Membership in IAFI did not grow last year, and more than a couple of local program participants I know do not belong. They may have personal reasons for this decision, but I decided to look at the cost/benefit for myself (disclaimer – I am not a board member).
Most of the revenue of the Ice Age Floods Institute is from dues – dues that it shares 50-50 with member chapters, leaving it with a very modest $13,000 to spend. The rest of the budget is made up from a few donations (under $1000), income from sales from the store ($1500), field trips ($800), and income that is offset by expenses (such as brochures).
This is not a large budget to work with. Some of the budget goes to contracted staff services, some is paid out for costs related to board meetings, and the rest goes to operating costs such as insurance and banking services. Some vital services – such as the website – are largely provided by volunteer effort.
So what is the benefit of paying dues?
While you do get a break on anything purchased from the IAFI bookstore, and on the cost of some field trips, many of the benefits of joining a mission driven organization are more intangible. The benefits include the continued existence of an organization to accomplish goals that you feel are important, helping you, the member, direct your volunteer activities in a way that promotes those goals; by providing a mechanism to receive grants and donations to carry out these activities; and by guiding others in a way that gets things done that couldn’t be finished by a few people working alone.
The achievements of the organization as a whole are impressive – look at the “year in review” in the January 2019 Newsletter. The list includes lectures and field trips open to the public, brochures and educational materials, visits to classrooms and community organizations, the website, the newsletter, and partnerships and collaboration with related organizations.
These activities are carried out primarily by local chapters and members on a volunteer basis – so a volunteer might feel his/her time is enough of a contribution, and actual membership and dues are not needed. While valuable – even critical – these activities should achieve more when carried out in a framework provided by the central organization.
So when deciding whether to send in that annual check, you need to evaluate not what monetary benefits you might receive but whether your goals align with those of the central organization and whether the central organization is effective in achieving those goals. If so, get out your checkbook/credit card/cash and give generously. If not, let your board members know what should be changed to gain your support.
Sherry McLaughlin – Glacial Lake Missoula Chapter