Membership Dues: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

​How were the dues rates set?

Deliberately below market. We benchmarked before we priced: comparable individual memberships across the association community — national and state societies of association executives alike — typically cost significantly more than BAE's $99 Professional rate. At $8.25 a month, BAE is one of the most accessible professional homes an association professional can join.
 

What do my dues actually pay for?

BAE is a 501(c)(6) trade association — funded by us, for us. Dues are the operating capital of an organization we own together. They sustain our legal and governance infrastructure, technology platform, regional delegations in growing markets, CAE study groups and practice exams, member spotlights, webinars, and the programming we build next. Every dollar goes back into this community.
 

Why should I join now instead of waiting until January?

Because our founding-year offer will never be repeated: join before Sept. 15, 2026 and your membership runs through December 2027 at the regular rate — up to 18 months of membership for the price of 12. You also join as a founding member, part of the cohort that shapes what BAE becomes.

How does the membership year work?

BAE membership runs on a calendar year, January through December. Beginning in 2028, all memberships will renew each January.
 

Why is the Affiliate rate higher?

Affiliate membership reflects the business value of direct engagement with the professionals and decision-makers in our community — while remaining lower than comparable partner categories at peer organizations. Affiliates aren't just sponsors; they're partners invested in our profession.
 

Can my employer pay my dues? Are they deductible?

Dues at this level are commonly employer-reimbursed as professional development. For consultants and business owners, 501(c)(6) dues are often deductible as an ordinary business expense (not as a charitable contribution). Please confirm with your tax advisor.
 

What if the cost is a stretch for me right now?

We hear you, especially our colleagues in transition or early in their careers. We priced BAE to survive and serve you for decades, not just to launch; underpricing dues is the leading reason young associations fail. If cost is a barrier, contact us. We would rather find a path to membership than lose you.

​

What is a BAE delegation?

We chose delegations because they let us build regional presence now without the legal and administrative overhead chapters require and they give each region room to grow into whatever structure fits it best.

 

Why delegations, not chapters

We're new, and chapters are a promise we can't keep yet. A chapter is a commitment from the national — support, staffing, standards, oversight. We just received our 501(c)(6) designation. Making that promise to six regions before we can staff it would set our leaders up to fail. 

Chapters require legal and financial infrastructure we're building. Chapter agreements, dues-sharing formulas, separate filings, insurance questions, brand-use terms. That's months of work that would pull energy away from serving members right now.
 

Delegations keep our members connected to one organization. Everyone is a BAE member, full stop — not a chapter member with a secondary national relationship. One membership, one voice, six places it shows up.
 

Delegations let us learn what each region actually needs. Florida, Texas, DC, New York, Chicago and Georgia are not the same market. A chapter template forces uniformity before we know what works. Delegations let each region develop its own rhythm and tell us what to formalize later.
 

This is a starting structure, not a ceiling. Delegations can become chapters when a region has the leadership depth, member base, and national support to sustain one. We're sequencing, not limiting.