Guide
How much to charge for membership.
Set dues between what it costs to serve a member and what membership is worth to them. Here are four ways to find those numbers, the common types of membership and dues structures, a worked example, and how to raise dues without losing members.
Updated
Four ways to set dues
What it costs to serve a member
Add up what you spend on members in a year (staff time, the newsletter, member events, software, insurance) and divide by your number of members. Dues below that figure have to be made up by sponsorships, events or grants.
What membership is worth
List what a member gets and what each would cost a non-member: the conference discount, CE courses, publications, the directory listing. Dues well below that total are an easy yes; dues above it need a reason beyond the money, such as belonging or advocacy.
What similar organizations charge
Look at the published dues of associations that serve the same people in your field and region. You do not need to match them, but you should be able to explain the difference.
What your members can pay
Students, early-career members and retirees often pay less. Survey members, or look at who lapses after a dues increase, before deciding.
A worked example
Take an association with 450 members that spends $63,000 a year serving them. Its cost per member is $63,000 ÷ 450 = $140.
Its members get a conference discount worth $150, CE courses worth $120 and a directory listing worth $40, about $310 in all.
Dues between $140 and $310 cover the cost of serving each member and still give members more than they pay. A full rate near the middle of that range, with lower student and retired rates, is a reasonable place to start.
Illustrative figures, not a benchmark. Use your own budget and benefits.
The three types of membership
| Type | What it is | How it's usually priced |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | One person, one membership. The standard for professional societies. | One price per level |
| Family or household | Several people in one membership, each with their own record. Common in clubs, alumni and community groups. | A base price that covers a few people, plus a price per extra person |
| Organizational or company | A business or institution joins, and its employees get member benefits. The standard for trade associations and chambers. | Flat, or tiered by employee count or company size |
Within those types, most associations add a few categories with their own rates:
- Student
- Early-career or young professional
- Retired
- Associate (for people outside the core profession, such as suppliers)
- Lifetime
- Honorary (usually free, by invitation)
Common dues structures
| Structure | How it works | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| Flat dues | Everyone pays the same | Small groups with similar members |
| By career stage | Student, early-career, full and retired rates | Professional societies |
| By benefits | Two to four tiers with more included at each step | Associations with clear premium benefits, such as conference passes |
| By organization size | Company dues set by employee count or revenue band | Trade associations and chambers |
| Sliding scale | Members choose what they can afford within a range | Community and mission-driven groups |
Keep the choice simple: two to four levels, each different in a way members can see. If people can't tell which level is theirs, the join page is losing you members.
How to raise dues
- Give members notice well before renewals go out, ideally 60 to 90 days.
- Explain what the increase pays for, in specific terms, and what members got this year.
- Raise dues in smaller steps more often, rather than a large jump after years without change.
- Keep a lower rate for students and retirees if they are price sensitive.
- Watch renewals closely for the first year, especially first-year members, and follow up with anyone who lapses.
More on keeping members through a change: Member retention strategies for associations. To announce the change, adapt our renewal letter templates.
Setting up dues in FullRoster
FullRoster runs individual, family and company memberships side by side. Family and company levels can have a base price that includes a few people, a price for each extra person and a maximum size. Dues can renew on each member's anniversary or on a fixed date, billed yearly or monthly, and are prorated for members who join mid-year. Levels can require approval before anyone is charged, and hidden levels cover special cases you don't want on the public join page.
Common questions
- How much should membership dues be?
- Enough to cover what it costs to serve a member, and less than what membership is worth to them. Work out your cost per member, list the value of your benefits, check what similar associations charge, and set dues between the first two figures.
- What are the three types of membership?
- Most associations build on three types: individual memberships for one person, family or household memberships for several people together, and organizational or company memberships, where a business joins and its employees get member benefits.
- How many membership levels should we offer?
- Usually two to four. Each level should differ in a way members can see, such as career stage or a conference pass; more levels than that make the join page harder to choose from.
- Should we offer monthly dues?
- It can help members who would hesitate at a yearly amount, and works best with automatic card payments. Yearly dues remain the norm for most associations and are simpler to account for.
- Should dues renew on a fixed date or on each member’s anniversary?
- A fixed date, such as January 1, keeps renewals in one season and simplifies budgeting. Anniversary renewals spread the work across the year and mean no one joins for a short first year. With a fixed date, prorate dues for members who join mid-year.
- How do we raise membership dues?
- Give members at least 60 to 90 days’ notice, explain what the increase pays for, raise in smaller steps rather than one large jump, and watch first-year renewals closely afterwards.
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