We Have Always Done It That Way

How often do association executives or volunteer leaders say that they can’t raise the member dues because their members can’t afford it or won’t pay it? How many times each year do those same members spend an amount equal or greater than that dues payment for something else? A conference registration? A certification? A suit? A purse? A set of golf clubs or a round of golf? Tickets to a theatre series? A weekend getaway? You get the idea.

I once sat through a painful house of delegates meeting (of an association that was in a dire financial situation) in which delegate after delegate pronounced that the association just could not raise dues because the members could not afford it and would drop membership. They spent the full meeting discussing why the membership couldn’t afford it, what billing options could be instituted, what programs could be cut instead, etc. Not once did I hear the suggestion that perhaps the organization could consider ways to increase its value for the dollar. Not once. And, consider that the same organization offered a training program that cost almost double the cost of membership that had for the past 3 years and was continuing to sell out at every offering across the U.S.

More often than not, it is NOT about the actual dollar amount. It is about the perceived value of what members are getting for it. If there’s little to no real value in membership, then any fee is too high.

So, instead of worrying so much about the impact of raising dues by a few dollars, focus on increasing the value of membership so that members won’t even blink at that dues invoice because not renewing isn’t even a consideration.

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