DAMA International

What DAMA International does

DAMA International (legally Data Management Association International, Inc.) is a volunteer-led, not-for-profit professional association founded in 1980 and internationalized in 1988, legally domiciled in Pennsylvania and operationally headquartered in Vancouver, Washington. The organization operates as the principal global standards body for the data management profession, anchored by the DAMA-DMBOK (Data Management Body of Knowledge), an industry-standard framework organized around 11 core knowledge areas with data governance at the center, and the CDMP (Certified Data Management Professional) certification, a vendor-neutral credential offered at three progressive levels (Associate, Practitioner, Master) with more than 10,000 professionals certified worldwide.

DAMA delivers its mission through a federated model: 70+ affiliated chapters operating under formal affiliation agreements across 70+ countries handle local events, study groups, and community engagement, while the central organization curates the framework, administers standards, runs certification, and hosts flagship events such as Enterprise Data World and the new DAMA Days "Data & AI" conference. Core revenue is generated from individual professional memberships (priced at $50 USD per year), multi-tier CDMP certification fees, sales of DAMA-DMBOK publications (including dictionary and executive guides), and event/conference registration. Supporting infrastructure includes a website AI assistant built on Anthropic's Claude model delivered through Cloudflare, and a Registered Education Provider (REP) network that delivers CDMP exam preparation. Recent product investments include the GenAI4DM Affinity Group for generative AI in data management, the inaugural DAMA International Fellow Program, and DMBOK 3.0 targeted for 2027.

The organization's customer base is predominantly individual data practitioners — data managers, architects, analysts, governance specialists, and chief data officers — with secondary enterprise demand for team certification and upskilling programs. DAMA's GTM is community-led: chapter networks, professional events, digital content, and certification exams are the primary growth engines, supplemented by member communications, webinars, and an active LinkedIn presence. As a non-stock, member-governed entity with 1–10 central employees, DAMA deliberately operates without external investors, parent entities, or public-company reporting; growth is funded by program revenue and chapter affiliation economics.

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

1–10 employees

Short description

DAMA International is a volunteer-led, non-profit professional association founded in 1980 that sets data management standards through the DAMA-DMBOK framework and the globally recognized CDMP certification, serving data practitioners across 70+ affiliated chapters in 70+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Data Management Professional Association

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Data Governance Platforms (Policies, Stewardship, Workflows) (HDAEADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Data Platforms & Modern Data Stack Services (Lakehouse, DW, MDM) (BPAEAHAC)

Keywords

• Data management standards
• Professional certification programs
• Data governance frameworks
• Professional association services
• Data management education

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Professional Membership: Annual membership dues providing access to webinars, templates, downloads, networking through local chapters and global events, discounts on DAMA-DMBOK and chapter bulk book orders, participation in global initiatives and mentoring programs.
2. CDMP Certification: Three-tier certification program (Associate, Practitioner, Master) with exams aligned to DAMA-DMBOK. Includes digital badges for LinkedIn sharing. Over 10,000 professionals certified worldwide.
3. DAMA-DMBOK Sales: Sales of the Data Management Body of Knowledge publication, with discounts available for members and bulk chapter orders (10+ copies).
4. Event and Conference Fees: Revenue from DAMA Days, Enterprise Data World, and other conferences and webinars.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DAMA International operates as a global professional association that develops and publishes data management standards, most notably the DAMA-DMBOK (Data Management Body of Knowledge) framework, and administers the CDMP (Certified Data Management Professional) credential at three progressive levels. It delivers paid individual professional memberships, sells publications such as the DMBOK and DAMA Dictionary of Data Management, runs conferences (DAMA Days, Enterprise Data World) and webinars, and sustains a worldwide network of 70+ affiliated chapters that deliver local events, study groups, and networking for data professionals.

Product overview

DAMA International offers a portfolio of professional association services centered around the DAMA-DMBOK framework and CDMP certification program. The core offerings include the DAMA-DMBOK (Data Management Body of Knowledge), an industry-standard reference covering 11 knowledge areas of data management, and the CDMP (Certified Data Management Professional) certification program with three progressive levels (Associate, Practitioner, Master). These are complemented by a global network of 70+ affiliated chapters delivering local events and networking, professional recognition programs including the Fellow Program and Chapter Awards, community groups like GenAI4DM for generative AI in data management, and events such as DAMA Days conferences. Additional resources include the Dictionary of Data Management, Executive Guide, and Registered Education Provider program for training. The organization is developing DMBOK 3.0 for 2027 release.

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-I IDEAL (Data Executives and Leaders)
• GenAI4DM

Products and services

• DAMA-DMBOK (Data Management Body of Knowledge) The Data Management Body of Knowledge (DAMA-DMBOK) is the collected knowledge and best practices of the data management profession, organized around 11 core knowledge areas with data governance at the center. It serves as the industry-standard framework comparable to PMBOK for project managers or BABOK for business analysts, sold directly to individuals and in bulk to chapters and organizations.
• CDMP (Certified Data Management Professional) Certification Program The Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) is the globally recognized, vendor-neutral certification for data management practitioners, available at three progressive levels — Associate (foundation), Practitioner (hands-on experience), and Master (broad deep expertise) — validating knowledge across the full breadth of the DMBOK. Over 10,000 professionals have been certified worldwide.
• Individual Professional Membership Annual Individual Professional Membership at $50 USD per year provides access to webinars, templates, downloads, networking through local chapters and global events, discounts on DAMA-DMBOK and bulk book orders, participation in global initiatives and mentoring programs.
• DAMA Dictionary of Data Management Reference resource providing standardized terminology and definitions for data management concepts, supporting consistent vocabulary across the profession.
• Navigating the Labyrinth (Executive Guide) Executive guide providing strategic guidance for data management leadership and organizational implementation, targeted at data executives and senior leaders.
• DAMA Days Conferences and Enterprise Data World Flagship regional and global conferences hosted by DAMA chapters and the international organization, featuring sessions on data governance, data quality, architecture, and AI topics. DAMA International provides support including speaker resources and travel assistance for qualifying chapters.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000+ professionals certified worldwide through CDMP program
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CDMP Exam Administration PartnercoreTechnology or IntegrationExternal vendor manages registration and administration of testing for the CDMP certification process, with personal information residing in IT infrastructure of various external providers.
• CloudflarecoreTechnology or IntegrationCloudflare provides hosting and edge network services for DAMA's AI assistant powered by Anthropic's Claude language model.
• Anthropic (Claude)coreTechnology or IntegrationAnthropic's Claude language model powers DAMA's website AI assistant for answering questions about DAMA International, certifications, membership, and related topics.
• Affiliated Chapters NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner70+ affiliated chapters operating under affiliation agreements, providing local leadership with global alignment, standards, and shared momentum. Chapters are separately incorporated entities with affiliation agreements with DAMA International.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves21 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Project Management Institute (PMI): PMI is the closest structural analog: a global, member-supported professional association that publishes the PMBOK body of knowledge and administers the PMP credential. DAMA explicitly positions DMBOK and CDMP alongside PMBOK and PMP as equivalent profession-defining assets.
• The Open Group: The Open Group maintains vendor-neutral enterprise architecture and IT standards (e.g., TOGAF) with member-supported certification programs. It parallels DAMA's role as a vendor-neutral body-of-knowledge publisher and certification body for an enterprise discipline.
• (ISC)²: (ISC)² administers the CISSP and other globally recognized IT/security professional certifications, runs a chapter-style network, and is structured as a non-profit member association—mirroring DAMA's professional association + tiered certification + global chapter model.
• ACM (Association for Computing Machinery): ACM is the world's largest computing professional society, offering member-supported publications, special interest groups, and recognized credentials—structurally aligned with DAMA's professional-association model for a computing-adjacent discipline.
• International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA): IIBA maintains the BABOK body of knowledge and the CBAP certification scheme—the same body-of-knowledge + tiered-certification pattern DAMA runs with DMBOK and CDMP. Direct structural parallel for a knowledge profession's standards body.
• BCS (British Computer Society / The Chartered Institute for IT): BCS is a chartered professional body for IT practitioners offering registers, certifications, and member communities. Comparable as a long-established, member-supported IT profession standards and credentialing organization with international reach.
• IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals): IAPP is the leading global professional association for privacy/data protection, offering CIPP/CIPM/CIPT certifications and serving practitioners and enterprises. It is a near-twin business model and audience to DAMA in the adjacent privacy/governance profession.
• ISACA: ISACA is a global professional association offering CISA/CISM/CRISC certifications and frameworks (notably COBIT) for IT governance, audit, and risk—directly overlapping DAMA's data governance and stewardship domains, with similar member-plus-certification business model.
• IEEE Computer Society: IEEE Computer Society is a large, member-supported technical professional association publishing standards, conferences, and educational credentials for computing practitioners—comparable in member-publication-certification structure and global footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Collibra: Collibra is the leading commercial data governance/intelligence platform and a frequent enterprise buyer of DAMA-trained practitioners. It overlaps DAMA's domain (data governance) as a for-profit incumbent vendor rather than a standards body, making it a complementary ecosystem player and potential partner/competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dama-international007

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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