LWV New Membership System FAQs

ChapterSpot has been selected as the new membership platform. Read more below.

Questions that have been most recently updated are those regarding dues, renewal, and payment to state and national.

Table of Contents

• Joining the League
• Membership Renewal
• Membership Dues
• Payment to State and National Leagues
• Join Tiers
• Membership Types
• Data and Reporting
• Technology
• Donations
• Shortfall Mitigation
• Additional Tools
• ClubExpress, MyLO, Etc.
• Implementation Process

Joining the League

A more streamlined joining process will facilitate the engagement of more members, through local, state, and national websites and through national membership campaigns.

How will a member identify a League at the time of joining? Is this done by address?

There will be a way to select the League to which the new member belongs.  As now, members will continue to have the option to choose which League they would like to join. 

Will members still be able join at the state level as at-large members?

Yes. 

Will members be required to join online?

There will still be the option to join with a paper form and a check. Information from paper forms will need to be entered manually by the local League, so the online method is preferred to minimize the administrative burden on volunteers. A QR code will be provided for Leagues for use at events or on signage.

Membership Renewal

Auto-renewal will improve member retention to increase overall membership numbers. Also, this will lessen the administrative burden on local League volunteers to track down renewals.

Can membership payments be made in installments?

This will not be available at first but may be possible down the line. 

Can members auto-renew?

Yes. Members will also be able to choose not to auto-renew. 

Will members automatically be notified to renew and when will that happen?

Yes, members will be automatically notified when it is time for them to renew their membership. The first renewal reminder will be sent 60 days before the member's expiration, a second will be sent 30 days before their expiration, a third will be sent the day before expiration, and a final reminder will be sent 45 days after they have expired. Leagues will be encouraged to reach out to members who haven't renewed after the second and third email reminders. Updated 10/31

Are renewal dates rolling?

Yes. This means members who renew will do so a year after their previous renewal/join date. Not all members will join on the same date, as is currently the case with some Leagues. 

Membership Dues

The League’s new dues structure aims to expand the membership pool beyond those who can afford the standard dues amount while setting a recommended amount that will fund the essential activities of the League.

How much will dues cost for individuals?

Individuals will be encouraged to pay a standard rate of $75. There will be higher tiers for those who choose to pay more ($150, $250, $500), as many Leagues currently have, and there will also be a pay-what-you-can option, where members can choose their own dues amount, at a minimum of $20. 

In a pay-what-you-can model, is there any possibility of members joining below the $20 floor?

Leagues can choose to subsidize the $20 for members if they choose. 

Are there parameters around who can pay less than the floor amount of $20?

Not yet, but this will be determined by each local League, as they will be responsible for the floor payment of $20.

How will credit card fees be handled?

Each level of League will pay the fee on the percentage of dues they receive. There will be the option for members to pay via ACH rather than credit card, for which the fees will be lower. 

How frequently will my League receive member dues?

Member dues will come to your League's Stripe account at the time of payment. Your League can choose the frequency with which this is distributed to your bank account based on the treasurer’s capacity to reconcile deposits as well as cash flow needs. Stripe offers daily, weekly, monthly, and manual options. 

Will dues be tax-deductible?

Portions of dues that are going to 501(c)(3)s will be tax-deductible (e.g. if the local League is a (c)(3), the 20% going to them will be tax-deductible). A receipt will be sent to joining/renewing members which should be able to indicate the amount that is tax-deductible. This is true regardless of whether members pay online or by check.

How will a pay-what-you-can membership dues structure increase membership diversity?

While it can't be guaranteed that the sliding dues scale will diversify League membership, it will remove or lessen one important barrier to participation by ensuring people can participate in LWV even if they lack the funds to join at a higher rate. Leagues know from their pro-voter advocacy that removing barriers drives greater participation. The purpose is to make it easier for younger and lower-income people to join the League, but lower dues are only one aspect of building an accessible and welcoming organization, and they need to be implemented alongside the League's DEI initiatives and organizing approaches.

Payment to State and National Leagues

The reallocation of dues percentages adopted in the bylaws in 2022 will keep more money at the state level and, in most cases, at the local level. This will fund the critical on-the-ground work that Leagues are undertaking.

How much money will go to LWVUS?

LWVUS will receive 33% of dues payments. This is a decrease of 18% from the current system. Under the new system, LWVUS is projected to receive $700,000 less in membership dues compared to the current Per-Member Payment model. This money will instead be reallocated to local and state Leagues in the field. 

Will the portion of dues that goes to LWVUS go to the 501(c)(4)?

Yes. This portion will not be tax-deductible. 

How much money will go to the state League?

The state League will receive 47% of dues payments. 

When will Leagues stop receiving Per-Member Payment (PMP) invoices?

Leagues will receive PMP invoices to cover new and renewing members who joined prior to the launch of the new system. If this causes cash-flow issues for Leagues, accommodations can be made, such as extending the due date. (Note: this does not apply to ClubExpress Leagues that are already paying in real time via the Dues Connector.) A diagram outlining the remainder of this process is available on the ChapterSpot Resources page.  

What will happen to Inter-League organizations (ILOs) in the new dues structure?

ILOs are groups of Leagues and do not have individual membership. Each ILO currently determines how it is funded, and they will continue to do so under the new model.

Join Tiers

Encouraging those who are able to join with a higher dues amount will facilitate the pay-what-you-can model. Some members choosing to pay more will allow others to pay less while maintaining organizational solvency.

Are there more benefits to a member who joins at a higher tier?

No, all members are equal in rights, responsibilities, and standing, regardless of the amount they have paid in dues. 

Will LWVUS now take a share of the amounts above the standard rate that used to be solely retained by the local League?

Yes, the dues amount selected at the time of joining/renewing will be split according to the allocation percentages.

Membership Types

Membership types will stay largely the same. Any changes will be undertaken with a view to align our mechanics with our mission.

Will there still be household membership available?

There will no longer be a household membership designation, though members can still be grouped into households for data purposes and members can still join on behalf of other members. A member joining from the same household as an existing member can choose to pay half of the recommended amount under the pay-what-you-can model.

Will there still be student memberships?

No. The pay-what-you-can model is intended to extend to everyone the same consideration of financial need previously only offered to students. As mentioned above, there will likely be a mechanism for Leagues to subsidize members to pay below the $20 floor if they choose, including students. 

Will there still be lifetime memberships?

Yes. As specified in the bylaws, any person who has been a member for 50 or more years is exempt from dues payment.

Can a person be a member of more than one League?

No. In explaining this, we often use the comparison to voting – in the same way that none of us can be registered to vote in more than one state, we can’t be a member of multiple local Leagues, both because we as individuals would be overrepresented at the state/national level, and also because that would overstate our total membership as an organization.

Of course, this isn’t intended to curtail a member’s engagement with any League. A member who lives near more than one League is highly encouraged to engage with the Leagues in both places and is of course welcome to make a contribution to the additional League in lieu of dues. The only restriction is on being a voting member of the second League, and therefore also serving on that League’s board. It is up to the member to choose which League they will be a member of and which League they will participate with in a less official capacity. 

Data and Reporting

Data is essential for engaging new members in ways that will be mutually beneficial to both the League and our members. This is balanced with the need to streamline the joining process so potential members are not lost in a time-intensive process.

Will member interest and skills information be collected at the time of joining?

Limited information will be collected at the time of joining to ensure that the join process is as quick and smooth as possible. Further information will be collected when members log in to the portal for the first time, and Leagues can choose which questions to ask their members as part of this process. 

Will member data be shared across all levels of League?

Yes. Note: this does not include any data deemed sensitive or private, such as donation history. Demographic data deemed necessary to collect will be available to view in the aggregate when possible. 

Technology

Leagues are currently situated across a wide spectrum of technical capabilities and online presence, and this system will need to take this spectrum into account to work for everyone.

Has a new platform been chosen and, if so, what is it?

Yes, ChapterSpot will be the new membership platform. This was chosen because it has the most seamless data integration with the member database, can accommodate financial requirements of the new system, and is expected to provide a user-friendly experience for members and League leaders. ChapterSpot is in the process of merging with Billhighway, but we do not anticipate this impacting our relationship with them. 

What happens if a local League doesn’t have a website?

A website template will be available to any League that doesn’t currently have one or that chooses to switch from their current website.

How will the link to join be added to Leagues’ existing websites?

It depends on the existing websites that Leagues have. LWVUS is working with ClubExpress and MyLO to make adding a link to the portal as easy as possible for Leagues using those platforms. For Leagues with other websites, LWVUS will provide the links to include on their sites and as much guidance as possible for how to add them. Updated 10/31

Can Leagues continue to use their existing websites?

Yes.

Donations

Contributions outside of member dues are currently and will continue to be an important component of funding the League’s work. 

Will members be able to make a separate donation when joining?

Yes, there will be a step of the join process when members are given the option to make a donation that goes exclusively to the League they are joining. Updated 10/31

Will donations made through League websites go exclusively to the local League?

Yes, donations made through the individual national, state, and local websites will be retained by the Leagues that collect them.

Shortfall Mitigation

As an important goal of this process is to resource local and state Leagues, LWVUS means to ensure that this transition will support that goal and not be financially burdensome to local and state Leagues.

What if this new system causes local Leagues to lose money?

LWVUS has committed to “make Leagues whole” for the first two years after launching the new system. This means that LWVUS will pay the difference between the net amount that the local League would have retained from base member dues under the old PMP system and the reallocation under the new system. 

What happens if local Leagues are still losing money after two years?

We believe membership will grow to the extent that any shortfall will be mitigated within the first two years. As data is collected through this system, it will allow LWVUS and state and local Leagues to make the changes necessary to ensure that Leagues are in the best possible financial position. 

What is the process and timeline around LWVUS paying local Leagues to make them whole?

The first year of using ChapterSpot will be February 2025 through January 2026. Shortly after this period, Leagues will have the opportunity to request funds. This will require minimal input from Leagues and be based on readily available data. The same process will occur after the year between February 2026 and January 2027. If Leagues are experiencing a significant shortfall, they may reach out to request funds before the year is complete. 

Additional Tools

Leagues require many tools to do their work, and the more efficiently this can be facilitated, the more focus can be placed on engaging voters and their community.

Will the new membership platform include components for mailings, website, etc.?

Yes, ChapterSpot will include both mass emailing and website functionality. Both of these tools will make use of templates provided by LWVUS such that Leagues can add in their own content, while the format is consistent from League to League.

Is there a cost to Leagues to use these tools?

No, these components will be paid for by LWVUS. If membership grows to a point where the costs to do so become prohibitive, this could change, but this would only happen in a context where member dues revenue also far exceeds the current level, and this would be years from now.

Will Leagues be able to continue to use their currently existing tools like their website and email platform?

Yes, Leagues using MyLO, ClubExpress, or any other website or email platform may continue to do so. Leagues will not be required to use the extra tools available on the new membership platform.

ClubExpress, MyLO, Etc.

As mentioned above, the more tools can be leveraged to simplify League work, the more work can be done on the mission.

What does this mean for Leagues that are currently using ClubExpress?

Leagues will have the option to stay with their current CRM and only use the new membership system as a “roster portal.” More information specific to ClubExpress can be found on on the ChapterSpot Resources page.

How will data be transferred from the new platform to tools that Leagues are currently using?

The exact mechanism is yet to be determined, but it will be possible to export data from the new system and upload it into the system a League is currently using. The goal will initially be to provide data that is formatted and easily accessible for Leagues so it can be uploaded, with the potential for direct integrations later.

Implementation Process

Leagues have many competing priorities, and the goal is for this system to assist the Leagues in the pursuit of those priorities. Clear communication around implementation will make this easier for Leagues to know what needs to be done and fit it in among the meaningful work they are engaged in.

What is the timeline for implementation?

The current plan is to begin the training and launch phase in earnest after the 2024 election, in preparation for launch in January/February 2025. More details about the timeline are available on the ChapterSpot Resources page.

Who will pay for the new system?

LWVUS

Will local and state Leagues be able to opt out of the changes in the new shared business model?​

State and local Leagues will not be able to opt out of participating in the shared business model. To position the League for maximum impact and grow engagement and membership, members need to have a consistent low-barrier experience. It helps for all members to understand they are not just a member of their local League but are connected to tens of thousands of League members nationwide.

What support will there be for the transition process?

There will be live and recorded trainings for each component of implementing and using the new system, as well as a support contact for the platform. Additionally, LWVUS has hired a membership manager to serve as a direct support to Leagues in this process, reachable at [email protected].