Nearly every year, UPMO managers face the daunting challenge of justifying to their Boards an assessment or fee increase. The justifications are grounded in hard fiscal realities: increasing benefits costs, the need to keep pay rates competitive, inflation and the ever-present demand by our stakeholders to do more on behalf of the communities we serve. That positioning makes us the messengers of often unpopular de facto “tax” increases for business, property owners and in some cases, residents.
Recently, the IDA Board was on the receiving side of a request by its own staff – a bit of a role reversal for most of us. This request was more nuanced, as yes, it would result in an increase in dues premiums for some, but also a decrease for many – and for good strategic purpose. Said simply, our industry is stronger when we’re together, and unfortunately, IDA membership can be cost prohibitive for some of our smaller member organizations. However, great ideas and best practices come from everywhere – regardless of the size of our budgets.
The new membership model consolidates member tiers from 11 to 6 and adds an additional top tier for large organizations. The model adjusts dues based on organizational size, with smaller members benefiting from reduced rates. This will help our staff retain our small member organizations and limit churn. The model applies the same equity-based levels for Corporate members but with dues amounts increased by 20%, aligning with industry practices. The plan includes phased inflationary catch-up increases over several years and annual adjustments afterward. International members outside North America will have reduced rates, reflecting the value of services they receive. The changes prioritize fiscal stability, retention of smaller members and accurate dues calculations across member types.
This new structure is designed to ensure that IDA provides the best possible value to its members, but also to help grow the IDA community. Retention is an often-overlooked component to growth, and to be the repository and curator of the best ideas that drive our industry and communities, we need everyone at the table.