Re: [atlarge-discuss] Re: membership fees

[DannyYounger@cs.com]

It can reasonably be expected that this organization (with a worldwide base 
of members) might run into the same set of financial difficulties experienced 
by the Non-Commercial Constituency (which already has defaulted on almost two 
years worth of payments to the DNSO).  

So, it is important to learn from the failures of the NCDNHC so that the same 
set of problems don't re-emerge in this body.  

For example, there are ways of eliminating currency conversion charges.  
Kathryn Kleiman once wrote that her bank will clear foreign currency checks 
without a charge.  She places such checks into an IOLTA account (which is a 
special bank account held by attorneys for funds that are given to them in 
trust).  After the checks have cleared, the funds may then be re-transmitted 
to the recipient organization.  As Kathy is a member of icannatlarge.com, 
perhaps she would be willing to set up such a service for this organization.

But let's return to the question of appropriate fees... as per my 
understanding, the Non-Coms assess a minimum of $50.  ccTLD contributions 
also start at $50.  The Business Constituency charges a minimum EURO $250.  
IPC membership starts at $75.  Registrars have a flat $750 fee.  The ISPs 
don't post their fee structure, but as they have only 38 members and yet meet 
their $15,000 annual obligation, they must assess at least $400 to each 
member.  Organizations like ISOC with 10,000 members charged $25.  Smaller 
groups like ACM charge their members $99.

On this list I have seen $10 mentioned as a possibly appropriate fee...  
based on current numbers, that would translate into an annual budget of only 
$9470 (which is far below even the cost of being a constituency member in the 
GNSO -- and that's assuming that each and every member now on the roster will 
tender their fees, a somewhat unrealistic expectation).  BTW, the GNSO will 
be charging an estimated $17,500 for membership fees based on an initial 
calculation for six member constituencies. 

Until such time as ancillary funding becomes available through philanthropic 
grants or other efforts, it will be necessary to set fees at a level 
sufficient to actually pay for the real costs of running the organization.  
Based on the experience of other constituencies (where even a minimum $50 did 
not sufficiently meet their financial needs), I think that you are probably 
looking at a neighborhood that is past the $50 benchmark (especially because 
not everyone now on the list will pay).  

Comments?

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