Ontario Museum Association

What Ontario Museum Association does

The Ontario Museum Association (OMA), established in 1972 and headquartered at 50 Baldwin Street, Toronto, is a federally registered charity (BN 107798522 RR0001) and the only provincial association specifically chartered to represent Ontario's museum sector. The organization aggregates and serves a sector constituency that includes more than 700 Ontario museums, galleries, and historic sites, 9,000 museum professionals, and 35,000 volunteers, operating on a hybrid individual-and-institutional membership model that is governed by a 14-member elected Board of Directors and an Interim Executive Director leading a four-person staff.

The OMA's service portfolio centers on professional credentialing, training, and sector advocacy. Its core product is the Certificate in Museum Studies (CMS), a part-time, eight-course program (with a ninth course introduced in 1989) launched in 1980 that has produced more than 400 graduates. Supporting programs include Digital Skills Courses, an OMA Resource Hub, the May is Museum Month annual activation (in its 26th year in 2026), an Awards of Excellence program, the new Ontario Museum Impact Awards framework, a free Job Board with salary-disclosure requirements, a Services Directory, and the Pathways to Partnership interactive mapping tool that links museums with tourism partners. Operations are delivered through a Member365 third-party membership portal and an online Learning Management System, with no proprietary platform or AI/ML capabilities disclosed.

The OMA earns revenue through a mix of recurring annual membership fees (individual tiers $50–$85; institutional tiers scaled to operating budget from $100 to $1,500), pay-as-you-go course and workshop fees (CMS at $395.50 per course; Digital Skills at $175–$245; workshops at $55–$120+ HST), and charitable donations, supplemented by government grants from FedDev Ontario and the Department of Canadian Heritage's Museums Assistance Program and Digital Access to Heritage streams. The membership card cross-grants complimentary admission to more than 200 Ontario museums, embedding the membership into sector-wide participant benefits.

Name

Ontario Museum Association

Legal name

Ontario Museum Association

Website

https://museumsontario.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Ontario Museum Association is a Toronto-based nonprofit membership organization founded in 1972 that serves Ontario's 700+ museums, 9,000 museum professionals, and 35,000 volunteers through professional certification, training, advocacy, and sector-wide resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum Professional Association Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

Keywords

• Museum professional development
• Museum membership services
• Heritage sector advocacy
• Nonprofit association services
• Museum studies certificate

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from individual and institutional members form a core revenue stream. Individual memberships range from $50-$85/year depending on category. Institutional memberships are based on operating budget size, ranging from $100-$1,500/year.
2. Professional Development Courses: Revenue from Certificate in Museum Studies (CMS) courses at $395.50 per course and Digital Skills Courses at $175-$245 per course. These part-time programs serve entry-level and emerging museum professionals.
3. Workshops and Events: Registration fees for workshops ranging from $55-$120+ HST for members and $85-$115+ HST for non-members, including events like Governance 101 and Risk Management 101.
4. Donations: The OMA is a registered charity (107798522 RR0001) and accepts one-time or recurring donations to support its programs and advocacy work for Ontario's museum sector.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Ontario Museum Association operates as a not-for-profit membership-based professional organization serving Ontario's museum sector. It provides individual and institutional memberships, the Certificate in Museum Studies (CMS) professional certification program, digital skills courses, workshops, advocacy services, an online resource hub, a job board, a services directory, and an interactive mapping tool connecting museums with tourism organizations. The OMA represents over 700 museums, galleries, and historic sites; 9,000 museum professionals; and 35,000 volunteers across Ontario.

Product overview

The Ontario Museum Association operates as a membership-based professional organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and services. The core offerings include the Certificate in Museum Studies (CMS), a part-time professional certification program, and OMA Membership providing access to resources, advocacy, and networking. Supporting products include Digital Skills Courses, the OMA Resource Hub, Awards programs (Awards of Excellence, Impact Awards, Student Awards), the Job Board, Services Directory, and the Pathways to Partnership Mapping Tool. The organization also runs annual programs like May is Museum Month and provides advocacy services and workshops/webinars for professional development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Certificate in Museum Studies (CMS) A part-time professional development program consisting of eight interconnected courses (with a ninth added in 1989) designed for entry-level and emerging museum workers, covering foundational skills including collections care, facilities management, educational programming, exhibit development, and collections management. The program is delivered through a blend of online learning and in-person practical sessions.
• Digital Skills Courses Low-cost online digital skills training courses delivered asynchronously for Ontario museum workers, focusing on digital literacy and practice for smaller or rural museums. Courses include Museum Digital Strategy and Transformation, Digital Learning, and Unlocking Engagement: Online Moves for Museums.
• OMA Job Board Free job posting board supporting career development of museum professionals, with a wage transparency policy requiring salary disclosure in all postings.
• Services Directory Directory of corporate and consultant members providing services to Ontario's museums, including exhibition design, conservation, fundraising, app development, and museum planning services.
• Pathways to Partnership Mapping Tool Interactive map bringing together Regional Museum Networks, Regional Tourism Organizations, and Destination Marketing Organizations to help culture and tourism partners understand regional overlaps, connections, and collaboration opportunities across Ontario.
• OMA Membership Membership program with individual and institutional tiers providing access to professional development, advocacy, networking, awards, job board, and complimentary admission to over 200 Ontario museums. Individual categories include Museum Worker, Colleague, Supporting, and Student; Institutional categories include Small, Medium, and Large based on operating budget.
• Advocacy Services Government advocacy at all levels for Ontario's museum and heritage sector, including pre-budget submissions, budget analyses, and funding opportunity resources for museums.
• Workshops and Webinars Various professional development workshops and webinars held throughout the year on topics including governance, risk management, interpretive writing, and strategic planning.

Quantifiable outcome

• Represents 700+ museums, 9,000 museum professionals, and 35,000 volunteers across Ontario
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• OTEC (Ontario Tourism Education Corporation)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the broader tourism growth initiative, delivering pilot professional development training in collaboration with OMA to support GLAM professionals in tourism collaboration, data literacy, and partnership development.
• Regional Museum Networks (RMNs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural and heritage sites working together through provincial guidance to support local storytelling and visitor engagement. Included in the Pathways to Partnership mapping tool showing how Ontario's culture and tourism sectors collaborate.
• Regional Tourism Organizations (RTOs)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvincially supported tourism regions focused on strategic marketing, product development, and investment. Partnered through the Pathways to Partnership mapping initiative to strengthen connections between culture and tourism sectors.
• Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal tourism organizations focused on destination marketing, economic development, and visitor services. Included in mapping tool to help museums identify cultural partners for strengthening destination experiences.
• Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for delivering governance and risk management workshops. The ONN is the independent network for Ontario's 58,000 nonprofits, focused on policy, advocacy, and services to strengthen the nonprofit sector.
• NordicitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading international consultancy specializing in strategy, policy, and economic analysis for GLAMs. Nordicity facilitated the 'Getting Engagement Right' workshop and provides expertise in strategic planning, facilitation, and applied research for cultural organizations.
• Haley Sharpe DesignmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational exhibit design consultancy with 45 years of experience, facilitating the 'Exhibition Development: A Non-Institutional Perspective' workshop. Experience spans from local Ontario institutions to internationally acclaimed institutions including Smithsonian and Grand Egyptian Museum.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Canadian Museums Association: National-level professional association for Canadian museums with a similar mission of advancing the museum sector through advocacy, professional development, and member services. The closest analog in purpose and business model, operating at federal rather than provincial scale.
• Alberta Museums Association: Provincial museum association in Alberta offering comparable services including professional development, advocacy, awards, and resources. The most direct functional peer given parallel provincial scope and member-based revenue model.
• BC Museums Association:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/museumsontario
• YouTubeyoutube.com/museumsontario
• Facebookfacebook.com/museumsontario
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/museumsontario
• Instagraminstagram.com/museumsontario

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Ontario Museum Association