Re: [ALSC-Forum] Benefits and goals of At-Large involvement

[Alexander Svensson]

Hello Steve!

Steve Magruder wrote on 04.08.01, 00:04:48:
> 2) Membership requirements/fees: Should be very nominal, if any.  Something
> like $10/yr.  Find ways to seek external funding (from orgs w/o conflict of
> interest) and keep costs as low as possible, so that member fees can be kept
> as low as possible (if not $0).  You want the largest degree of
> participation possible.

Please keep in mind that for many people even $10 is 
not nominal at all. 
  http://www.worldbank.org/data/wdi2001/pdfs/tab2_6.pdf
It's hard to find a fee that is both non-discriminatory 
/and/ where the collection costs are not higher than the 
revenue -- which is going to be extremely difficult, 
considering that it has to be collected on a worldwide
basis. 

Just as an example: For a range of qualifying countries,
ISOC minimum membership fee is $5, and there are even 
(sponsored) complimentary memberships.
  http://www.isoc.org/isoc/membership/emember/
It would not be possible to keep the fee at that level 
if it was not cross-subsidized.

On the other hand, having a certain budget collected from
At Large members and sponsors -- and used exclusively for 
At Large purposes -- secures a certain amount of 
independence. But I agree that the fee should not be a
barrier to participation.

Best regards,
/// Alexander