New England Museum Association

What New England Museum Association does

The New England Museum Association (NEMA) is a 107-year-old private nonprofit professional membership association serving museums, historical societies, zoos, aquariums, and related cultural institutions across the six New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont). Founded in 1918 by Delia Isabel Griffin of the Boston Children's Museum, NEMA operates from its headquarters in Arlington, Massachusetts and serves more than 2,500 members — individual museum professionals, institutional members, museum-adjacent businesses, and academic programs. The organization's core offerings are services rather than technology products: professional development through its annual conference (700+ attendees, the largest regional museum conference in the U.S.), workshops, webinars, and Professional Affinity Gatherings (PAGs); career resources via the NEMA Jobs board; benchmarking research through the annual Salary & Benefits Survey (126 participating organizations, 53 positions) and NEMA Stats monthly attendance reporting; peer-support services including NEMA 911 (confidential consultation by senior museum leaders) and structured Communities of Practice (Executive Roundtable, First-Time ED Cohort); and member benefits such as the Museum Admission Program (reciprocal free admission) and the Museum Document Exchange (policy library). NEMA also publishes the New England Museums Now journal and administers Excellence, Lifetime Achievement, and Publication Awards.

NEMA's technology stack is built on association management software from YourMembership.com, which powers the nemanet.org website, member portal, event registration, job postings, email marketing, and billing. The member portal supports social login via Facebook and LinkedIn and is positioned as a mobile-friendly professional community. No proprietary technology, AI/ML capabilities, or differentiated data infrastructure is disclosed; the platform is industry-standard AMS rather than a defensible technology asset.

NEMA's revenue model is diversified across multiple membership-classification tiers. Membership dues are recurring annual subscriptions: Individual ($45-$80, depending on category such as student/retired vs. professional), Institutional ($35 to $1,300+, scaled by operating budget from under $50K to over $3M), Business ($115-$365 by firm size, each including up to 6 affiliate memberships), and Academic Program ($500 per program). Transactional revenue comes from job board postings ($50 for members, $150 for non-members, 60-day listings), the 2024 Salary and Benefits Survey ($75 for members, $125 for non-members, plus $35 snapshot reports), NEMA Stats participation ($60-$220 members / $120-$440 non-members, scaled by attendance), and conference registration and sponsorships. The organization is supported by membership dues, conference fees, publication sales, and donations, and is governed by a volunteer board with a small professional staff (Interim Executive Director and two Directors).

Name

New England Museum Association

Legal name

New England Museum Association

Website

https://nemanet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The New England Museum Association is a 107-year-old nonprofit membership association serving 2,500+ museum professionals, institutions, and museum-adjacent businesses across the six New England states, providing conferences, benchmarking, peer support, and career resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing (MPAJABAK)

Keywords

• Museum association services
• Professional development programs
• Membership organization
• Conference and events
• Benchmarking research

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: NEMA generates primary revenue through membership dues from individuals, institutions, businesses, and academic programs. Individual memberships range from $45-$80 annually depending on category. Institutional membership dues are based on operating budget, ranging from $35 to $1,300+. Business membership ranges from $115-$365 depending on firm size.
2. NEMA Jobs Board: NEMA charges fees for posting job openings: $50 for institutional, academic, and business members; $150 for non-members. Unpaid internships, fellowships, volunteer, and board member opportunities may be listed for free. Listings can be online for up to 60 days.
3. Salary and Benefits Survey Sales: The 2024 Salary and Benefits Survey is available for purchase: $75 for members (discounted rate) and $125 for non-members. Smaller snapshot reports for specific staffing categories are available for $35 each. Data was reported voluntarily by 126 organizations.
4. Conference Registration and Sponsorships: NEMA generates revenue through conference registration fees and business member sponsorship, exhibiting, and advertising opportunities. The annual conference typically draws 700+ museum professionals. Sponsors receive early-bird booking priority and early booth selection plus discounts.
5. NEMA Stats Participation Fees: NEMA Stats: A Monthly Museum Attendance Report charges participation fees based on attendance from the previous year. Member rates: $60-$220 depending on attendance; Non-member rates: $120-$440. Participation includes monthly and annual reports.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

NEMA is a membership-based professional association serving museum professionals and institutions across the six New England states since 1918. It delivers tiered memberships (individual, institutional, business, academic), an annual conference with 700+ attendees, professional development workshops and webinars, paid job board services (NEMA Jobs), regional benchmarking tools (Salary and Benefits Survey and NEMA Stats attendance reporting), confidential peer support (NEMA 911), the New England Museums Now journal, the NEMA Marketplace business directory, the Museum Admission Program, the Museum Document Exchange policy library, and Communities of Practice.

Product overview

The New England Museum Association (NEMA) operates as a membership-based professional association serving the museum field in New England since 1918, rather than a technology product company. NEMA provides a portfolio of membership services including professional development programs (conferences, workshops, webinars), career resources (NEMA Jobs board), research and benchmarking tools (Salary and Benefits Survey, NEMA Stats attendance reporting), peer support services (NEMA 911 consulting, Communities of Practice), and member benefits (Museum Admission Program, Museum Document Exchange). The organization also publishes the New England Museums Now journal, operates the NEMA Marketplace directory, and administers awards programs (Excellence Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, Publication Awards). NEMA's primary offering is its membership program with tiered options for individuals, institutions, businesses, and academic programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NEMA PAGs: Professional Affinity Gatherings - informal networks of museum professionals organized by discipline or interest area
• NEMA Communities of Practice
• New England Museums Now
• NEMA 911
• NEMA Stats
• NEMA Annual Conference

Products and services

• NEMA Annual Conference An annual regional conference attracting 700+ museum professionals for professional development, networking, sessions, and educational programming. Open to members and non-members with registration fees and sponsorship/exhibitor opportunities for business members.
• NEMA Jobs A paid job board for museum professionals offering job posting services, candidate searches, and subscription notifications for new postings. Fees are $50 for institutional/academic/business members and $150 for non-members or individual members; listings can remain online for up to 60 days. Internships, fellowships, volunteer, and board member opportunities may be listed for free.
• NEMA Salary and Benefits Survey An annual research publication summarizing compensation data from museums and similar organizations throughout the six New England states. Available for purchase at $75 for members and $125 for non-members, with smaller snapshot reports at $35 each. The 2024 edition reports data from 126 organizations covering 53 full-time positions.
• NEMA Stats A monthly museum attendance report program where participating institutions share visitor data confidentially to compare statistics against regional peers. Member rates range from $60 to $220 and non-member rates from $120 to $440, depending on prior-year attendance. Participation includes monthly and annual reports.
• NEMA 911 A free, confidential rapid-response service connecting museum leaders with senior-level volunteer experts for advice and support during organizational crises. Available exclusively to NEMA members.
• New England Museums Now NEMA's premier online journal publication providing in-depth exploration of topical issues affecting museums in New England, plus the latest happenings, opportunities, and insights in the museum field. The Winter 2025 issue focused on 'Power of the People: Advocacy in, at, and for Museums.'
• NEMA Marketplace A directory featuring over 50 business members and independent professionals offering museum products, services, and consulting. Available to NEMA business members and marketplace individual members for finding vendors.
• Museum Admission Program A collegial initiative where NEMA institutional members offer free or reduced admission to other NEMA members as a professional courtesy when visiting peer institutions.
• Museum Document Exchange An online library where NEMA members share institutional documents such as social media policies, collection management policies, and strategic plans. Available exclusively to members.
• Communities of Practice Structured peer-to-peer learning groups for museum leaders, including Executive Director Roundtable, First-Time ED Cohort, Environmental CoP, Internships CoP, and others. Provides small-group structured learning and peer support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,500 members served across museums, historical societies, institutions, zoos, aquariums, businesses, and nonprofits
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Museum Search & ReferenceminorOthers · 1 January 2025Conference sponsor for 2025 NEMA Conference in Manchester, NH. Museum Search & Reference is an executive search firm specializing in museum leadership recruitment.
• Art BridgesminorOthers · 1 January 2025Conference sponsor for 2025 NEMA Conference, providing access to art for teaching and learning programs across the country.
• Boston University (Museum Studies Program)minorOthers · 1 January 2025Academic sponsor and exhibitor at 2025 NEMA Conference, promoting graduate museum studies education.
• Tufts University Museum Studies ProgramminorOthers · 1 January 2025Academic sponsor at 2025 NEMA Conference offering graduate museum studies degree programs.
• Harvard Extension School (Museum Studies)minorOthers · 1 January 2025Academic sponsor at 2025 NEMA Conference with graduate program in museum studies.
• CrozierminorOthers · 1 January 2025Fine arts logistics and transportation sponsor at 2025 NEMA Conference, providing art handling and shipping services.
• NEDCC (Northeast Document Conservation Center)minorOthers · 1 January 2025Conference sponsor providing conservation and digitization services for libraries, archives, and cultural institutions.
• Environment & Culture Partners (ECP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021ECP is a key partner in the Culture Over Carbon project, a groundbreaking research initiative funded by a $600,000 IMLS National Leadership grant (2021-2023). The project examines energy use across museum types to establish carbon footprint roadmaps for the cultural sector.
• New Buildings Institute (NBI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021NBI serves as nonprofit energy consultant partner in the Culture Over Carbon project, providing expertise in energy efficiency analysis for the museum sector's carbon footprint research.
• YourMembership.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationYourMembership.com provides the association management software powering the NEMA website, including membership management, job postings, event registration, email marketing, career center, and buyer's guide products.
• YourMembership.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationSoftware platform powering NEMA's online community, member portal, website, membership invoicing/dues system, event management, and non-dues revenue through career center products.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Southeastern Museums Conference: Regional museum association providing membership, an annual conference, and professional development across the southeastern U.S. Highly comparable in structure, scale, and value proposition to NEMA.
• Mountain-Plains Museums Association: Regional museum association covering the mountain-plains states, offering membership, conferences, and professional development — directly comparable in regional mission and association structure.
• Western Museums Association: Regional museum association serving western U.S. states with membership programs, annual meetings, and professional development resources — directly parallel to NEMA in mission and operating model.
• Association of Midwest Museums: Regional museum association serving the Midwest, providing membership, annual conferences, and professional development for museum professionals. Highly comparable to NEMA in both scale and programmatic offerings.
• Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums: Regional museum association serving the Mid-Atlantic U.S. with a nearly identical operating model: membership dues, annual conference, professional affinity networks, and advocacy for museum professionals — the closest direct regional peer to NEMA.
• New York State Museum Association: State-level museum association serving New York institutions with membership, conferences, and professional programs. Comparable in serving a defined geographic museum community with similar member-benefit offerings.

Broad incumbents

• American Alliance of Museums (AAM): The national professional association for museums. It is the most direct broad incumbent, offering overlapping services (advocacy, benchmarking, accreditation) but at national scope, making it a strategic peer rather than a head-to-head regional competitor.
• American Association for State and Local History (AASLH): National association supporting history museums, historical societies, and related institutions. Comparable in providing professional development, conferences, and resources to a similar institutional membership base, but operating at national scale with a historical-focus lens.
• Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD): Professional association for art museum directors that provides benchmarking, advocacy, and peer learning. Overlaps with NEMA in serving senior museum leaders and providing salary/operations benchmarking, but at national scope and focused on art museums.

Regional players

• Texas Association of Museums: Statewide museum association providing membership, conferences, and professional development. Comparable in mission and operating model, but serves a different geography (Texas) without directly competing with NEMA's New England footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/NewEnglandMuseumAssociation
• Facebookfacebook.com/NEMAmuseums
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-england-museum-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 New England Museum Association