Associate Members are people who care about elephants. Associate Members receive the Journal of the Elephant Managers Association and Grey Matters.

Professional Members have three or more years of professional elephant experience. In addition to receiving JEMA and Grey Matters, Professional Members vote on Board appointments.

Contributing Professional Members are individuals who contribute significantly to the goals and objectives of the EMA, even though they do not participate directly in the training, husbandry or management of elephants. Typically, this category would include veterinarians with a special interest, expertise or practice related to elephants or elephant management, researchers specializing in in situ or ex situ focusing on elephants or issues relating to elephants or elephant management, etc. Members in this category can vote and serve on the board.

Supporting Professional Members are individuals who, in the course of their professional activities, are indirectly involved in elephant training, husbandry and management. Zoo Directors and curators would be examples of persons who would qualify for this category. Supporting Professional Members would not be eligible to vote or serve on committees or as special advisors to the board.

Institutional Members are organizations that either maintain elephants or care about their continual survival. Institutional Members receive JEMA and Grey Matters.

Gold Level Institutional membership dues would initially be $250 per year. Institutions joining at the Gold Level would receive an additional copy, i.e. in addition to the copy received by an ordinary institutional member, of all membership publications. Gold level institutional members would receive a certificate indicating their membership standing in EMA. Institutional members would be acknowledged with a listing in JEMA , at a minimum of once a year.

Ivory Level Institutional membership dues would initially be $500 per year. In addition to receiving the benefits of Gold Level membership, Ivory Level members would be entitled to designate a staff member to receive a complimentary membership to EMA. The designated person must apply for membership in the appropriate category and be approved, in order to receive membership benefits.

All members are welcome to attend both the annual EMA Workshop and the annual Research Symposium. Members get a reduced rate at the EMA Workshop which features a wide variety of presentations and an opportunity to meet other EMA members. The Research Symposium brings together the world's elephant researchers to share information and explore new opportunities.