Catholic Media Association

What Catholic Media Association does

Catholic Media Association (CMA) is a non-profit professional membership organization incorporated in 1911 and headquartered at 10 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 875, Chicago, Illinois. It serves Catholic media professionals and organizations across North America, comprising 365+ member organizations and 900+ mission-driven journalists, communications experts, advertising/marketing specialists, and freelancers working in Catholic print, broadcast, and digital media.

CMA's product surface is built around four interlocking pillars. First, awards programs — Catholic Media Awards, Gabriel Awards (60 years), CMA Book Awards, St. Juan Diego Collegiate Awards, and individual honors (St. Francis de Sales Award, Cardinal John Foley Award, Father John Catoir Social Media Evangelization Award) — that confer reputational recognition on members. Second, an annual Catholic Media Conference (June 2026 in Atlantic City) delivering paid professional-development programming across Master Camps, workshops, roundtables, and screenings, with pass pricing from $199 (student) to $349 (freelance). Third, recurring content including the monthly The Catholic Journalist publication and a blog/news surface. Fourth, member infrastructure — Member Compass portal (launched December 2023 on Novi AMS), Member/Freelance/Business Directories, webinar archives, and a Career Center job board. Distribution is primarily direct via the CMA website (self-serve) and the annual in-person conference.

Revenue is generated through membership dues (not publicly disclosed), conference pass sales (one-time, ranging $99-$349 plus ancillary shuttle and welcome-event fees), awards entry fees ($38-$225 per entry with member/non-member and open/extension tiers), and corporate sponsorship from a steady roster of Catholic media and fraternal organizations (EWTN Publishing, FAITH Catholic, OSV News, Knights of Columbus, Pontifical Mission Societies, Paulist Productions, DeSales Media, Paulist Fathers). The organization is governed by a member-elected Board of Directors, currently led by President Kerry Weber and Executive Director Rob DeFrancesco.

Name

Catholic Media Association

Legal name

Catholic Media Association

Website

https://catholicmediaassociation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Catholic Media Association is a 1911-founded, Chicago-based non-profit membership organization serving 365+ member organizations and 900+ Catholic media professionals across North America through awards programs, an annual conference, publications, and member directories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Trade Association

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Media, Publishing & Broadcasting (Radio, TV, Digital, Press) (BPAGAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Catholic Broadcasting (MPABALAB), Religious Nonfiction & Theology Publishing (Apologetics, Doctrine, Ethics) (MPAJAHAG), Denominational & Community Periodicals (Church Magazines, Diocesan/Temple Newsletters) (MPAJAHAI)

Keywords

• Catholic media association
• Professional trade association
• Journalism awards programs
• Faith-based communications
• Member publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Catholic Media Association is a non-profit membership trade association that provides Catholic publishers, broadcasters, and media organizations with professional development, industry recognition, and community-building services. Its core deliverables are multi-tier awards programs (Catholic Media Awards, Gabriel Awards, CMA Book Awards, St. Juan Diego Collegiate Awards, and individual honors), an annual Catholic Media Conference, and ongoing member resources including The Catholic Journalist publication, webinars, directories, and a career center.

Product overview

The Catholic Media Association is a professional membership organization, not a software product company. Its offerings consist of awards programs (Catholic Media Awards, Gabriel Awards, St. Juan Diego Collegiate Awards, CMA Book Awards), individual honors (St. Francis de Sales Award, Cardinal John Foley Award, Father John Catoir Social Media Award), an annual conference, a member publication (The Catholic Journalist), and member services including a Career Center, Member Directory, Webinar Archives, and Member Compass portal. These programs and services are designed to build relationships, provide professional development, and recognize excellence among Catholic media professionals across North America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gabriel Awards: Awards program honoring excellence in film, broadcast, and digital media productions that offer a faithful portrayal of the human experience. Established in 1965.
• St. Juan Diego Collegiate Awards
• CMA Book Awards
• St. Francis de Sales Award
• Cardinal John Foley Award
• Father John Catoir Social Media Evangelization Award

Products and services

• Catholic Media Awards Annual competition honoring outstanding achievements in Catholic journalism, communications, and digital media, with categories spanning newspapers, magazines, communications, Spanish-language content, and all member divisions. Designed for Catholic media professionals and organizations seeking industry recognition.
• Gabriel Awards Sixty-year-old program honoring excellence in film, broadcast, and digital media productions that offer a faithful portrayal of the human experience. Recognizes film, audio/radio, podcast, television, streaming, and digital content entries. Entry fees vary by category: Radio/Podcast $125 open/$150 extension, TV/Streaming/Digital $150 open/$175 extension, Film $200 open/$225 extension.
• St. Juan Diego Collegiate Awards Recognizes excellence in journalism and communications by students and alumni of Catholic colleges and universities, with categories for alumni magazines and student work. Entry fees: Members $38 per entry, Non-Members $79 per entry; extension period adds $10 to each tier.
• CMA Book Awards Honors outstanding works reflecting Catholic values, promoting faith, and inspiring reflection across categories including theology, spirituality, history, children's literature, novels, and more. Entry fees: Members $38 per entry during Open Submission Period (Nov 3 - Jan 30), $48 during Extension; Non-Members $79 per entry during Open Submission, $89 during Extension.
• St. Francis de Sales Award The highest honor CMA bestows on an individual, recognizing outstanding contributions to Catholic journalism through professional work and mission dedication. Recipients receive a bronze St. Francis de Sales statue.
• Cardinal John Foley Award Recognizes an individual who has demonstrated exceptional excellence and innovation in Catholic storytelling over the past year, finding new and compelling ways to share the faith beyond traditional reporting.
• Father John Catoir Social Media Evangelization Award Recognizes the positive impact of a social media campaign to make Jesus known and loved. Winner receives a certificate and a $400 cash prize to underwrite technology required to develop and sustain evangelization efforts.
• Catholic Media Conference Annual premier gathering of Catholic communicators offering professional development, networking, and inspiration. Includes workshops, master camps, roundtables, film screenings, and the Catholic Media Awards ceremony. Conference passes are tiered: Freelance Members $349, Individual Members, Students $199, with Wednesday/Thursday/Friday single-day passes and a $99 pre-conference Welcome Event at LandShark Bar & Grill.
• The Catholic Journalist Monthly newspaper keeping Catholic journalists and media professionals informed for over 100 years, published by the Catholic Media Association. Available in digital format at digital.catholicmediaassociation.org.

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EWTN Publishing, Inc.coreGTM or Marketing PartnerConference sponsor for the Catholic Media Conference. EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network) is a Catholic television network that provides sponsorship support for the annual conference, helping make the event possible through financial contributions and services.
• FAITH Catholic Publishing and CommunicationscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerConference sponsor providing financial support and services to the Catholic Media Conference. Helps enable professional development and networking events for Catholic media professionals.
• OSV NewscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerConference sponsor supporting the annual Catholic Media Conference. OSV News provides Catholic news services and supports the CMA's mission through sponsorship.
• Knights of ColumbuscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerConference sponsor and sponsor of the Blessed Michael McGivney Award for Distinguished Journalism. The Knights of Columbus provides financial support for awards programs and conference activities.
• Pontifical Mission Societies of the United StatesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConference sponsor for the Catholic Media Conference, supporting Catholic media professionals and the Church's communication mission.
• Paulist ProductionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConference sponsor supporting the Catholic Media Conference and Catholic media excellence.
• DeSales MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConference sponsor providing support for the Catholic Media Conference.
• Paulist FathersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConference sponsor supporting Catholic media professionals and evangelization efforts.
• St. Jude Media MinistrycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFounded by Fr. John Catoir in 1995, this ministry makes possible the Father John Catoir Social Media Evangelization Award through generous funding. Their purpose is sharing joyful and uplifting messages to those who need it most.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cm_association
• Facebookfacebook.com/CathMediaAssoc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catholic-media-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Catholic Media Association