Volume XX Number 8

Administration

Q & A for Chapter Leaders: New Dues Structure

Editor’s note: On September 17, 2007, the STC office sent the following message about STC’s new dues structure to chapter presidents and treasurers on behalf of Cindy Currie, STC Second Vice President and Chair of the Community Advocacy Committee.

This message served as a follow-up to the announcement sent by the STC office on September 12, 2007, on behalf of Currie to chapter presidents and treasurers detailing the new chapter funding model and dues structure approved by the STC Board of Directors at its August 2007 meeting. You may get—or may have already gotten—questions from your members regarding the dues structure. You can refer to this Q & A when responding to such questions.

If you have additional questions, please contact Cindy Currie.

By how much are my dues increasing?

Short answer: It depends on where you’re located and what membership category you choose. Most STC members (about 75 percent) will see an increase of $25. Others will see more or less, depending on their circumstances.

Long answer: The easiest way to compute your dues increase is to use the chart below to determine your 2008 dues, and subtract what you paid for 2007.

Can I join extra chapters and SIGs? If so, how much will it cost?

Extra chapters are $25 each. Extra SIGs are $10 each. This is the same regardless of your membership category or tier.  

Why are my dues increasing?

Two reasons: the rising costs of running a nonprofit organization, and the new services and benefits STC is creating for its members.

The costs of operating a nonprofit organization have gone up. The reasons include the effects of inflation, rising health-care costs, rising costs of printing, and many other factors. Even if STC were standing still, doing the same thing year after year, we would still have to raise dues to continue operating.

But STC is not standing still. The past year has been particularly active as we lay the groundwork for new and innovative services and benefits of the type that our members demand. Examples include:

• Improved financial support for STC chapters. Under the new chapter funding model approved by the Board in August 2007, STC chapters will get more money per member than before. This empowers local STC leaders to provide improved programs and services.

• Improved staff support for STC communities. Chapters and SIGs look to the Leadership Community Resource (LCR) for help and guidance. Recently, the STC office added a staff position to provide support to communities, both by assisting the LCR in its work and by working directly with community leaders. More than ever, STC chapter presidents, SIG managers, and student chapter advisors have a place to turn to for help!

• Increased communication. The STC office recently relaunched its e-mail newsletter, News & Notes, expanding it to include industry news briefs on topics of interest to technical communicators.

• Relevant information. STC has hired economist Rick O’Sullivan to produce a comprehensive salary database for technical writers based on data gathered by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Based on a survey of 1.25 million business establishments, the new database is more wide ranging and statistically valid than STC’s old salary survey. In addition, the new salary database will—for the first time—provide STC members with salary data according to industry as well as geography.

• Representation in an increasingly competitive market. STC is working to influence the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to replace the outdated definition of technical writer in the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system with a new definition of technical communicator. The SOC definitions are used in the BLS salary survey, which is sent to 1.25 million business establishments. The BLS also governs what is published in the Occupational Handbook, the prime reference source for career counselors, educators, and guidance counselors nationwide. If the SOC definition changes, so will the labor market measures and the advice that the DOL gives job seekers. If successful, STC’s efforts will significantly raise the stature of the profession.

• An international model of action. STC’s efforts with the DOL (as described above) are attracting the attention of technical communicators in the U.K. They want to influence the British government in a similar way, and look to STC’s efforts as a blueprint. In this sense, STC is setting a course for the profession both within and outside the U.S.

• Streamlined services. STC has invested in upgrades to the technology that supports the day-to-day work of running a nonprofit association. In short, we’ve supplied the STC office staff with the tools they need to do their jobs more effectively. While not a direct new benefit to members, these upgrades will allow the STC office staff to provide improved services that will result in increased member satisfaction.

What does STC do with member dues?

STC works to deliver the best possible services and benefits to its members. Therefore, it spends the money it receives on things that are necessary to reach this goal. Publications require editing, design, and printing. Conferences require advertising and meeting room rentals. Live Web seminars require an IT infrastructure. Just keeping a nonprofit organization running requires an office and staff—which means salaries and office space rental costs.

Because this is a question STC members are naturally interested in, the STC staff has put together an article titled “Where do my STC dues go?” to provide more details on STC finances. Look for it on the STC Web site.

Can’t you lower my dues instead of raising them?

Unfortunately, no. Even if STC were not creating new services and benefits for its members, the increased cost of doing business would require a dues increase. The fact is that STC dues have not kept up with the increase in costs.

Currently, STC spends about $300 per member. If STC were 100 percent dues dependent, each member would need to pay $300 in dues. But STC has other sources of revenues: conference registration, exhibits, sponsorships, advertising, royalties, and interest from investments. These other sources bring the costs down to about $150 per member; therefore, STC needs only $150 to cover that cost. The new dues structure packages membership in STC with membership in STC communities, bringing the prices to what you see in the table above.

If I renew now, can I get the old renewal rate?

Unfortunately, STC cannot afford to offer renewal at the old rates for the reasons cited above. The renewal page on the STC Web site is currently disabled; it will go live with the new rates in October.

Tier 1: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Tier 2: Bermuda, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, Taiwan, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Also: Eastern European countries within the European Union (EU).

Tier 3: Brazil, China, Costa Rica, India, Lebanon, Pakistan, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Also: Other African states, non–EU Eastern European countries, ex-USSR countries, and other South American countries.

Don’t forget that if 2007 was your first year as an STC member and you joined midyear, you will receive a credit toward your 2008 dues. Look for details when the STC office sends out renewal notices.