02/15/2017

Opening the Door to Government Members

Government employees face a conundrum when it comes to joining an association

In some fields, associations can’t fully carry out their mission of guiding smart policy and facilitating information exchange if government employees aren’t part of their membership community. But state and federal rules are sometimes an obstacle to bringing in those members. Some groups are reexamining their membership strategies to bring down that barrier.

Government employees face a conundrum when it comes to joining an association that requires individual membership dues. It’s either pay out of pocket or don’t join at all.

That dilemma is growing for employees of both federal agencies likely to see budget cuts and for states governments that have not rebounded from the Great Recession. Often, budget cuts and revenue loss translate directly into lost opportunities for professional development and networking. Meanwhile, the federal government and many states prohibit the reimbursement of individual membership dues.

Please click here to read the complete article from Associations Now.