December 4, 2003

DignityUSA Introduces Chapter Support Program

By Sam Sinnett
President, DignityUSA

Dear Chapter Leaders,

Let me introduce you to our new Chapter Support Program — a renewed commitment from DignityUSA to continue its financial stewardship of our local chapters.

As you all know by now, we are in transition in DignityUSA on several intertwined major initiatives. We are transforming ourselves into a national membership organization with no-minimum-dues and a strong fundraising program. While dues have been eliminated at the national level, in favor of a direct contribution to DignityUSA, we will still pass on a portion of those contributions as designated by our members under the banner "Chapter Support."

As detailed in the Q & A letter sent to our chapters and chapter leaders in early October, this transition has been taking place over several months. I know there are still open and unanswered questions for some of you; I appreciate your patience as we do the work of building this program from the ground up. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions that concern you; e-mail any questions to info@DignityUSA.org.

How Does This Structure Change Impact Your Chapter's Dues?

As a no-minimum-dues national membership organization, DignityUSA accepts members without any payment of dues. All members are asked to make contributions to support our Mission. Some of our Chapters may choose to follow this approach; others may continue with their current dues structure.

In the past, when a new or renewing national member gave us $45 dues, that person was put on a chapter roster and $10 in dues was sent to their designated chapter. Any additional contribution so designated was also sent to the local chapter.

Under the new Chapter Support program, members will have their membership automatically renewed annually and then asked to renew their financial commitment at one of the Angel levels.

New or renewing members who designate chapter membership will be put on the chapter roster as always. New or renewing national members, who both designate a chapter and annually donate $45 or more, will have $10 in Chapter Support sent in their name to their chapter each year. The local chapter will then be responsible for assuring that the member meets the chapter's membership guidelines. Any member who designates an additional contribution to support his or her local chapter will continue to have that support forwarded to the chapter in their name as we have done in the past.

So far this ought to sound the same as our former program, but with different terminology required by our finance and auditing advisors. Only the payment method will change.

Each chapter will receive these $10 payments as follows: each quarter $2.50 will be sent to the chapter in the name of those members who have contributed at this $45 level. This will continue indefinitely as long as the member makes the qualifying contributions and continues to designate a chapter for membership.

These quarterly payments will more evenly spread out the chapter cash flow over the year. It will also drastically reduce the amount of work of our volunteer treasurer. One added benefit to the chapters will be the ability to set up these quarterly payments as an electronic transfer directly into the chapter checking accounts. One other long term change is that the qualifying amount for the Chapter Support Program will rise from $45 to $50 starting October 1, 2004. The first such Chapter Support program checks will be going to the chapters in January, 2004 for the October 1 - December 31, 2003 first quarter of DignityUSA's fiscal year.

One other change that you will see is that the total amount of this chapter support will now be listed on our financial statements to our members as Chapter Support expense. We are budgeting that support at $20,000 for the current fiscal year.

We know the tremendous amount of volunteer work and support that goes into keeping our chapter and national organizations viable. We know of your tremendous passion for the great Mission of DignityUSA nationally and locally and we ask God's abundant blessings on you for all you do! In this holy season when God as Love became Incarnate as a human being with us, we sincerely and respectfully express our love to you all.

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