Association Membership Dues

Membership dues continue to be a significant source of revenue for associations. If you happen to be assigned to review the dues structure at your association, ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership has released a book that may help with your task:

Membership Essentials: Recruitment, Retention, Roles, Responsibilities, and Resources (edited by Sheri Jacobs and Carylann Assante)

Go straight to Chapter 6 and learn about the benefits and drawbacks of calendar year and anniversary billing. Ready for a dues increase? Read about the different types of increases and find out the best way to communicate the increases to your members. The chapter includes a case study of how the Independent Sector successfully revised its dues structure.

In addition to dues, you should also be measuring your membership acquisitions and renewal costs. How much does it cost to serve a member? How much value does the member offer to the association? Find out about these calculations in Chapter 14.

Are you interested in other readings? Search the Catalog of Nonprofit Literature for more readings on associations.