Membership renewals
Information for new members | For existing members
When the ACO began as an organization, the board believed that tying membership renewal dates to the date a members joined would be the best way to manage dues. And while it may still be so for each member, it means someone at the ACO must pay attention to renewals throughout the year. Therefore, beginning in 2007, all memberships will be renewed on January 1. (Please see the section below for specifics of how this will affect existing members in 2007.) We acknowledge that this change is all about the organization and not much about the clients. However, we also think that attending to the business of the organization is more critical than chasing down members for dues and adjusting so many internal systems for so many members throughout the year.
Additionally, beginning in 2007 dues will be increased from $55 to $60 per year for Associate Members and to $120 per year for Professional members. The advertising value of a listing in the Find a Coach directory is substantial and will become more valuable as the organization grows. The incremental cost of this advertising over the base membership is just $5 a month!
What this means for new members
New members will pay a prorated fee in their first year based on the QUARTER in which they join. That means:
- Coaches who join between December 1 and March 31 will pay the full year’s dues ($120 for professionals and $60 for associates) Members who join in December of any year will essentially be getting one month for free as their renewals will not be due until the following January 1.
- Coaches who join between April 1 and June 30, will pay 75% of the total for that year ($90 for professionals and $45 for associates)
- Coaches who join between July 1 and September 31, will pay 50% of the total ($60 for professionals and $30 for associates)
- Coaches who join between October 1 and November 30, will pay 25% of the total ($30 for professionals and $15 for associates)
What this means for existing members.
In this first year of the switch over, reminder notices for membership renewals will be emailed to member coaches on the first day of the quarter in which they originally joined. For example, if you joined on May 5, you will receive a renewal notice on or about April 1 for 75% of your dues for 2007 – or $90 if you are a professional member or $45 if you are an associate member.
If you do not pay the fee by the beginning of the next quarter, you're membership will be dropped. This gives you, in essence, 90 days to pay your dues. If you pay after the 90 day deadline, you will still renew on January 1, 2008.
If you are currently a professional member and you do not wish to pay the higher dues rate, you may register as an associate member, paying the lower fee. However, your listing in the Find a Coach directory will no longer be available to the public. It will remain available, however, to member coaches who might be searching for someone with your specialty.
Who gets to be a professional member?
Beginning in January 2007, only Professional Members of the ACO will be listed in the publicly searchable Find a Coach Directory. The member interviews which are necessary for the organization to designate the baseline category for each member are nearly complete. If you have not yet heard from the Membership Committee, please reply to this email and let us know you're anxious to get going.
Further, it is not the intent of the ACO to credential or certify any member’s qualifications or skill level. However, it is important to our mission of promoting ADHD coaches and coaching worldwide that we protect the integrity of the "Professional Member" designation of the ACO. We announced the criteria for professional membership in Circle June 06 There are additional FAQ available at www.adhdcoaches.org/content/FAQ.html
Please watch for your renewal notices which will come from treasurer@adhdcoaches.org. And thank you for your understanding as the ACO grows.