacy

The CPA profession’s clout and reputation gives members invaluable access to state legislators and regulatory decision makers. This past year PICPA has been able to provide members access to key subject matter experts at the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue and Department of Labor. The PICPA is in regular contact with leaders at the AICPA, and we’ve been able to conduct multiple roundtables and webinars to provide members with crucial information on PPP loans, the CARES Act, and business guidance.

When issues such as a sales tax on services, license deregulation, or property tax reform come up for discussion in legislative committees, the PICPA is there to provide nonpartisan testimony to help guide lawmakers toward smart policy decisions. But we can only do this with our 20,000 members behind us.

Connections and Relationships

At our core, PICPA’s mission is about connecting CPAs with like-minded professionals to help them achieve bigger and better things at every stage in their professional life. There is great value in fostering these connections and relationships, and creating opportunities for networking in this year’s virtual world has required the PICPA to get creative.

For some members, the PICPA Connect message boards, particularly the one on Taxation, is where they connected with other members. There are 2,000 members who follow and participate on the PICPA Connect boards, providing updates, answering questions, and sharing professional insights with each other on technical issues and new laws and regulations.

This year we took our annual Successful CPA Candidate celebration virtual, and more than 300 attendees participated. We also hosted a virtual 5K, online cocktail classes, and other unique programs so our members could still connect in various ways.

CPAs are viewed as trusted financial advisers because of the rigorous process it takes to become a CPA, the high level of knowledge CPAs possess, the ongoing education requirements, and a strict adherence to professional ethics. PICPA membership strengthens and supports all those values in the eyes of your clients, your employer, and your professional network. There is no price tag you can put on reputation and trust.

PICPA members can leverage their membership to save money, further their career, build their professional network, enhance their technical expertise, gain leadership skills, and stay up to date with the latest professional news and regulatory information.

Join more than 20,000 accounting professionals and students to expand your own net worth while also helping to support the profession.

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