NAR Financial Situation

[jqavins]

I just read the lead article in this month's Electronic Rocketeer. I'm sure many of you have read it also. For those who have not, in short, the NAR is not in financial trouble yet, but there is potential trouble on the horizon. Expenses are up, and revenue is up less. Reserves are OK for now, but not really large.

Dues have not gone up since 2003. I found myself thinking that if my dues wen't up by $5 I wouldn't complain, and if by $10 I wouldn't do more than grumble a little. There about 7000 paying members, so $5 each would add $35,000 annually, and it looks like that would go a long way, based on the numbers in the article.

Then NAR president Hochheimer goes on to say that the best thing members can do is donate something above and beyond their dues.

Well, I just said I wouldn't complain if membership cost me $5 more per year, so I guess I'd better put my money where my mouth is. I'm donating $5 today, and maybe I'll raise that to $10 later, and I intend to do that every year (perhaps unless dues increase by such an amount).

The reason I'm posting this to the TRF community is obvious, so I won't say it.

UPDATE: I tried and failed to do that, because the "Donate with PayPal" link on the NAR web page just brings me to the PayPal landing page and I can't find the NAR in their list of charities for donation to. Can anyone help with that? I've reported it to the NAR.

 

[PXR5]

I don't know a lot about P.P. so I can't help much

My membership
is up for renewal right now, I am going to add a bit to my check.

Hopefully some will kick in so they don't have to raise their rates.

It's a fact that folks do leave when rates go up

 

[neil_w]

It's a fact that folks do leave when rates go up

Nonetheless, it is not reasonable for the dues to have stayed the same since 2003.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Same with me. It just goes to the PP page.

https://www.nar.org/donations/

 

[WillMarchant]

Weird, I just used the orange button at the top of https://www.nar.org/donate/ and it works fine.

 

[CalebJ]

Weird, I just used the orange button at the top of https://www.nar.org/donate/ and it works fine.

Orange button?

 

[WillMarchant]

Orange button?

YMMV, the button that says "Donate".

 

[neil_w]

YMMV, the button that says "Donate".

Yes, that worked for me.

 

[SDramstad]

YMMV, the button that says "Donate".

That worked for me using firefox.

 

[CalebJ]

I got side tracked before posting back. That button works fine for me in Chrome on my phone, but not in desktop Chrome or Firefox.

 

[SeanW78]

I just registered with NAR this past week in preparation to fly my L1 cert. this weekend. So I'm helping by being a new member!

 

[Nytrunner]

Nonetheless, it is not reasonable for the dues to have stayed the same since 2003.

Hah! Since the dues were raised due to the ATF lawsuit costs, some memebrs have complained that they didn't go back down once we won!

 

[neil_w]

Hah! Since the dues were raised due to the ATF lawsuit costs, some memebrs have complained that they didn't go back down once we won!

How much were they before that, if you know?

 

[jqavins]

I got an email from the (or "a") web guy at NAR at 1:31 saying he'd made a change. It's working now (for me, in Chrome for Windows, which is the same as where I had the problem).

 

[CalebJ]

Interesting. Not working for me even in incognito mode.

 

[kuririn]

Worked for me from my desktop using Edge.

 

[jqavins]

CalebJ, what platform and browser? kuririn, what platform?

I'll report back to the guy at NAR.

 

[kuririn]

Windows 10, Microsoft Edge browser ( the newest one based on Chrome).

 

[CalebJ]

Windows 10/Chrome.

 

[tsmmiller]

I tried to donate, it took me for a loop. Once I logged into PP and then went back to the NAR donate button I was able to donate.
I renewed my membership last July so mine is a donate now.
I feel that I have received more than my $$$ worth and wish to keep the NAR solvent, (unlike my pension!) and donated $20.00
I spend more than that per week on Colas.
I used my IPad For the donation.

 

[CalebJ]

I got side tracked before posting back. That button works fine for me in Chrome on my phone, but not in desktop Chrome or Firefox.

Just to confuse the issue... Now on my phone the button takes me to my PayPal page rather than a donation point for NAR.

 

[Banzai88]

Didn't work the first time I tried, worked the second time. Sent them some $$.

 

[wolsen]

Donated! Desktop had issues earlier today, but phone succeeded.

 

[tsmith1315]

How much were they before that, if you know?

From Sport Rocketry, June 1998:

 

[SecondRow]

So insurance didn’t come with membership back then? You added it as an option?

 

[dhbarr]

Consider writing a paper letter to the IRS asking they positively affirm our 501c3 status. I can't get matching funds at work through benevity as the IRS has our listing wrong.

Yes, pres / BOD / treas know about it -- they're frustrated as well.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Still not working for me in either Chrome or Edge. I did just donate to a charity. The top button doesn't work but the bottom button does.

 

[Neutronium95]

You can also donate through Amazon Smile. Just shop on smile.amazon.com instead of the normal homepage and select the NAR as the beneficiary. A small portion of every purchase you make will go to the NAR. It's not as much as a normal donation, but it doesn't cost you anything, and it adds up over time.

 

[DaHabes]

Seriously, a handful of members adding $5 or $10 donations is not going to resolve a looming issue. Dues haven't been raised since 2003? That's absurd. Look, the CPI in January 2003 was 181.7. In January 2020 it was 257.971. The annualized rate of inflation over those 17 years is 2.47%. That means adjusted for inflation the current $62 membership fee should be $88. Bump it $10. If you can afford to be in this hobby, even LPR, you can afford another $10 a year. Seriously, that's less than one 3-pack of Estes C6 engines.

 

[jqavins]

So insurance didn’t come with membership back then? You added it as an option?

And postage for Sport Rocketry, at any level (first class, ground, air mail) was also extra.