Bundled Membership

HLF Summary

Purpose

• To give a society basic electronic membership to every IEEE member as part of their membership fee

Structure

• The design of this proposal assumes that:– People may purchase (and will) additional basic

memberships in other societies for $15 (and that the societies will earn $10+ on each added basic membership)

– Only 40% of current society members would downgrade to basic membership to save paying full dues

– If all assumptions are achieved, IEEE membership dues will have to be raised $5 in the second year to cover revenue lost to the societies

Issues

• What is the financial effect of more people opting for one society rather than all of the new members evenly spreading across the societies

• How will life and permanent society memberships be handled?• Do societies currently have available the electronic products

they need for electronic membership ? If not, what needs to be done?

• If some societies don’t have a basic membership package ready, how will this be handled?

• If this loses money for fiscally “tight” societies, how will this effect their relationship with the Watch List and Oversight?

Risks

• If more than 40% of society members opt for basic membership, and not many people take multiple basic memberships, IEEE dues would have to be raised $5 per year for up to 3 years, ergo $15 total

• What is the likelihood of a future BoD raising IEEE dues, including this raise and inflation adjusted increases ($2 to $4), by $7 to $9 per year for 3 years to make the societies whole?

Risks (2)

• If, after a few years, the Bundled Membership becomes a “failed” activity, we are told TA can vote to cancel the bundled membership. Bundled membership would, by then, be considered a member benefit by those who care. What is the likelihood that a future BoD would permit revocation of a previously granted member benefit? They haven’t in the past at all.

Risks (3)

• There no data other than polling data that indicates that any of the assumptions are valid

• There is not testing being done to vette the idea, just a full implementation

• Societies will have to absorb first and second year losses even if dues are raised in the second year.

• If multiple dues increases become necessary, societies will have to absorb any losses until dues increases become adequate.

IEEE Low Cost Society Membership

Purpose

• To permit IEEE members who have not previously been members of a technical society to see what membership is all about at low cost

• It will permit IEEE members, during their IEEE lifetime, to try out membership in up to 5 societies for a 3 year period each.

Structure

• Every IEEE member (students included at the std discount) can join a Technical Society (Basic Membership) for $5 per year for up to 3 years

• Every member may exercise the option above during their membership up to 5 times

• Technical Society(s) members are not entitled to change to basic membership having been a member of that (those) society(s) within the previous 5 years

• Basic Membership is an electronic only option (it is the same model as for Bundled Membership)

Benefits

• Every IEEE member will be able to try out societies in which they might have an interest

• Members will be able to try out different societies as their career changes

• Applicable to all IEEE members including students• Does not affect life or permanent members• If a society doesn’t have a basic membership

available (or doesn’t want this model), they don’t have to offer one.

Risk

• None - – Not to society revenue (dues or optional pubs)– no potential to drive IEEE or society dues

Expenses are: – IT activities (same as Bundled Membership)– Cost to create electronic membership content if

not yet available (same as Bundled Membership)

Risk (2)

• This low cost membership model will act as a test of the premises of Bundled Membership for future implementation

• If the model doesn’t show “success” by any metrics anyone choses, societies can just stop offering basic memberships and the program just fades away.

• If the program is “successful”, if the “real data” (not polls) shows “success” and viability, the BoD can inmplement the current bundled membership proposal

Opportunities

• Will provide data that will support implementation of a Bundled Membership model.