DAMA International

What DAMA International does

DAMA International (Data Management Association International, Inc.) is a non-profit professional association founded in 1980 and internationalized in 1988, headquartered in Vancouver, Washington and incorporated in Pennsylvania. It serves individual data management professionals and the organizations that employ them through three core offerings: the DAMA-DMBOK (Data Management Body of Knowledge), the industry-standard framework covering 11 knowledge areas with data governance at the center; the CDMP (Certified Data Management Professional) credential issued at Associate, Practitioner, and Master levels, with over 10,000 certifications awarded across 60+ countries; and a global chapter network spanning 70+ countries that delivers local events, study groups, and community programming.

Revenue is generated through individual professional memberships priced at $50 USD annually, CDMP exam fees and renewal/maintenance charges across three certification tiers, DMBOK book and resource sales, and conferences including the Enterprise Data World flagship and the newer DAMA Days regional format. The association is volunteer-led with a small central staff (11-50 employees), governed by an elected board, and operates Registered Education Provider (REP) partnerships and affinity groups such as IDEAL for executives and GenAI4DM for generative AI in data management. DMBOK 3.0 is in development for a targeted 2027 release, signaling the next refresh of the underlying standard.

The go-to-market model is community-led: individuals self-serve join/renew and register for CDMP exams via dama.org and cdmp.info, while chapters act as local resellers for events and engagement. Strategic priorities visible in 2025-2026 include systematic chapter expansion into underpenetrated geographies (Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa, South Asia), positioning DAMA standards and CDMP for the AI era through the GenAI4DM affinity group and DMBOK 3.0, and refreshing leadership through competitive annual elections.

Name

DAMA International

Legal name

Data Management Association International, Inc.

Website

https://dama.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

DAMA International is a non-profit professional association that issues the DAMA-DMBOK data management framework and the globally recognized CDMP certification, serving individual data professionals and enterprise teams through a network of 70+ chapters across 60+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services for Data Management

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Data Security & Access Governance for Data (Entitlements/Policy Enforcement) (HDAEADAH)

Keywords

• Data management certification
• Data governance body of knowledge
• Professional association services
• Data management education
• Vendor-neutral credentials

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Individual Professional Membership at $50 USD per year, providing access to webinars, templates, downloads, networking through local chapters and global events, discounts on DAMA-DMBOK, and participation in global initiatives.
2. CDMP Certification: Revenue from certification exams and credentials at multiple levels (Associate, Practitioner, Master). Digital badges for LinkedIn sharing.
3. DAMA-DMBOK Sales: Sales of the Data Management Body of Knowledge guide. Members receive discounts on purchases.
4. Events and Conferences: Revenue from events including Enterprise Data World, DAMA Days conferences, and regional chapter events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DAMA International is a non-profit professional association that sells individual professional memberships (US$50/year), administers the globally recognized CDMP certification at Associate/Practitioner/Master levels, and publishes the DAMA-DMBOK (Data Management Body of Knowledge) framework as the industry-standard reference for data management. It also runs conferences (Enterprise Data World, DAMA Days), supports 70+ affiliated chapters worldwide, and operates affinity groups such as GenAI4DM and IDEAL for executive and AI-focused data communities.

Product overview

DAMA International is a global nonprofit professional association (not a software product company) that provides standards, certifications, and community for data management professionals. Its core offerings include the DAMA-DMBOK® (the industry-standard body of knowledge for data management), the CDMP® certification program (with Associate, Practitioner, and Master levels), a global chapter network of 70+ affiliated chapters, the Fellow Program for lifetime achievement recognition, and affinity groups including GenAI4DM for generative AI in data management. The organization also hosts conferences including DAMA Days and Enterprise Data World, and is developing DMBOK 3.0 with AI and cloud content. DAMA International does not offer a commercial software product but rather professional association services, certifications, educational resources, and community networking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CDMP (Certified Data Management Professional): The globally recognized certification for data management practitioners available at Associate, Practitioner, and Master levels.
• DAMA-DMBOK (Data Management Body of Knowledge)
• DAMA-DMBOK 3.0
• GenAI4DM Affinity Group

Products and services

• Individual Professional Membership Annual professional association membership for individual data practitioners, priced at US$50/year, granting access to educational resources, member discounts, webinars, templates, local chapter networking, global events, mentoring programs, and participation in standards development.
• CDMP Certification (Associate, Practitioner, Master) Globally recognized, vendor-neutral certification for data management practitioners available at Associate (foundational), Practitioner (hands-on experience), and Master (broad/deep expertise) levels, with LinkedIn-shareable digital badges. Over 10,000 professionals certified worldwide.
• DAMA-DMBOK (Data Management Body of Knowledge) The industry-standard reference framework for data management, covering 11 core knowledge areas including data governance, data quality, metadata management, and data architecture, with data governance at the center. Sold to individuals and organizations, with member discounts.
• DAMA-DMBOK 3.0 Major community-driven update to the DAMA-DMBOK framework in development, targeted for 2027 publication, incorporating AI, cloud, and modern data platforms alongside foundational data management principles.
• GenAI4DM Affinity Group Affinity group launched March 10, 2026 that helps developers, architects, and analytics leaders apply Generative AI to design data pipelines, products, and integrations following DMBOK principles for quality, privacy, lineage, and governance.
• DAMA International IDEAL (International Data Executives and Leaders) Affinity Group Affinity group within DAMA International that brings together international data executives and leaders for executive-level engagement with the data management profession.
• DAMA Days Regional Conferences Regional flagship conferences hosted by local chapters (e.g., DAMA Los Angeles, DAMA Minnesota) with DAMA International providing Flagship and Speakers-level sponsorship and speaker support.
• Enterprise Data World Conference Annual flagship conference bringing the data community together for practical, vendor-neutral learning with real case studies and hands-on formats across data governance, data quality, architecture, and AI.
• Pay If You Pass CDMP Program (PIYP) Risk-sharing program allowing CDMP certification candidates to pay for certification only if they pass the exam.
• DAMA International Fellow Program The highest honor in the data management profession, recognizing a career measured in decades of shaping how the world manages data and honoring lifetime contributions to the field.
• DAMA Chapter Network Global network of 70+ affiliated chapters across 70+ countries providing local leadership, events, study groups, and community for data professionals, with new chapters forming regularly (e.g., DAMA Dallas, DAMA Mongolia, DAMA Panama, DAMA Malta, DAMA Switzerland, DAMA Tunisia, DAMA India Bengaluru, DAMA Slovenia, DAMA Rio de Janeiro, DAMA North Macedonia, DAMA Parana).
• Registered Education Provider (REP) Program Program that authorizes and lists third-party training providers authorized to deliver DAMA-aligned education aligned with the DMBOK and CDMP curriculum.
• DAMA Dictionary of Data Management Reference dictionary of standard data management terminology maintained by DAMA International for use by data management professionals.
• Navigating the Labyrinth (Executive Guide) Executive-level guide published by DAMA International to support data and information management decision-making at the leadership level.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 professionals certified as CDMP worldwide
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Fremont Main LibraryminorOthers · 15 March 2026DAMA San Francisco Chapter hosted the 'Secure Data & AI Forum – Expert Tech Talk' at the Fremont Main Library in California, bringing together industry experts, technology professionals, and data practitioners to discuss secure data management, AI governance, and data protection practices.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves18 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Association for Computing Machinery (ACM): Major international computing professional society offering memberships, publications, and conferences. Broader incumbent in the same professional-association category as DAMA but with a much wider technical scope.
• IEEE Computer Society: Large, established computing professional association with certifications, standards, and publications. A broader incumbent that overlaps with DAMA's data/IT professional audience but does not focus on data management specifically.

Direct peers

• ISACA: Global professional association offering certifications such as CISA, CISM, and CDPSE for IT governance, audit, and data privacy. Direct peer in the vendor-neutral, governance-focused credentialing space with similar chapter-based community structure.
• Scrum Alliance: Non-profit professional membership organization offering Scrum certifications and a community-based learning model. Comparable peer in the non-profit, member-driven, certification-and-community business model.
• (ISC)²: Non-profit membership body issuing CISSP and other cybersecurity certifications. Comparable in operating model (non-profit, certification-led revenue, member chapters, body-of-knowledge content) and in positioning as a vendor-neutral authority.
• PMI (Project Management Institute): Publishes PMBOK and runs the PMP certification — the canonical example of a member-funded association that built a globally dominant professional credential and body of knowledge. Highly comparable operating model and revenue mix to DAMA International.
• APMG International: Accreditation and certification body for methodologies including ITIL and COBIT, distributing exams through accredited training organizations. Comparable operating model in accredited training partnerships and framework-based certifications relevant to data governance.
• IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals): Non-profit professional association offering CIPP, CIPM, and CIPT certifications and running the Privacy. Security. Risk. conference. Comparable as a non-profit, vendor-neutral, certification-and-conference-driven organization serving a closely adjacent governance discipline (data privacy).
• IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis): Professional association that publishes BABOK (Body of Knowledge) and offers the CBAP certification, structurally analogous to DAMA-DMBOK and CDMP. Closest direct peer in the professional-association, vendor-neutral certification, body-of-knowledge model for a knowledge discipline.
• ICCP (Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals): Non-profit offering vendor-neutral computing certifications such as CCP and CDP, historically focused on data processing. Direct peer in the vendor-neutral computing/data certification market with similar target practitioner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dama-international
• Xx.com/DAMA_I
• Facebookfacebook.com/DAMAInternational

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 DAMA International