Country Music Association Inc is a 501(c)(6) organization based in Nashville, Tennessee, registered in 1970, with $78,217,001 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A.
Revenue (FY2024)
$78.2M
▲ 14.4% vs prior year
Arts & Culture median: $159K
Expenses (FY2024)
$61.8M
Net assets
$115.2M
Employees
73
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. Not scored for Country Music Association Inc— this filing type doesn't report it, and the rating simply skips it (never counts it against the organization). See the exact thresholds →
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Country Music Association Inc: 22 mo reserves · +21% margin earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Country Music Association Inc: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Country Music Association Inc: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Serve as a professional resource for the country music industry
Cma fest is an annual four-day music festival that hosts tens of thousands of fans providing them the opportunity to listen to and discover hundreds of country music acts while raising money for the cma foundation.
The association provides its members access to benefits including professional development, health care resources, industry voting privileges, networking opportunities, research, etc.
Revenue grew from $41.5M (FY2013) to $78.2M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
21.0%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$132.7M
Total liabilities
$17.5M
Net assets
$115.2M
Salaries & benefits
$9.0M
15% of expenses
Board members
75
73 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $78,217,001▲14.4% | $61,787,999▲6.4% | $115,186,665▲11.2% | $132,698,680▲14.6% | 990 |
| 2023 | $68,364,093▲18.1% | $58,088,660▲4.6% | $103,587,768▲27.2% | $115,816,580▲11.3% | 990 |
| 2022 | $57,892,251▲34.6% | $55,527,054▲50.0% | $81,452,961▼3.1% | $104,081,996▲1.9% | 990 |
| 2021 | $43,001,334▲41.9% | $37,006,352▲23.7% | $84,037,259▲4.2% | $102,178,283▲8.4% | 990 |
| 2020 | $30,305,836▼40.1% | $29,911,865▼42.4% | $80,669,292▲31.2% | $94,289,640▲23.8% | 990 |
| 2019 | $50,633,862▲2.7% | $51,922,390▲8.1% | $61,468,918▼9.3% | $76,161,588▼10.4% | 990 |
| 2018 | $49,312,574▲0.4% | $48,040,128▲6.2% | $67,798,900▲2.3% | $85,027,888▲2.2% | 990 |
| 2017 | $49,114,464▲2.2% | $45,244,177▼2.3% | $66,298,981▲5.7% | $83,219,758▲5.4% | 990 |
| 2016 | $48,040,570▲8.1% | $46,318,754▲6.1% | $62,721,516▲4.7% | $78,952,643▲6.4% | 990 |
| 2015 | $44,426,616▲5.3% | $43,653,761▲17.6% | $59,924,476▼2.2% | $74,219,473▼2.1% | 990 |
| 2014 | $42,179,482▲1.6% | $37,136,205▲2.1% | $61,284,777▲8.2% | $75,790,987▲6.4% | 990 |
| 2013 | $41,524,062 | $36,354,779▲11.4% | $56,639,484▲12.8% | $71,257,962▲18.3% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $32,627,536▼10.3% | $50,223,090▲18.8% | $60,221,731▲14.7% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $36,388,862▲27.6% | $42,281,929▼4.8% | $52,481,148▼0.1% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $28,510,572 | $44,419,760 | $52,512,991 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Highest-paid: Sarah Trahern — $837,834 (1.36% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah Trahern | Ceo | 40 | $837,834 |
| Kelly Striewski | Svp Marketing & Strategic Partnerships | 40 | $330,941 |
| Todd Hartley | Svp Legal & Business Affairs | 40 | $250,417 |
| Amy Smartt | Svp Finance & Administration | 40 | $232,507 |
| Tiffany Kerns | Vp Community Industry Relations & Philanthropy | 40 | $230,162 |
| Milly Olykan | Vp International Relations & Development | 40 | $210,286 |
| Emily Evans | Svp Business Strategy & Operations | 40 | $203,213 |
| Catherine Frizzell | Vp Marketing | 40 | $177,057 |
| Ryan Nelson | Sr. Director, Event Operations | 40 | $159,000 |
| Michael Farris | Sr. Director of Business Strategy & Insights | 40 | $148,328 |
| Adam Weiser | Director | 1.5 | — |
| Anna-sophie Mertens | Director | 1.5 | — |
| Annie Ortmeier | Director | 1.5 | — |
| Austin Neal | Director | 1.5 | — |
| Ben Kline | Director | 1.5 | — |
| Ben Vaughn | Director | 1.5 | — |
| Brandy Clark | Director | 1.5 | — |
| Brent Daughrity | Director | 1.5 | — |
| Brian O'connell | Director | 1.5 | — |
| Brittany Schaffer | Director | 1.5 | — |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville Talent Payment | General Show & Festival Non Employees | $8,951,499 |
| Abc Broadcast Company Inc | Broadcasting | $2,032,959 |
| Cumberland Stadium Inc | Event Venue | $2,010,002 |
| Fuse Technical Group LLC | Event Technical Equipment and Staffing | $1,526,924 |
| 22 Degrees | Event Technical Equipment and Staffing | $1,496,238 |
9 grants totaling $3.4M in FY2024. All grants made by Country Music Association Inc →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cma Foundation | Supporting music educational, mental health, and cultural activities | $3,082,459 |
| Country Music Foundation Inc | Hall of fame medallion ceremony donation | $130,000 |
| Country Radio Broadcasters Inc | Crs sponsorship | $50,000 |
| Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce | Industry partnership | $30,000 |
| Mtheory Nashville LLC | Industry partnership | $30,000 |
| Leadership Music | Supporting leadership in the music community | $25,000 |
| Tkdubs Productions | Industry partnership | $15,000 |
| Kulturecity | Industry partnership | $10,000 |
| Nashville Songwriters Association Intl | Industry partnership | $10,000 |
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Data for Country Music Association Inc (EIN 62-0606066) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.