National Emergency Management Association (NEMA)

What National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) does

NEMA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit trade association founded in 1974 that serves as the national membership body for state and territorial emergency management directors across all 50 states, eight U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. The organization concentrates on three functional pillars: national policy leadership for emergency management, administration of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), and professional development for the state emergency management community. EMAC, ratified by Congress in 1996 as Public Law 104-321, is the nation's primary interstate mutual aid agreement and is administered by NEMA on behalf of its members; the organization also operates the Mutual Aid Support System (MASS) to coordinate resource sharing during disasters.

NEMA's core offerings are not technology products but rather institutional services. The product portfolio includes the Biennial Report (comprehensive state-by-state analysis of emergency management programs), the EMPowerment e-Learning Series (quarterly virtual training with 4,000+ registrants across three seasons), the NEMA Career Center (job posting platform at $50 per posting), and a document library of governance, policy, and committee materials. NEMA also runs two annual forums (Mid-Year Policy & Leadership Forum in the Washington, DC area and Annual Policy & Leadership Forum, in 2026 hosted in Little Rock, AR) that draw 425+ emergency management professionals and generate sponsorship revenue across six tiers ranging from $3,000 (Hospitality Suite) to $22,500 (Diamond).

The revenue model is a hybrid of membership dues from state/territorial agencies, tiered forum sponsorships, publication sales (e.g., Biennial Report at $35 digital), and ancillary transaction fees (job postings). NEMA is operationally lean with 1-10 staff, co-located with the Council of State Governments in Lexington, KY and Washington, DC. The organization does not operate a public API, mobile application, or proprietary technology platform; its strategic assets are statutory (EMAC), relational (unified membership of all state directors), and reputational (50 years of legislative engagement).

Name

National Emergency Management Association (NEMA)

Legal name

National Emergency Management Association

Website

https://nemaweb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NEMA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit trade association serving state and territorial emergency management directors across all 50 states, eight territories, and DC. It administers the federally ratified EMAC mutual aid compact, runs policy forums, and delivers publications and e-learning for the emergency management profession.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Management Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Response Coordination & Incident Command (EOC/ICS) (HLAJAGAB)

Keywords

• Emergency management association
• Mutual aid coordination
• State emergency management
• Professional membership association
• Emergency management training

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: NEMA generates revenue through membership dues from state emergency management agencies (all 50 states, 8 territories, and DC). Membership provides access to forums, committees, document library, career center, and other member resources.
2. Publication Sales: Sale of NEMA publications including the Biennial Report ($35 digital version) and other reports and guides.
3. Forum Sponsorships: Revenue from forum sponsorship tiers: Diamond ($22,500), Platinum ($15,000), Gold ($10,000), Silver ($7,500), Bronze ($5,000), and Hospitality Suite ($3,000+). Includes exhibit space, registrations, and recognition benefits.
4. Job Postings: Career Center job posting fees at $50 per posting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NEMA is a national nonprofit trade association that represents state and territory emergency management directors. It provides policy leadership, professional development, and peer networking through forums, e-Learning series, and publications, and it administers the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), the nationally adopted interstate mutual aid agreement.

Product overview

NEMA offers a portfolio of publications, educational programs, and professional development resources for state emergency management agencies. The core offerings include the Biennial Report providing comprehensive state-by-state analysis, the EMpowerment e-Learning Series featuring quarterly virtual sessions, and the EMAC mutual aid agreement administration. Additional resources include research publications (EMPG and Homeland Security ROI Reports), a document library, career center, forums, and newsletters. These products and services serve state emergency management directors and their agencies, facilitating policy development, peer networking, and professional advancement rather than technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Biennial Report Comprehensive in-depth review of state emergency management programs containing information on organizational structure, budgets, staffing, and disaster funding mechanisms. Sold for $35 digital version.
• EMpowerment e-Learning Series Quarterly virtual learning sessions featuring emergency management topics presented by NEMA member experts, with recordings available on YouTube. Over 4,000 registrants across seasons 1, 2, and 3.
• NEMA Career Center Job posting platform for emergency management professionals, allowing organizations to post positions at $50 per posting and job seekers to view opportunities.
• Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) NEMA-administered nationally adopted mutual aid agreement between states for sharing resources during emergencies, ratified by Congress in 1996. Law in all 50 states, DC, and six territories.
• EMPG Return on Investment Report Joint report with IAEM-USA detailing return on investment realized by the Emergency Management Performance Grant program.
• Homeland Security Return on Investment Report Report examining SHSP and UASI grant programs and their effectiveness in supporting terrorism preparedness nationwide.
• Document Library Digital repository containing governance documents, committee documents, forum documents, policy documents, public documents, and reports & publications accessible to members.
• NEMA Forums (Annual & Mid-Year) National forums providing opportunities to discuss emergency management strategies, including the Mid-Year Policy & Leadership Forum and Annual Policy & Leadership Forum. Draw 425+ professionals including state directors, federal partners, and sponsors.
• NEMA Ready Nation Newsletters Regular newsletters featuring exceptional practices and people in emergency management, with editions from 2019 through 2025.
• Elected Officials Guide to Emergency Management Brochure suitable for public officials emphasizing the importance of leadership during crisis and emergency management as a vital government function.
• Building Operational Public-Private Partnerships Guide Community reference guide for emergency management agencies and private sector partners on building public-private partnerships.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996EMAC is a nationally adopted mutual aid agreement ratified by Congress (Public Law 104-321) in 1996. NEMA administers EMAC on behalf of its members: the 50 states, DC, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Through EMAC, states share resources during emergencies and disasters. Governance is through NEMA's membership of state emergency management directors.
• National Homeland Security Consortium (NHSC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEMA serves as the administrative agent for the NHSC, a forum of 21 national organizations representing local, state, and private professionals in homeland security and emergency management. The consortium addresses complex homeland security challenges through collaboration on cyber hazards, climate change, emerging technologies, and other threats.
• Council of State Governments (CSG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEMA became an affiliate of CSG in 1993. The organizations are co-located at CSG Headquarters in Lexington, KY and the Washington, DC office. They partner on policy initiatives, share best practices, and promote excellence in government. NEMA has a seat on the CSG Executive Committee.
• NEMA-ASTHO-GHSAC Joint Policy Work GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEMA, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), and the Governors' Homeland Security Advisors Council (GHSAC) formed a joint policy work group to identify ways state emergency management, public health, and homeland security entities can work more closely together. Funding partners include CDC and HHS/ASPR.
• Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMAP is an independent non-profit organization establishing standards for emergency management programs through a peer review accreditation process. EMAP was created based on a White Paper adopted by NEMA in 1998. NEMA strongly supports professionalization through achievement of national standards.
• U.S. Department of Energy/CESERcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEMA has a cooperative agreement with DOE's Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER). The partnership promotes communication, planning, and coordination between state emergency management agencies and state energy offices. Joint activities include energy workshops, planning guides, and EMAC Energy Mission Ready Package templates.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM): IAEM is the closest direct peer - a global membership association for emergency management professionals across all levels of government and the private sector. It overlaps NEMA on advocacy, training (IAEM-AEM certification), and conferences, but with a broader individual-membership model versus NEMA's state-agency governance model.
• National Emergency Number Association (NENA): NENA is a similarly structured public-safety membership association focused on 9-1-1 policy, standards, and operations. It parallels NEMA's association model (state agency members, federal partners, sponsor-funded forums, publications) and competes for the same emergency-management professional audience.
• National Sheriffs' Association (NSA): NSA is a similarly structured professional association for a public-safety constituency (sheriffs) with state-level membership, federal advocacy, sponsored conferences, and training publications. It parallels NEMA's association business model and member engagement approach.
• Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP): EMAP was created based on a 1998 NEMA white paper and accredits state and local emergency management programs. It is a direct mission-aligned peer in the emergency management professionalization ecosystem, with overlapping membership and standards-setting role.
• Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO): ASTHO is NEMA's joint policy partner and represents state/territorial public health officials. It mirrors NEMA's state-agency association structure, shares federal funding partners (CDC, HHS/ASPR), and converges on emergency preparedness, health security, and disaster response policy.
• Governors' Homeland Security Advisors Council (GHSAC): GHSAC is NEMA's joint policy partner representing governor-appointed homeland security advisors in every state. It directly overlaps NEMA's policy advocacy and federal engagement on security and emergency management.

Emerging players

• International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC): IAFC is a long-standing professional association for fire and EMS chiefs that increasingly intersects with emergency management on all-hazards preparedness and response. Comparable as a peer public-safety membership association with similar forum/sponsorship economics.

Broad incumbents

• National Governors Association (NGA): NGA is a bipartisan association of the nation's governors that overlaps NEMA in disaster policy and homeland security through the Governors' Homeland Security Advisors Council. It is broader in scope (all state policy areas) but intersects directly on emergency management and state resilience.
• Council of State Governments (CSG): CSG is NEMA's parent affiliate since 1993 and shares its Lexington, KY and Washington, DC offices. It is a broader umbrella for state-government officials across all policy domains, providing back-office infrastructure and policy platform that NEMA sits within.

Others

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): FEMA is NEMA's principal federal counterpart and partner rather than a competitor - it funds grants, sets national preparedness policy, and works with NEMA members on emergency management coordination. Included as an ecosystem reference for the emergency management value chain.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nema_web
• YouTubeyoutube.com/nemaforyou
• Facebookfacebook.com/emacweb
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-emergency-management-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 National Emergency Management Association (NEMA)