Specialty Equipment Market Association
Public records raise at least one point you should look into before giving.
What it says it does
SEMA'S MISSION IS TO HELP OUR MEMBERS' BUSINESSES SUCCEED AND PROSPER. OUR MEMBERS ARE THE PRODUCERS AND MARKETERS OF SPECIALTY EQUIPMENT PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET. WE WILL DO THIS BY: A. PROACTIVE LEADERSHIP IN OUR INDUSTRY TO HELP IT EXPAND DOMESTICALLY AND WORLDWIDE. B. DELIVERING PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES AND INFORMATION IN RESPONSE TO THE ONGOING AND EMERGING NEEDS OF OUR MEMBERS. C. EMPHASIZING EDUCATION TO HELP MEMBERS FOCUS ON AND ACHIEVE ACCEPTABLE WORLD-CLASS QUALITY STANDARDS. D. LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY ADVOCACY. E. PRODUCING THE INDUSTRY'S LEADING TRADE SHOW.
- Income
- $59.3 million
- Spending
- $52.8 million
- Employees
- 195
- Volunteers
- 16
- Highest pay
- $617,349, president and ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. How we rate
Financial health
We do not score finances when yearly spending is very small or the return has too little detail. The ratios stop meaning much at that size.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. How we rate
Governance
This return does not answer enough of the governance questions to score.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- ANNUAL MARKET STUDY EACH YEAR SEMA'S RESEARCH TEAM SPENDS SIGNIFICANT TIME, EFFORT AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO PRODUCE AN ANNUAL MARKET REPORT THAT HELPS MEMBERS UNDERSTAND THE CURRENT STATE OF THE AUTOMOTIVE SPECIALTY EQUIPMENT MARKET. THE REPORT, WHICH IS FREE TO ALL MEMBER COMPANIES, PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF THE INDUSTRY'S SIZE, SALES WITHIN DEFINED MARKET NICHES AND PRODUCT SEGMENTS, INDUSTRY AND ECONOMIC TRENDS, VEHICLE SALES TRENDS AND CONSUMER PURCHASE PATTERNS. SEMA MARKET RESEARCH ALSO PROVIDES BUSINESSES WITH ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS THROUGH REGULAR AND ADHOC REPORTS ON DOCUMENTING CHANGES AFFECTING THE INDUSTRY, CONSUMER PURCHASE AND SHOPPING BEHAVIOR, AND SPECIFIC MARKET SECTION NEEDS. ADDITIONALLY, THE MAJORITY OF SEMA FUNCTIONS FEATURE SEMINARS AND PRESENTATIONS DESIGNED TO HELP OUR MEMBERS SELL MORE PRODUCT. SINCE ALMOST EVERY SIGNIFICANT MEMBER OF THE AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET CONVERSE EACH FALL IN LAS VEGAS FOR THE SEMA SHOW, THE EDUCATION DAY PORTION OF THE SHOW WEEK IS DESIGNED TO HELP EDUCATE AND INSTRUCT ALL SEGMENTS OF THE AFTERMARKET ON SUCH TOPICS AS: INDUSTRY TECHNOLOGY AND TRENDS, EFFECTIVE BUSINESS STRATEGIES, ADVERTISING TECHNIQUES, PROFIT OPPORTUNITIES IN SELECT MARKET SEGMENTS, MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES, AND ALL PRODUCT INSTALLATION SEMINARS ARE AVAILABLE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY DURING SHOW WEEK. SEMA'S WIDE RANGE OF VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES COVER VITAL TOPICS THAT IMPACT THE WELLBEING OF THE INDUSTRY TODAY AND THE DIRECTION AND HEALTH FOR THE FUTURE. EVERY SEMA MEMBER IS ELIGIBLE FOR COUNCIL AND NETWORK MEMBERSHIP. IF YOU WERE TO SURVEY THE NATION'S TOP EXECUTIVES AND ASK THEM WHAT IS THE SINGLE MOST VALUABLE COMMODITY IN THE BUSINESS WORLD TODAY, NINE OUT OF THE TEN WOULD ANSWER "TIMELY, ACCURATE AND RELEVANT INFORMATION". SEMA PROVIDES ITS MEMBERS WITH EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WITH SEMINARS, WEBINARS AND ONLINE LEARNING TOOLS. SEMA CURRENTLY DEDICATES MAJOR ASSOCIATION PUBLICATIONS, ANNUAL INDUSTRY FUNCTIONS, AND ACTIVE COMMITTEES TO ACHIEVE THIS IMPORTANT GOAL. SEMA NEWS TO STAY ON TOP OF IS ALL HERE ON THE PAGES OF OUR MONTHLY ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER. IT CONCENTRATES ON BEST PRACTICES TO KEEP AHEAD AND IT'S FREE TO SEMA MEMBERS. INDUSTRY AND LEGISLATIVE ALERTS ARE SENT OUT WHENEVER NEEDED. THESE VALUABLE ALERTS KEEP MEMBERS APPRISED OF CRITICAL ISSUES, AS THEY ARE HAPPENING, TO GIVE DECISION MAKERS THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO CREATE A QUICK AND EFFECTIVE RESPONSE. SEMA ALSO STRIVES TO ASSIST MEMBER COMPANIES IN PUBLISHING THEIR OWN NEWSWORTHY ITEMS EACH MONTH. MEMBERS SUBMIT NEWS REGARDING PERSONNEL CHANGES, NEW PRODUCT RELEASES, CHANGE OF ADDRESS, INNOVATIVE NEW PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, AND JUST ABOUT ANYTHING OUR MEMBERS DEEM IMPORTANT. THE INFORMATION THEN APPEARS IN THE APPROPRIATE SECTION OF THE ABOVE PUBLICATIONS. DURING SHOW TIME, MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO FORWARD PRESS RELEASES TO THE MEDIA CENTER, DRAMATICALLY IMPROVING THE CHANCES FOR PRESS COVERAGE. FOR OVER 50 YEARS, THE SPECIALTY EQUIPMENT MARKET ASSOCIATION & PERFORMANCE RACING, INC. HAS SERVED AS THE SOLE GUIDING FORCE BEHIND THE EXTRAORDINARY GROWTH AND SUCCESS OF THE SPECIALTY AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET INDUSTRY - A UNIQUE INDUSTRY DEDICATED TO THE ENHANCED PERFORMANCE, APPEARANCE AND HANDLING OF THE 20TH CENTURY'S GREATEST INNOVATION OF THE AUTOMOBILE. DURING THOSE YEARS, SEMA HAS MATURED FROM AN UPSTART COALITION OF INNOVATIVE ENTREPRENEURS TO AN ESTABLISHED BUSINESS FORCE WHOSE IMPACT IS FELT BY EVERY SEGMENT OF THE MARKETPLACE, AS WELL AS THE LEGISLATIVE BODIES WHICH GOVERN IT. WHETHER IT HAS BEEN THROUGH PROVIDING OUR MEMBERS WITH AN UNRIVALED FORUM TO BUY, SELL AND MARKET PRODUCTS AND SERVICES WHICH HAVE DRIVEN THIS INDUSTRY (THE SEMA SHOW), LEGAL PROTECTION TO ENSURE THAT MEMBERS' DOORS REMAIN OPEN TO DO WHAT THEY DO BEST (BUSINESS), OR OUR VALUABLE MENU OF BENEFITS WHICH HELP MEMBERS IMPROVE THEIR DAY-TO-DAY BUSINESS AND MARKETING ACTIVITIES, SEMA HAS BEEN THERE SINCE THE BEGINNING AS THE ONLY ASSOCIATION DEDICATED EXCLUSIVELY TO SERVING COMPANIES IN THE SPECIALTY AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET INDUSTRY. LITTLE MORE THAN A GENERATION AGO, SEMA'S FOUNDING MEMBERS CREATED A NEW INDUSTRY AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEMSELVES BY PROVIDING ACCESS TO IMPROVED PERFORMANCE IN A CULTURE WHERE BIGGER WAS BETTER, AND FASTER WAS THE ONLY WAY TO GO, SEMA MEMBERS MADE THE PARTS THAT PUT MUSCLE AND POWER UNDER THE HOOD. BEFORE LONG, THESE INDUSTRY PIONEERS FOUND THEMSELVES IN NEED OF A UNIFIED VOICE TO PROTECT THEIR BUSINESS. IN 1963, SEMA WAS BORN TO ADDRESS THAT NEED. SINCE THAT TIME, THE KEY TO OUR INDUSTRY'S SPECTACULAR SUCCESS HAS BEEN ITS REMARKABLE ABILITY TO ADAPT TO CHANGE AND SHIFTING CONSUMER TASTES. OUR MANUFACTURING MEMBERS ARE JUST AS LIKELY TO INTRODUCE DRAMATIC RESTYLING ACCESSORIES AND HANDLING COMPONENTS AS THEY ARE "UNDERHOOD" PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS. SEMA'S DISTRIBUTOR AND RETAIL MEMBERS NOW CARRY EXTENSIVE LINES FOR MULTIPLE AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURERS, AND OUR SUCCESSORIENTED MANUFACTURERS ARE NOW INCREASINGLY PROVIDING NOT ONLY U.S. ENTHUSIASTS BUT MOTORISTS AROUND THE WORLD, FROM ABU DHABI TO ZURICH, WITH FIRSTRATE INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS THAT ALLOW GLOBAL GEARHEADS TO PERSONALIZE THEIR VEHICLES. AS FAR AS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, SEMA MAINTAINS AN EFFECTIVE PROGRAM OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO HELP THE INDUSTRY DEVELOP RESPONSIBLE PRODUCTS THAT CONFORM TO APPROVED REGULATORY GUIDELINES. IN ADDITION TO CUSTOMIZED EDUCATION SERVICES, SEMA HAS DEVELOPED A RESOURCE GUIDE DESIGNED TO HELP COMPANIES NAVIGATE THE INTRICATE ARENA OF EMISSIONS CERTIFICATION. THE SEMA SHOW IN LAS VEGAS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENT OF THE YEAR FOR ANY BUSINESS INVOLVED IN THE AUTOMOTIVE AFTERMARKET INDUSTRY. THIS WORLD-RENOWNED EXPOSITION TYPICALLY ATTRACTS AROUND 2,400 EXHIBITING COMPANIES, 70,000 QUALIFIED BUYERS, AND 160,000 TOTAL ATTENDEES. THE FOLLOWING SEMA EXCLUSIVE SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS. -MEMBERSHIP INDEX: PUBLISHED ANNUALLY, THE SEMA MEMBERSHIP INDEX HAS BECOME THE "WHO'S WHO" OF THE INDUSTRY. THERE AR
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(6) business league.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Caution.
The IRS master file records contributions to this 501(c)(6) business league as not deductible.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 1970.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.