New National LWV Membership Dues System

February 6, 2025

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FAQ

LWV nationwide is switching over to a new membership data and dues management system for all Leagues as of February 3, 2025. This new system runs on a customized online membership software system developed by ChapterSpot, which interfaces with the existing LWV national database.

As with any major system, there have been a few issues in the initial days and, as of February 5, 2025, the Join and Renew functions are on hold, but the system will be up and running soon. 

LWV members will have the ability to log into review and revise their information whenever they want, instead of over 700 local and state Leagues individually collecting and tracking member information, then uploading it to the  LWVUS national League SalesForce database. 

Here's what to expect:

• mid-February, 2025 – an e-mail notification to sign in to your membership account in the new national LWVUS ChapterSpot system.
• • The email will come from: "membership@lwv.org"
    
  • It will invite you to log in to your new access at the LWV Membership Portal, and provide a one-time link.
  • There's no big rush to log in for the first time sign-in, but sometime between April and June would be a good idea
  • When you go through your first login
    • you will be asked to respond to a survey. While some questions are 'mandatory', they all can be answered as 'Prefer not to respond' 
      
      
• mid-February -To pay dues anytime you can go to the LWVCS website and click the JOIN/RENEW button in the page header. This will take you to the LWVCS Join/Renew page: 
  Once on the LWVCS Join/Renew page you can choose to:
  • Pay online (credit card or ACH): click the link to the LWV Membership Portal. You will need to know your Portal login email ID. It is the same email that shows in your member record profile on the LWVCS website,
  • Pay by check: click to download and print a form and mail your check with the form to us--same as you have done before
    
  
  
• Expect Annual Renewal reminders for you to login to the LWV Membership Portal to renew online, repeated until you pay, or until your membership is expired. (See the FAQ below for the renewal schedule.)
  
  • Note for LWVCS members:
    • Our ClubExpress system will no longer  be able to send show pop-up renewal reminders when you log in to lwvcs.org
    • To check your next renewal date: on lwvcs.org,
      • log in,
      •  mouse over your name,
      • click to go to your Profile page,
      • look for “Exp. Date:”
• Choose your own dues amounts - no longer is an amount set by the vote of the members of your local League.
  • The new National system, to encourage a wider membership, has a "pay-what-you-can” model:” 
    • $20-minimum / $75-suggested / no upper limit,
    • Consider a combination of national dues and local donations to support the work of our League.
      
      
• Donations: During the online renewal process  at the LWV Membership Portal , you will reach a “Contribution” page where you can donate to the LWVCS General Fund. The entire amount (less processing fee) goes directly to LWVCS and,  even though it is not tax deductible, it  is a great help in carrying out our mission.
  • If you wish to make an additional tax-deductible contribution to our restricted-use education fund, it must be done at lwvcs.org, click the DONATE button in any page header.

 FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions About the New Membership System

Q: What is this new System?

The new system is called the LWV Member Portal. It’s an online membership platform, based on the SalesForce database that LWVUS has used for many years, where you will be able to log in and update your own member information and renew your membership online. 

It will replace the Join and Renew applications by every local League, including ours at LWVCS, as well as give access to members to update their own data in the US national (LWVUS) member database.  All other functions of the LWVCS online system will continue as is, including our website, member, committee and volunteering files, calendar, and event registration system.

Q: Why is LWV adopting a new unified membership system?

There are many anticipated benefits to this new system:

1. First, adopting technology that streamlines membership is intended to free up time for League leaders to focus on more substantive work.
2. Second, we believe it should increase and diversify overall membership nationwide and accordingly will increase our ability to fulfill our mission.
3. Third, restructuring the dues sharing model is intended to increase the funding at the state and local levels where it is most needed.

Q: When does the LWV membership switch over to the LWV Member Portal created by ChapterSpot?

February 3, 2025

Q: Will there still be half-price Associate/Household memberships?

No. You can still sign up for yourself and someone else, but it’s not designated as a household membership anymore. As individuals, you can each choose any dues amount (min. $20), including a lower rate for the former ‘Household” member. Renewal reminders will be sent separately to each member.

Q: What will happen to current Associate/Household members?

When the member database is updated on February 1, 2025 all current Associate, Household, and Student members will be recoded as 'Primary Members.'

Q: Will there still be free student memberships?

No. There will no longer be a 'Student' member type. The minimum $20 of the pay-what-you-can model is intended to extend the understanding of possible financial need to all members, including students.

NOTE: LWVCS plans to subsidize full-time student members to pay the $20 minimum. If you’re a student member, check with our Membership Chair.

Q: What will happen to current Student members?

When the member database is updated prior to February 1, 2025 all current Student members will be recoded as 'Primary.'

Q: Will there still be free Lifetime memberships?

Yes, those who have been members for 50 or more years will be recorded as "Life" and still be dues exempt.

Q: So, after 1/31/2025 the only LWV member types will be  Primary and Lifetime Member?

Yes.

Questions about Dues & Donations in the New System

Q: What will the dues rate be after February 1, 2025?

• Dues will be “pay-what-you-can (minimum $20).”
• The LWVUS recommended dues rate will be $75.
  • But a member can pay any amount, starting at a minimum of $20/year.

A word about LWVCS Finances, Dues, and Donations

Q:  How much of my dues payment will go to my local League (LWVCS)? 

      A:  After financial processing costs are taken out (a varying % based on the size of the donation):

• 33% of your net dues payment will go to the national League (LWV-US)
• 47% of your net dues payment will go to our state League (LWV-CA) 
• 20% of your net dues payment that will go to our local League (LWV-CS)
  •  Then Our local League will share from its 20% with 2 ILOs,* 
    • SF Bay Area Regional League and
    • Santa Clara County (SCC) League

* ILO = Inter-League Organization,: a group formed by local Leagues within a county, metropolitan area or region to act on issues that are beyond a single local League's area in scope. 

Q: When I’m paying dues, can I still make a donation that goes exclusively to my local League?

Yes, whether you pay online or by check.

• Online, on the page after you choose what you pay in dues, there is an option to make a contribution directly to our local League (or any other specific single League). 100% of that donation (less processing costs) goes directly to that League.
  
  
• By Check: If you choose to pay dues by check, you can write a separate check for your donation.
  •  The separate check  is necessary because we will be forwarding your dues check to LWV-US separately for you.  
  • {note: If you donate by check to BOTH the General and the Education funds, the IRS requires separate checks for those, so you'll need to write 3 checks: 2 for the donations and 1 for the dues} 
    

Q: Are my dues tax-deductible? (answer specific for LWVCS)

Not yet, and never entirely.

 Any portion of dues that go to a 501(c)(3) organization are tax-deductible. 
Under the new dues-sharing setup, taxability is split the same way the dues are split, so:

• LWV-US's  33% is not tax-deductible, because they are not a 501(c)(3),
• LWV-C (California)'s 47% is not tax-deductible, because they are not a 501(c)(3),
• LWVCS's 20% is not yet tax-deductible, because we are still in the process of applying for 501(c)(3) status.
   Our application has been in for about a year, and we hope that by mid-2025 we will be a 501(c)(3), and then the LWVCS share of dues (20%) and also donations (100%) to LWVCS will be fully tax deductible. 
  • Until then, LWVCS share of dues are also not tax deductible.
• Bottom line – same as now, none of your LWVCS dues will be tax deductible on 2/1/2025.

Q: Can I pay dues online?

Yes, that is the preferred method. You'll just be doing it through your LWVUS Member Portal login, not through your LWVCS.org login, although you can reach that site from links on the lwvcs website.

• While you can pay online by credit or debit card, the preferred online payment method is ACH (Automated Clearing House), because it has the lowest processing fees, so it maximizes the amount of money going toward League work.
  What's ACH? ACH is an electronic payment method between banks that uses the routing and account numbers from the bottom of your check, instead of a credit card number.

Q: Can I still pay by paper check?

Yes., but not online. This is not the preferred method because this requires more time and effort from the local League treasurer, but it is still possible. If you need to pay by check, the check should be made out to LWV-US and given (or mailed) to our LWVCS League Treasurer.
LWVCS members - please send your check with the form you can download from our Join/Renew page, or contact our Membership Chair to have it sent to you.

Q: When will I renew?

Annually, just as you do now.
FOR LWVCS members: Since we already use the “Rolling Renewal” model, there is no change in your annual renewal date.

Q: How will I know it’s time to renew?

You will receive automated email reminders from the LWV Membership Portal (instead of the ClubExpress system that we use today) when your expiration date is approaching:

• 60 days before your membership expiration (renewal) date
• 30 days before your membership expiration (renewal) date
• On your renewal date
• 45 days after your expiration/renewal date
• 60 days after your expiration/renewal date (informing you that you are now classified as an ‘inactive’ member)

Q: Will there be an easier way to renew?

• Yes. You can check the box for auto-renew, choose the amount you want to pay annually for dues (and an optional automatic donation to our local League), and provide financial payment information. Then, each year, your membership (and optional donation) will automatically renew for the same amount.
• Annually, you will receive a reminder email notifying you that the renewal is coming up. If you do not want to make any changes, you won’t need to do anything.

Other Questions

Q: Can I sign up to get fewer emails?

Yes and No.

• Yes: You can unsubscribe from some types of messages, such as fundraising emails or optional newsletters, but that’s not done through ChapterSpot.
  • Instead, go to the bottom of any LWVUS email you got, click on “Manage Your Preferences” and respond at that page.
• No: Since you hold a membership in the League, messages about the status of your membership, such as renewals, will still be sent.

Q: What if I have additional questions later?

• For questions about the new ChapterSpot system, please email LWVUS at membership@lwv.org
  
  
• For questions about LWV of Cupertino-Sunnyvale, please email either membership@lwvcs.org or online@lwvcs.org