Benefits of Straw Dog
Benefits of Membership Policy Straw Dog
1. The liability to existing members is converted into operating funds gradually over the next 10 to 25 years. This will be a bit of an administrative issue but easily amenable to tracking by a competent accountant. It will inject something between about $6,000 and $2500 into disposable funds each year until the liability expires - no later than 25 years in the future. No need to worry about "profits" from the Christmas Banquet or whatever to support the charitable and cultural goals of SD.
2. Soliciting new (family) members will not be hampered by the currently uncommonly high membership fee of $250 even though it is presented as a "lifetime" membership. Prospects are MUCH MORE LIKELY to part with $25 p.a. (per annum) than $250. In addition the $250 is hopelessly outdated, even as a "lifetime" membership fee. When it came into existence the amount represented roughly 1% of the cost of a "nice" new house in the suburbs, say, $25,000 in 1960. Now it represents less than one day of a resort vacation at a "nice" location and less than 0.08% of the price of a new home in the GTA.
3. Going forward with a new Family Membership fee of $25 p.a. which includes up to 10 subscriptions to the web site and a discount in the amount of $25 p.a. per family on SD sponsored events will be much easier to sell to prospects than the current $250.
4. Instituting a new Individual Membership fee of $10 p.a. will make it easier to attract students and other single individuals as members (or simply subscribers to the web site).
5. Making the fee (Family or Individual) deductible from any fees associated with SD events effectively makes the membership per se FREE! Again a bit of an administrative issue but not beyond the capabilities of a moderately intelligent Board of Directors.
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