DAMA International
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersVancouver, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
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.
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
- 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
DAMA International industry classification
Industry- 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
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
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- 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.
- 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.
- DAMA-DMBOK Sales: Sales of the Data Management Body of Knowledge publication, with discounts available for members and bulk chapter orders (10+ copies).
- Event and Conference Fees: Revenue from DAMA Days, Enterprise Data World, and other conferences and webinars.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Individual Professional Membership at $50 USD per year |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | CDMP Associate Certification - Foundation level for early-career professionals |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
DAMA International product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use DAMA International
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
DAMA International technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature3 records
DAMA International partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- CDMP Exam Administration PartnercoreExternal vendor manages registration and administration of testing for the CDMP certification process, with personal information residing in IT infrastructure of various external providers.
- CloudflarecoreCloudflare provides hosting and edge network services for DAMA's AI assistant powered by Anthropic's Claude language model.
- Anthropic (Claude)coreAnthropic's Claude language model powers DAMA's website AI assistant for answering questions about DAMA International, certifications, membership, and related topics.
- Affiliated Chapters Networkcore70+ 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
DAMA International competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
DAMA International social profiles
Digital presenceDAMA International financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DAMA International leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 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 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.
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 1 to 10 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. Individual Professional Membership is the primary driver. The others are CDMP Certification, DAMA-DMBOK Sales and event and Conference Fees.
Who are DAMA International's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Project Management Institute (PMI), The Open Group, (ISC)², ACM (Association for Computing Machinery), International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA), BCS (British Computer Society / The Chartered Institute for IT), IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals), ISACA and IEEE Computer Society. Collibra is listed as a broad incumbent.
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 Data Management Professional Association. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEADAB, Data Governance Platforms (Policies, Stewardship, Workflows), with a secondary code of BPAEAHAC, Data Platforms & Modern Data Stack Services (Lakehouse, DW, MDM). Its NAICS code is 541 and its SIC code is 8600.