communication department

Volume XIX Number 9

Membership

Community Leaders: Encourage Online Dues Renewal

Help STC conserve funds by encouraging your members to renew their memberships online. Online renewal is quick and convenient, reduces printing and postage costs, and decreases the use of paper.

Please place a prominent announcement in your newsletter and on the home page of your Web site that online renewal is open, and provide a link to www.stc.org. To renew online, members will need their STC membership number and password.

Membership Categories for 2007

The following are descriptions of the membership categories offered to STC members for 2007. Please note that the cost of additional SIG memberships is now $10 per year. SIG and chapter memberships will now be given equal weight on application and renewal forms.

Classic Membership
Classic membership entitles members to the hardcopy versions of Intercom and Technical Communication and access to their online versions, as well as full access to the online STC members-only knowledge base. Members in this category may choose one of the following community options for 2007: two chapters, one chapter and one SIG, or two SIGs. Members in this category may join additional SIGs at a cost of $10 per SIG and additional chapters at a cost of $10 per chapter.

E-Membership
E-membership entitles members to the same benefits as classic membership, except that e-members do not receive hard copies of Intercom and Technical Communication. Members in this category may choose one of the following community options for 2007: two chapters, one chapter and one SIG, or two SIGs. E-members may join additional SIGs at a cost of $10 per SIG and additional chapters at a cost of $10 per chapter.

Limited Membership
Limited membership includes subscriptions to the hardcopy versions of Intercom and Technical Communication and full access to the online STC members-only knowledge base. Limited membership does not include membership in chapters or SIGs.

Student Membership
Student members receive the same benefits as e-members, but have no voting rights. In addition, student members may join an unlimited number of SIGs and up to two chapters (one student and one professional). Students may join additional chapters at a cost of $10 per chapter.

Retired Membership
Retired membership entitles members to the same benefits as classic membership, at a reduced rate. To qualify for retired membership, an individual must have been a member of STC for ten or more years, and must be either sixty years old or medically retired.

U.S. Members: Deduct Your STC Dues

If you pay taxes in the United States, keep in mind that STC dues are tax deductible. Please note, however, that dues must be deducted from the tax return filed for the year in which they were paid. In other words, dues paid in 2006 may be deducted only from 2006 tax returns. Therefore, if you pay your 2007 dues on or before December 31, 2006, these dues can be deducted only from your 2006 return. Members who have questions should contact their local IRS office or their accountant.

You can claim dues as a deduction in several ways: as a charitable expense, a business expense, or a miscellaneous deduction.

Charitable Expense
All STC members who pay taxes in the United States can deduct at least a portion of their STC dues if they claim this portion as a charitable donation. IRS publication 526 (rev. 2005) defines this option:

If you receive a benefit as a result of making a contribution to a qualified organization, you can deduct only the amount of your contribution that is more than the value of the benefits you receive.

As a 501(c)(3) organization, STC is a qualified organization. To determine the amount of charitable contribution you may claim, subtract the cost of tangible benefits you receive from STC from the amount of dues you paid in 2006. STC's tangible benefits can be estimated at $30 per year: $15 for the Society's quarterly journal, Technical Communication, and $15 for the magazine Intercom. The amount of dues you paid depends on your membership category. Classic members and limited members determine their charitable contribution by subtracting the cost of tangible benefits ($30) from the cost of dues ($150 for classic members, $130 for limited members). Because student members and e-members do not receive printed versions of Technical Communication or Intercom, they do not receive tangible benefits, and may deduct the full amount of dues for 2006: $140 for e-members and $55 for student members.

Table 1 will help most members determine their charitable contribution. Please note: If you received prorated credit from STC toward your dues, your dues and charitable contribution will differ from the amounts listed below.

Table 1. Charitable Contributions for 2006 and 2007 STC Dues

Business Expense
Employers and self-employed consultants may claim the full amount of dues as a business expense.

Miscellaneous Deduction
Those who do not fall into the categories defined above may claim the amount of dues as a miscellaneous deduction. (For miscellaneous deductions to affect taxes, the total amount of miscellaneous deductions must exceed 2 percent of your adjusted gross income.)

Please be aware that while dues, contributions, and out-of-pocket expenses may be deducted, personal services may not.

Community Membership Drives

To attract new members during their membership drives, chapters can use the promotional items mailed to all membership managers and student chapter advisors in early November. These items include membership applications, flyers promoting STC's 54th Annual Conference, and copies of the Discover the Benefits brochure. Discover the Benefits contains information about STC and its services, publications, and special interest groups. Applications and brochures can also be downloaded from the Society Web site.

Below is a list of STC membership drive achievers. The communities listed are leading their respective categories in growth percentages from June 30 through November 1, 2006. Chapters are ranked in the size category they attained on June 30, 2006; the list also includes a category for SIGs. The numbers in parentheses denote the number of communities in each category as of June 30, 2006. As an inspiration to all STC communities, Tieline will publish an updated version of this list in every issue through March 2007.

Professional Chapters, Size Category 1
More than 600 members (2 communities)

Professional Chapters, Size Category 2
301 to 600 members (9 communities)

Professional Chapters, Size Category 3
151 to 300 members (18 communities)

Professional Chapters, Size Category 4
76 to 150 members (24 communities)

Professional Chapters, Size Category 5
41 to 75 members (21 communities)

Professional Chapters, Size Category 6
Fewer than 41 members (30 communities)

Student Chapters, Size Category 1
20 or more members (7 communities)

Student Chapters, Size Category 2
Fewer than 20 members (23 communities)

Special Interest Groups
(20 communities)