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Leader’s Letter
Membership Dues Proposal Taking Shape
By Lynn Meyers, Jeff Kalbowski and Jeff Bash
The NC Board has begun discussion on changes to the dues structure. NC’s dues structure is complex in that it tries to be fair to all segments involved in the organization. Some changes the Board has been looking at are a student membership for our youngest cattlemen; an adjustment to the cap on feedlot dues at $16,500; and an increase in the investment from members of the Seedstock, Farmer Stockman and Cow-Calf Councils.
History
The membership database we currently use was developed in 1995. At that time, dues for the Cow-Calf, Farmer Stockman and Seedstock Councils were $50 plus 25¢ per head annually. A supporting membership was $60 annually and an associate membership was $350 annually. Feedlot Council dues were 30¢ per head on placements or 60¢ per head on capacity, with a cap of $12,500.
In 2001, the Cow-Calf, Farmer Stockman and Seedstock Councils’ payment structure was changed to the current category system (1-100 head, $75; 101-300 head, $125, etc.). The change to the category system was done to simplify the dues and correlate with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) dues structure, which had switched to a similar structure after a dues increase. NC dues were not increased at that time, but were adjusted to fit the categories. Depending on how many head were in the operation, the member may have had a slight increase, but just as many had a slight decrease. The change was approved by all three councils and the Board of Directors at NC’s 2000 Annual Convention. The Board also approved raising the supporting membership dues to $75.
In 2004, Feedlot Council dues were raised from 30¢ per head on placements to 40¢, or 60¢ per head on capacity to 80¢, and the cap was raised to $16,500. (Remember, Feedlot Council dues are NC and NCBA dues combined.) This was approved by the Feedlot Council and the Board of Directors at the 2003 Annual Convention.
Why consider a dues increase?
The primary reason the Board is looking at a possible increase is to ensure the continued fiscal health of the organization without having to cut services to members or any NC programs. As the following table illustrates, inflation costs the association at least $60,000 per year. Dues are not the only way to offset cost increases. The association also strives to increase membership, to garner more sponsorship dollars and to grow revenue through the Nebraska Cattleman magazine and the Market Reporting Service.
Year Net Income
2002 $58,000
2003 ($54,000)
2004 ($85,000)
2005 $123,000
(Feedlot dues increase for less than half the year)
2006 $132,000
2007 $ 67,000
2008 $ 20,000
(This is the budget only after cutting about $30,000 from the original budget.)
While NC is a non-for-profit association and there is no intent to “bankroll” monies, there are more and more projects that develop over a year’s time that cannot be anticipated nor budgeted for. This makes having some net income far more comfortable than running in the red or right at budget.
The proposal
• Adding a student membership for anyone younger than 21: The dues would be $25. Students would receive a magazine by mail, if they request, and other publications electronically.
• Increasing the dues for the Cow-Calf, Farmer Stockman and Seedstock Councils: NC dues only. 1-100 head, $100; 101-300 head, $150; 301-500 head, $200; 501-700 head, $225; and 701 head and more $75 plus 25¢/head. Also, increasing the dues for supporting memberships to $100 and associate memberships to $400 is proposed.
• Adding an option for paying a fee rather than full dues for those choosing this option for the purposes of the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic and the Nebraska Cattlemen Team Penning: This would be a limited membership that receives the magazine if requested and other publications electronically. This limited membership would not have access to technical staff nor would it be a voting membership.
• Adjusting or removing the cap on Feedlot Council dues.
The details of the proposed changes are still being worked out, but we thought it was important to present this discussion. Our lead time necessitates that we go forward with a rough proposal that will be finalized by the Board of Directors during their October meeting. The final decision will be at the 2007 NC Annual Convention in Kearney on Nov. 29-30. This is simply a proposal. Come to the convention to give your input. Y Lynn Meyers is NC Cow-Calf Council chairman, Jeff Kalkowski is NC Farmer Stockman Council chairman and Jeff Bash is NC Seedstock Council chairman.
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