It was founded in Ottawa, Canada, in 1936 by American and Canadian carillonneurs so that they could keep better contact and develop the musicality of the instrument.

It publishes sheet music, two periodicals, and instrument design standards; holds an annual congress for members to share ideas and developments; administers music examinations for its members; and offers grants for various activities concerning the carillon.

The GCNA hosts an annual congress in which attendees can listen to recitals, attend workshops, participate in business meetings, and socialize.

Typical content includes a report on the most recent congress, discussions on the carillon repertoire, histories of instruments, and biographies of carillonneurs, among other topics.

[11] This examination process stemmed from the lack of an existing music school in North America at the time of the Carillonneur exam's creation in 1947.

[14] Among the attendees was William Gorham Rice, a man who had for several years at that point worked to publicize the carillon throughout the United States.

[2] To strengthen contact between carillonneurs, the GCNA published the first edition of its scholarly journal The Bulletin in 1940, though it initially appeared to be more of a newsletter.

In 1946, at its congress at Princeton University, the GCNA formalized its definition of a carillon, which is codified into its articles of incorporation.

[3] Due to the lack of an existing music school for carillon in North America, the GCNA created a student examination in 1947 to encourage some form of performance standards on the continent.

Beginning in 1954, Theophil Rusterholz, a carillonneur and lawyer in Minnesota, volunteered as the GCNA's legal advisor.

[22] The GCNA is a small nonprofit organization with no paid staff and is run exclusively through volunteer work through the board and its committees.

[21] In the fiscal year ending on April 30, 2021, the GCNA reported US$37,314.91 in revenue (excluding unrealized capital gains).