In North America

 

 
 
Bulletin online
Explorer online
Explorer print

Level 1 >$50K

Dues
$125.00
Bulletin online
Explorer online
Explorer print

Level 2 $25-50K

Dues
$62.50 $82.50
Bulletin online
Explorer online
Explorer print

Level 3 <$25K

Dues
$31.25 $51.25
Bulletin online
Explorer online
Explorer print
Outside North America

 

 
 
Bulletin online
Explorer online
Explorer print

Level 1 >$50K

Dues
$125.00
Bulletin online
Explorer online
Explorer print

Level 2 $25-50K

Dues
$62.50 $102.50
Bulletin online
Explorer online
Explorer print

Level 3 <$25K

Dues
$31.25 $71.25
Bulletin online
Explorer online
Explorer print

Will members selecting the graduated dues option be eligible to vote?

Yes. AAPG’s constitution and bylaws provide voting rights for all full Members. As a nondiscriminatory organization, we have never based voting rights on perceived gross or net value per member.

Do a large number of current members qualify for graduated dues?

No. Most of AAPG’s membership does not qualify for graduated dues payment. Based on AAPG’s current membership and estimated income levels, only a very small percentage of current members (<10%) are eligible to take the graduated dues option. Additionally, the graduated dues program is optional for qualifying members. AAPG’s sister societies have seen many members who qualify for a graduated dues option decide to “buy up” and purchase additional products and services.

Are full-paying Members subsidizing others who elect to pay graduated dues?

Not at all. Members who qualify for and elect to pay lower dues are also choosing a less costly means of accessing AAPG publications, especially at the lowest tier. For example, those who pay the least amount of dues possible under this system will not receive print editions of any AAPG publications. Instead, they will receive only digital access to our publications. The cost of adding digital members to a pre-existing system is covered by their dues. Those who elect to pay more dues under this system will be granted commensurately more robust access to AAPG publications.

Is it a bylaw problem for some members to receive more hardcopy products than others?

No. All Members and Associate Members will have access to the EXPLORER and BULLETIN as provided by the bylaws. The graduated dues option merely changes the type of access. Although members who select the graduated dues option will receive fewer hardcopy products by default, they retain the opportunity to purchase these hardcopy products.

How do we verify income?

We do not. The amount of dues paid by individual members is based on the honor system. Within the professional geoscience community, ethics are a common bond. All new members are bound by AAPG’s Code of Ethics and, to a significant degree, Membership is based on a peer review of their ethics. Those accepted as Members have already demonstrated a pattern of trustworthiness among their peers and are simply expected to continue to act in accordance with their own high standards of conduct.

Last year I qualified for the Graduated Dues program; why was I charged for Level 1 dues this year?

Members must qualify annually for reduced dues and must validate for each billing cycle. In accordance with our bylaws, annual billing automatically defaults to full rate.

Are there tax issues?

No. The graduated dues system has been thoroughly vetted by AAPG’s legal counsel in consultation with our Washington not-for-profit attorney. Those experts who have researched the issue agree that the graduated dues structure will not lead to any tax problems, including inurement issues, with the IRS. Other societies have received the same advice from their legal counsel.

How successful has a graduated dues structure been in other societies?

Both SPE and SEG found it provided significant growth in membership and later growth in revenue.

Has the graduated dues option made us more competitive with other societies?

Yes. Many new members and companies, especially in emerging markets, were selecting membership in other societies because of their graduated dues option. AAPG’s implementation of this option was designed to make membership in AAPG a viable option for all geoscientists, regardless of income.

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