DAMA International
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersVancouver, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
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.
DAMA International firmographics
Firmographics- 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
DAMA International industry classification
Industry- 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
Where DAMA International is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
DAMA International business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- 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.
- CDMP Certification: Revenue from certification exams and credentials at multiple levels (Associate, Practitioner, Master). Digital badges for LinkedIn sharing.
- DAMA-DMBOK Sales: Sales of the Data Management Body of Knowledge guide. Members receive discounts on purchases.
- Events and Conferences: Revenue from events including Enterprise Data World, DAMA Days conferences, and regional chapter events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Individual Professional Membership - Basic annual membership for data professionals |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
DAMA International product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use DAMA International
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
DAMA International technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
DAMA International partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Fremont Main LibraryminorDAMA 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
DAMA International competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad 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
DAMA International social profiles
Digital presenceDAMA International financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DAMA International leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
DAMA International funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DAMA International M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DAMA International
What does DAMA International do?
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.
Is DAMA International a public or private company?
DAMA International is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was DAMA International founded?
DAMA International was founded in 1980. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is DAMA International based?
DAMA International is headquartered in Vancouver, United States, in the North America region.
How does DAMA International make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are CDMP Certification, DAMA-DMBOK Sales and events and Conferences.
Who are DAMA International's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and IEEE Computer Society. Direct peers are ISACA, Scrum Alliance, (ISC)², PMI (Project Management Institute), APMG International, IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals), IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis) and ICCP (Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals).
Does DAMA International have an API?
No public API is recorded for DAMA International.
What industry is DAMA International in?
DAMA International's product category is Professional Association Services for Data Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEADAH, Data Security & Access Governance for Data (Entitlements/Policy Enforcement). Its NAICS code is 81392 and its SIC code is 8600.