A chapter is formed when a diverse group of ISACA members in a metropolitan area band together to form an official part of ISACA for the benefit of local ISACA members and the IT assurance, IT security, and IT governance communities. When a chapter forms, ISACA's Board of Directors issues a charter, that is, an official document granting a group to represent ISACA locally in a defined chapter territory.
ISACA chapters have the altruistic goal of creating an entity that best benefits local ISACA members and the greater profession. In practice, this means that ISACA chapters offer members the opportunity to attend local meetings, educational sessions, courses, round-table discussions, networking opportunities, etc. The purpose of these events is to provide information about developments in the industries of IT assurance, security, risk and governance. ISACA seeks to increase membership through demonstrating benefits and services to members.
ISACA chapters are composed of and run by unpaid volunteers elected by their peers to help manage the chapter activities. Chapter members are given an opportunity to vote for chapter officers to guide their chapters. Chapters are not managed by local companies, but rather by local members. Chapters are never managed by IT training or event-promotion companies. It follows that, to best benefit local members, chapter events are not marketing platforms for companies from which speakers are culled. That is, chapters must always remain independent of any third parties.
Only ISACA members are eligible to be ISACA chapter leaders. These leaders plan and manage meetings that take the form of seminars, technical sessions, workshops, luncheons, round-table discussions, breakfast meetings, conferences, networking opportunities, etc. Chapters also hold review courses to prepare local members planning to take ISACA's certification exams.
All chapter members MUST be members of the International Association. There can be no local members that are not also ISACA International members. Dues are not waived for chapter officers. The chapter must represent the full membership base of the chapter territory. Conversely, all members of the International Association must be members of a local chapter, if they live or work within 50 miles/80 km of a chapter. When members join online via the ISACA web site, they must select a local chapter and pay dues accordingly. If they are not near a local chapter, they can be an at-large member (that is, only a member of ISACA International); this is verified by staff at headquarters before membership is activated to ensure that all those who should be in a local chapter, indeed are, and pay chapter dues accordingly.
