Member Dues

Some organizations charge a substantial fee for membership and others charge nothing. Those that do charge use fees to offset the cost of services, and some believe there is little or no commitment or investment on the part of members if the membership is free. Still others believe that if the services are valuable, members will donate more than the membership fee would have been—affirming the mission and services of the organization. In some cases, the cost of keeping track of dues and renewals is not covered by the dues payments.

In 2000, Genetic Alliance decided to abolish membership dues. Although the decision was grounded in a desire to be inclusive, it has proved to be a good decision fiscally. In a matter of a month it was obvious that members were very willing to pay for valuable services (such as this guide) and would contribute more than the former $55 membership fee.

US HAEA also does not charge membership dues. We know that many of our members have been so severely disabled by their disease (we have only this year had a treatment for the first time…)that they have been unable to hold a job. We felt we wanted to make membership available to all. We do suggest a voluntary donation at the time of signing up as a member.

Member Dues

Internal Links