The AMYA is an association of members. Each member gets a vote on the ballot. Clubs are not represented in voting at all; they are merely supported and recognized as local associations of members. The world is divided into 6 regions which divide the United States roughly proportionally to membership numbers. Members outside the US are assigned a region for representational purposes. Each region gets a Director who represents that region at Board of Directors meetings. In addition, there are 3 elected officials, a President, Vice-President, and Treasurer. The other members of the staff are appointed: the Executive Secretary, the Membership Secretary, and the Editors of Model Yachting.

The organization and its operation are defined by a Constitution and By-Laws. Any member can make a motion to change the organization, and if seconded, the motion will appear on the next ballot, which generally happens in late summer.

The model yacht classes recognized by the AMYA are managed in one of two ways. Traditionally, each have an elected Class Secretary that acts as registrar, championship regatta coordinator, and head cheerleader for the class. In 1995, a provision was voted into the by-laws that allows a class to be managed instead by a Class Owners Association. This form of management is slightly more independent of the AMYA than the class secretary system.
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The final organizational grouping is the Special Interest Groups. SIG's are somewhere between classes and clubs: they are membership-wide clubs that focus on a particular area. At this time, the Vintage Model Yacht Group is the only SIG.

The primary expense and benefit to its members is the periodical newsletter, Model Yachting. The world's biggest and best magazine devoted to model yachting. Model Yachting regularly carries articles, advertising, and reports of interest to model yacht enthusiasts.

In addition to the magazine, the organization works to promote the hobby by attending trade shows, producing and distributing brochures, selling reprints of important articles related to model yachting, and other related items. See our AMYA Ships Store and Resources pages
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The organization ensures the orderly management of championship events, racing rules, class rules, and other national-level concerns. Through its democratically elected officers, the AMYA represents its membership to other national and international organizations, ensuring that we are recognized and valued members of the sailing community