Membership Fees

I saw your poll Kiki and here are a few suggestions/comments.

I have a problem with using paypal because they take too many fees. It just seems like such a waste.
I'd rather give a bigger amount at once through paypal, or better yet, pay a membership fee in person.

Personally, I don't have a problem with asking for donations at the meetups if you would like me to help out with that.
I remember one meetup, you had brought a cute little bank with a note on it. I thought that was a good idea. I had been meaning to give you money, but kept forgetting to at the meetups. Not only did the bank remind me, but when I put money in, others noticed and put money in as well, without even having to ask.

Also, there are other subscription plans too, other than month to month (the $20 plan) This group has been around for awhile, and I don't see it going anywhere. It would probably be safe to get a 6 month membership which is only $12 a month then. Or if that is too much, the 3 month plan is $15 a month. And that would save on costs a lot. And then when subscription renewal times came around, you could really push for getting donations. And that way you only have to think about it a few times a year instead of constantly harassing people.

So those are a few of my suggestions. Anyone else agree, disagree, have other ideas?

HI Karin,

Thanks for these suggestions. Basically, I've been passing the "hat" for three years and donations equal about $75/year. I pay the rest. Some events, like summerfest, don't lend themselves to passing a hat around for donations. Some people mean to donate but forget. Paypal is a perfect solution, but some people won't pay because they don't like the fees. That leaves me holding the bag.

I've stuck to the month-to-month website plan because I'm not sure how many more months I feel like paying for the entire website (minus the $75 in donations) myself. After three years, it seems ridiculous that I still pay for the website and about another $100 in expenses for the group each year. And most disappointing of all, some people still complain about having to pay the $1.50 RSVP fee. However, only 3 people have ever paid it so far, it's out there on the honor system.

I will probably close the group at the end of summer. It's no fun to beg for donations three years in a row (that's 36 months of asking and asking). I think I'm all tired out. We are the third largest group on meetup. I used to think it was because we were so fun and fabulous, but lately I think it's because I foot the bill.