Forj

Forj is a learning and online community platform built for associations and professional networks. It sells three connected products: Forj Learn, an LMS for continuing education, credentialing and member learning; Forj Connect, an online community for peer discussion, mentoring and events; and Forj Analyze, the analytics layer behind both. Journey by Forj is the name for the combined package, which the home page describes as bringing "community, learning, and insights together in one place."

The About page says Forj was formed in 2020 to help associations modernize their member experience, on technology that had already run an online community of HR professionals for over a decade. In January 2023 Forj merged with Web Courseworks, and a few months later it acquired Mobilize, a community platform; the combined company carries the Forj name. Kurt Heikkinen is CEO. The LMS page says Forj is trusted by 300+ organizations and recognized as a Top 10 LMS by Talented Learning.

Forj Learn: the LMS

Forj Learn is aimed at what its FAQ calls member-driven professional development, as opposed to the mandatory employee training most LMS products are built for. Its course tools include AI-powered recommendations, a streaming-like catalog search, drag-and-drop course building, embedded SCORM and multimedia content, and live and on-demand learning. The FAQ lists the content it handles as video courses, live webinars, interactive assessments, discussion forums, podcasts, PDFs and virtual event recordings, and the platform is mobile responsive.

Continuing education and credentials. Forj Learn tracks CE credits, hours and requirements, delivers certificates automatically or manually, and gives members digital transcripts they can keep for their whole career. It supports licensing, compliance and professional advancement with "advanced credit eligibility and conditional award logic," and the FAQ says it tracks CE credits across different states and professions. When a member completes a course, credits are recorded automatically and the certification process runs against the association's own criteria.

Social and cohort learning. Courses can run as cohorts that connect members facing similar challenges, and built-in messaging keeps learners in touch with instructors and each other. When Forj Learn is paired with Forj Connect, members are guided from a course into relevant groups and discussions, so a finished course turns into an ongoing conversation.

Selling courses. Associations can set conditional pricing for different membership tiers, price separately for members, non-members and partners, and bundle courses into certification programs. Forj Learn has an out-of-the-box Stripe integration and can work with the association's own ecommerce provider for checkout. Dashboards show revenue, enrollment trends and performance, and the LMS page pitches ROI metrics that connect learning to business outcomes for leadership. The partner pricing is where Forj reaches beyond member education into customer and partner education.

Analytics. In-app analytics from Forj Analyze show completion rates, engagement trends and member progress, and the LMS page says AI summarizes quiz results and survey feedback into action items. The platform tracks engagement patterns so staff can reach out to members who have stopped logging in.

Forj Connect: the community

Forj Connect is the online community side. Members reach it through mobile, email and the web, and they can contribute through posts, polls and events. AI-powered group recommendations point members to the right spaces, and AI-powered moderation helps keep conversations respectful. The community page lists:

• member- and expert-contributed resources that build a knowledge hub
• member directories and matchmaking to find mentors, collaborators and experts
• member-led Q&A
• badges and recognition, mentorship pathways, and job and volunteer postings
• dedicated spaces for chapters, committees and interest groups
• fully branded experiences with custom logos, colors and registration flows

The community page says Forj Connect scales "from 500 to 50,000+ members" and cites its own finding that members who engage 3-4+ times a month report an 89.8% renewal intention. Events are handled inside the community too: members can register, attend sessions, keep talking in dedicated spaces and watch recordings.

Mobile app. Forj offers an Android and iOS app, either fully branded or out of the box, with single sign-on and push notifications. Learning content tapped in the app opens in the member's mobile web browser.

Integrations, security and setup

Forj describes itself as API-first, with pre-built AMS integrations, enterprise-grade SSO and an open API. The partners page mentions tailored integrations with association software and standardized, self-serve integrations that support major SSO providers. With an AMS, members log in once for both systems, profile changes sync automatically, and Forj Learn can write course completions and credits back to the AMS. The FAQs describe enterprise-grade security with role-based access controls, data encryption, regular audits and compliance with privacy regulations.

Implementation depends on size, customization and integrations, and the FAQ says some associations are live in as little as two weeks. A dedicated implementation team handles setup, data migration, staff training and member activation, and the LMS page says strategy, content and implementation are included "without user limits or hidden hurdles." Ongoing, client success and client services teams provide training, regular check-ins, platform updates and community strategy support, and instructional design services turn an association's expertise into courses. Customers quoted on the home page praise the onboarding; one says, "Right away we got an implementation plan from your [Forj] team and followed that all the way through."

Case studies and pricing

The site points to case studies from AWHONN, a community for women's health professionals, ICBA, which built a 5,000-member digital community in two years, and MAASE, which unified community and learning for special education leaders.

The site publishes no prices. Its own LMS buying guide says cost depends on member count, certification tracking needs and integration requirements, and buyers book a demo for a quote.

Who it suits

Forj fits associations and professional networks that want continuing education and member community in one system, tied to their AMS by single sign-on and data write-back. It is strongest where an association runs credentialed CE programs across states or professions, wants to sell courses to members, non-members and partners at different prices, and cares about renewal as much as completion. The cohort learning, messaging and course-to-group routing suit associations that see learning as a year-round membership benefit rather than a one-off purchase.

It is designed for member organizations, so a company that only needs mandatory employee compliance training is outside its stated focus, and a solo creator would be buying an association platform. For an association moving off an older LMS and a separate community tool, Forj's combined product and included implementation support are the main reasons to shortlist it.