Leading Accounting Organizations Partner to Diversify the Accounting Profession

Pilot program from IMA, AAA, NABA, CalCPA, CAQ, and Gleim will reach out to Black students and professionals in California

In January, IMA (Institute of Management Accountants), AAA (American Accounting Association), NABA Inc. (formerly the National Association of Black Accountants), CalCPA (California Society of Certified Public Accountants), CAQ (Center for Audit Quality), and Gleim Exam Prep announced a partnership pilot program in California to encourage Black students to pursue accounting as a profession and Black professionals to consider sharing their experiences in the accounting classroom. The program will look to increase the number of Black and African American individuals who are fluent in accounting, the language of money, business, and wealth.

Under the partnership agreement, the six organizations will combine their resources for outreach to Black students and to professionals for teaching roles in California. Pending the success of this pilot program, it can eventually expand to other demographic groups and geographies.

The program will comprise four exclusive tracks that will aid participants in their success — three student tracks: the CMA (Certified Management Accountant) track, which will map out a career in management accounting and ready participants to become CMAs; the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) track, which will map out a career in public and private accounting and ready participants to become CPAs; the leadership track to help participants become business leaders; and the faculty track, which will include faculty development from AAA and assist in the practitioner-to-faculty transition.

All of the tracks will include complimentary memberships to the respective relevant organizations in the partnership, along with resources and exposure to Black business leaders and faculty. Participants in the CMA and CPA tracks will receive access to Gleim Exam Prep courses, a leader in the accounting exam prep space and trusted by candidates for more than 45 years.

The pilot program implements actionable solutions from the April 2022 Diversifying Global Accounting Talent: Actionable Solutions for Progress report from IMA, CalCPA, and IFAC (International Federation of Accountants), in which all other organizations in this pilot program partnership were involved, that are directed toward attracting diverse talent with various types of campaigns. This program responds to the key call to action found in the research: advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

IMA is one of the largest and most respected associations focused exclusively on advancing the management accounting profession. Globally, IMA supports the profession through research, the CMA and CSCA (Certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis) programs, continuing education, networking, and advocacy of the highest ethical business practices.

For every past, present and future CPA and accountant, CalCPA is a members’ club and professional education provider offering the leadership the CPA profession needs for change, and the knowledge professionals need for what’s next.

NABA Inc. is a nonprofit membership association dedicated to bridging the opportunity gap for Black Business Leaders in accounting, finance, entrepreneurship, and related business professions.

The American Accounting Association is the largest community of accountants in academia. Founded in 1916, it has a rich and reputable history built on leading-edge research and publications. The diversity of our membership creates a fertile environment for collaboration and innovation.

The Center for Audit Quality (CAQ) is a nonpartisan public policy organization serving as the voice of U.S. public company auditors and matters related to the audits of public companies.

Gleim creates online self-study courses for accounting certification exams, including the CPA, CMA, CIA, and EA.