Detailed Explanation of Membership Changes
Summary
Beginning February 3, 2025, you will renew your membership on the LWVUS website, rather than on this LWVPBC website. This is a new nationwide procedure established by LWVUS.
The actual renewal process will not be that different for LWVPBC members. Members will come to this LWV Palm Beach County website and click the JOIN/RENEW button. They will end up at the LWVUS site where they will transact their renewal. They will only have to go there once a year, and can reduce that even further if they choose "automatic renewal".
There will no longer be Household memberships or Susan B. Anthony memberships. Dues will be paid "per person" and based on a "what you can afford" model. The recommended dues will be $75 per person. The minimum dues per person are $20.
Members will not be able to add a donation into their dues. We recommend members pay that directly on this LWV Palm Beach County website.
Members who do not use a computer will be able to work with the LWVPBC assistant treasurer/bookkeeper to renew with a paper form.
Details
The League of Women Voters at the national level (LWVUS) has been planning to change how dues are collected and how local leagues receive their share of dues. The new dues process began on February 3, 2025. Here are some highlights.
Former System (ended January 31, 2025):
• Members paid their dues at this LWVPBC website when they joined or renewed.
• Basic dues were $60.
• If there were two members in the same household, they could pay for a Household membership. The second member was charged 50% of the primary member’s dues. For example, it was $90 for two people in the same household, instead of $60 each.
• If a member joined at the Susan B Anthony level of $100, $60 was allocated for dues and $40 went to LWV Palm Beach County as a donation.
• Since all dues were collected at the local level, LWV Palm Beach County made installment payments to LWVUS and to LWV Florida for their portion of the dues that were collected locally.
New System (as of February 3, 2025):
• Members renew their membership on the national website, not this local league website. They get to that site by first coming here to www.lwvpbc.org. Once here, they click the JOIN/RENEW button (at the top right of any page) and that brings them to a landing page on this site with brief instructions and a blue button. When they click that blue button they will be transferred to the LWVUS site.
• Dues are based on a “pay what you can” model.
- The recommended dues are $75 per person.
- The minimum dues are $20 per person.
• There is no longer a Household membership. Every person joins as an individual.
- If there are two people in a household, they can choose to pay $75 per person, a total of $150 for the household.
- Or if they want to pay the equivalent of the former $90 Household membership, they can each renew at $45 each.
- Or they can each pay any amount because it is based on the "pay what you can" model.
• Donations can not be added into dues. Donations must be paid separately from dues.
• LWVUS will send 20% of the collected dues to the local league. 47% of the collected dues will go to the state league. LWVUS will keep 33%.
What does this mean for our members beginning February 3, 2025?
• 60 days prior to the membership renewal date, members will receive an email advising that their renewal is in 60 days. A second email will be sent 30 days before renewal.
• During the 60-day period before renewal, members can come to this LWV Palm Beach County website and click the JOIN/RENEW button on the top right corner of any page.
- That will bring members to the landing page that will briefly describe the renewal process.
- On that landing page, members will click the large blue button “JOIN or RENEW”. That will transfer members to the membership renewal page on the LWVUS website.
• The member's information will already be there. After verifying it is accurate or after updating it, the member will indicate what dues amount they want to pay. LWVPBC recommends that most members pay $75 per person.
- Members will be prompted to enter their credit card number.
- Instead of a member's credit card number, the member can enter their checking account number and the account routing number so LWVUS can make an automatic withdrawal for the amount the member chooses. These are the same numbers on the member's check, but entering the numbers on the LWVUS website automates the process and is more efficient.
- A member's last option is to send a check. Members will have to forward their check and a paper renewal form to the Assistant Treasurer/Bookkeeper. She will forward both to LWVUS and that will complete your renewal.
• Members will be given the option to enroll in automatic payment so their membership will renew annually without having to return to the LWVUS website, except to renew the credit card expiration date as needed.
• There will be three transactions on members' credit card, debit card, or bank statement, because there will be a separate transaction for each league level: national, state, and local.
NOTE: On the LWVUS site, members will be asked whether they want to also make a donation. Many people make a donation when they renew, and we encourage members to do that. HOWEVER, donations should be made directly on this website, the LWV Palm Beach County website, rather than on the LWVUS site. Donations made on this site are 100% tax deductible, have lower processing fees, AND can be better tracked.
• When finished renewing, members will have the option of returning to this LWV Palm Beach County website, or members can simply exit from the LWVUS site. If a member wants to make a donation, they should come back to this site. Of course, members can make a donation on this LWV Palm Beach County website anytime that is convenient and as often as they like.
• Members are encouraged to login to this LWV Palm Beach County site periodically to check on events and news.