[board] Proposal to clarify how we handle membership dues and additional payments

[Dana Pepp]

Hi,

I think it’s a bit more nuanced.
I am one of those who probably paid my $25 membership more than once a year.
It was because we didn’t have a good system in place to remind members when their memberships are due.
Once that system is operational, I think we’ll collect more, do it more consistently and then we can ask people for donations in a separate ask.
Asking for additional donations to MCBA is a good idea.  And, a good idea to do soon, i.e. before Giving Tuesday ;).

Thanks,
Dana



> On Oct 19, 2026, at 8:54 AM, Paul Reulbach <paul at marinbees.org> wrote:
> 
> Good morning,
> 
> I’d like to raise a question about how we currently handle membership dues when someone pays more than the annual membership fee of $25.
> 
> Our current practice is to apply the excess payment toward additional years of membership. I’m not sure that this is necessarily the payer’s intent. In many cases, someone may simply wish to contribute a little extra to support the Marin County Beekeepers Association and its educational programs, rather than prepay for several years of membership.
> 
> I’d like to propose that we adopt a policy whereby any amount paid in excess of the annual dues is treated as a donation to MCBA for the current year, rather than extending membership into future years. Membership would continue to renew annually, with dues collected each year.
> 
> I believe this approach would better reflect the likely intent of our members, provide additional support for the association’s activities, and more accurately represent membership tracking and renewals.
> 
> Of course, if someone specifically wishes to pay for multiple years of membership, we could accommodate that request. The distinction would be that excess payments are considered donations unless the payer explicitly indicates otherwise.
> 
> Before adopting the policy, we should confirm how donations should be recorded and acknowledged, particularly if MCBA represents the excess payment as a charitable contribution for tax purposes.
> 
> I’d appreciate your thoughts on this proposal and whether we can agree on changing the policy going forward. 
> 
> Thank you. 
> 
> best regards, Paul 
> 
> PaulPaul Reulbach 
> Paul Reulbach 
> President
> Marin County Beekeepers Association
> https://marinbeekeepers.org <https://marinbeekeepers.org/>
> 617-828-2222
> 
> 
> <PastedGraphic-3.png>
> 
> 
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