The last 25 years have been marked by an explosion of consortia formed to develop, promote and otherwise support ICT standards. The reasons for creating a new consortium include the absence of appropriate technical expertise, interest, and/or supporting programs in existing organizations, and the benefits to be gained from directing all of the resources and efforts of a self-selecting membership to a particular set of common objectives. This article reviews the benefits to be obtained from launching a new consortium, the criteria to use to determine whether doing so is appropriate, the programs and functionalities available for achieving specific goals, and the stage of institutional maturity at which each function must be added to accomplish a new organization’s mission.