More Than Membership: How IAC’s Programs and Services Deliver Real Value for Idaho Counties

Every Idaho county pays dues to belong to the Idaho Association of Counties. But membership is only the starting point. Behind the scenes, IAC has spent decades building — and curating — a portfolio of 14 programs and services designed to save counties money, reduce risk, and support the people who keep county government running.

If you’ve never taken stock of everything IAC offers, you’re not alone — awareness of the full lineup is something we’re actively working to improve. Here’s a tour of what’s available to you as an active IAC member:

IAC Unemployment Fund — For over 50 years, this fund has taken the burden of unemployment claims off individual counties. It handles claims management, keeps contributions in interest-bearing accounts that belong to your county, and provides unbiased representation to make sure the right evidence backs up any termination.

Nationwide Retirement Solutions — A 45-year partnership between NACo and Nationwide gives county employees access to a deferred compensation program, including a Lifetime Income suite, with oversight from county officials nationally.

SAVI Student Loan Relief — With over 43 million Americans carrying student debt, Savi offers a concierge loan-relief benefit — available as an employee-paid or county-paid perk — that screens more than 150 relief options, including eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Previ — An exclusive membership that pairs directly with T-Mobile and AT&T to give county employees and their families discounted, unlimited mobile plans for a modest annual fee.

ICRMP (Idaho Counties Risk Management Program) — Created in 1985 by Idaho local governments looking for a stable, homegrown source of property and casualty coverage, ICRMP has grown into one of the state’s strongest examples of inter-local collaboration on risk management.

Valuation Litigation Fund — Established by a 1997 member vote, this $1 million fund helps counties handle the cost of industrial property valuation lawsuits, funded through voluntary county contributions.

Natural Resource Policy and Litigation Fund — Rather than replacing a county’s own budget, this fund supplements counties’ efforts to litigate and engage in natural resource policy issues that affect Idaho communities.

ClearGov — A public-sector technology platform that helps counties modernize budgeting and strategic planning through its Budget Cycle Management tools, plus ClearForms, which converts paper- and PDF-based workflows into digital ones.

Syringa — Founded in 2002 by 12 rural Idaho telecom companies, Syringa now acts as a technology services broker for IAC members — not a vendor, but an advocate who negotiates on your behalf across a marketplace of hundreds of suppliers spanning connectivity, cybersecurity, managed services, and cloud infrastructure. Because the partnership runs through a cooperative contract, counties can buy directly, without an RFP.

CES — Launched in Idaho in 2025, this partnership gives counties access to pre-vetted, competitively solicited contracts that simplify purchasing, reduce administrative work, and — where possible — favor Idaho-based vendors.

Public Surplus Program — A partnership that gets counties discounted access to the nation’s largest government auction platform, streamlining the online tax-sale and surplus-property process counties are already required to run.

GemPlan — A self-funded health plan owned and operated by counties, for counties — covering elected officials, employees, and dependents, and governed by a board of trustees made up of elected officials from member counties.

Live Healthy — A NACo-backed prescription discount card, offered at no cost to residents of participating counties, giving access to savings at more than 65,000 pharmacies nationwide.

High Performance Leadership Academy — A NACo leadership development program built with input from high-profile figures in organizational leadership, aimed at building stronger frontline and mid-level county leaders. Idaho graduates have pointed to its focus on change management and cross-organizational learning as particularly valuable.

Why This Matters Right Now

This inventory isn’t just a nice list — it’s foundational to where IAC’s Programs and Services work is headed this year. It maps directly onto our strategic plan’s push to review existing services, and it’s already giving us a head start on evaluating how well each program is performing and how well counties actually know about them.

If your county isn’t taking advantage of one or more of these programs, that’s worth a conversation. And if you have ideas for what should come next, we want to hear them — that’s exactly the kind of input that shapes what IAC builds going forward.