In 2003, there were about 3,156 regional, national, and international organizations within the state.
Headquartered in Massachusetts are the National Association of Independent Schools, the National Commission for Cooperative Education, both in Boston, and the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge. The Union of Concerned Scientists in Cambridge and the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War in Boston—recipient of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize—are major public affairs associations based in the state.
Academic and scientific organizations headquartered in Boston include the American Meteorological Society, American Society of Law and Medicine, American Surgical Association, the Visiting Nurse Associations of America and Optometric Research Institute. The American Academy of Arts and Science is located in Cambridge, the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians is in Newton Highlands, and the Protestant Guild for the Blind is in Belmont. Other education and research organizations with national scope and membership include the Albert Einstein Institution, the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, the Bostonian Society, the Plymouth Rock Foundation, the Thoreau Society, and the Titanic Historical Society. There are numerous municipal and regional historical, preservations, and arts organizations.
Among the many professional, business, and consumer organizations based in Massachusetts are the American Institute of Management and the International Brotherhood of Police Officers in Quincy; the Wood Products Manufacturers Association in Gardner; and the National Consumer Law Center, Northern Textile Association, and Wool Manufacturers Council in Boston. The American Orchid Society and the Nieman Foundation are in Cambridge, the Shoe Suppliers Association of America is in East Bridgewater, and the United Textile Workers of America is in Lawrence.
The headquarters of the John Birch Society, an archconservative political association, is in Belmont. Oxfam-America, the US affiliate of the international humanitarian relief agency, is located in Boston. Students Against Destructive Decisions/Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) is based in Marlborough. The Christian Science Publishing Society, which publishes the Christian Science Monitor, is located in Boston. The Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, a major body of the Unitarian Church, is also based in Boston.
Major sports associations in the state are the Eastern College Athletic Conference in Centerville and the American Hockey League in Springfield. The International Friendship League, which matches pen pals in 139 countries, has its headquarters in Boston.