SUBJECT: Proposal to increase annual membership dues

Your district Dues Study Committee has recommended that a proposed dues increase be placed before the delegate assembly at the District Convention in August. This issue was not taken lightly and is being presented to bring the district into a fiscally sound position.

Here are some facts:

• The last Districtdues increase occurred in 1997, eleven years ago, which brought district dues to the current $18 per year.
• Although we continue to receive less income due to membership losses, we are required to do the same things we did in 1997.
• Our costs have not gone down and with inflation etc. they actually went up.
• We have lost approximately 30% of our membership since the last dues increase in 1997.
• Federal mileage rate is $0.505 per mile and we reimburse our leadership $0.24 per mile.
• The $18 collected in 1997 has declined to $12.60 based on membership decline of 30%.
• Based on inflation, the $18 collected in 1997 would require $23.17 to match today's prices.
• It would take an increase of $10.57 just to stay even in 2008 and even more in 2009.
• We need to invest in the future of our Kiwanis District! We are at a crossroads with the district budget for next year. We will soon have no reserve funds left from which to borrow. If we continue at present funding and spending we will in four years, be over $250,000 in the red. We cannot continue to slash our district budget at a time when we need resources to build our district. We have leaders working hard for our members. However, we have lost too many members over the past years to continue to pay the same dues as we did 11 years ago.