A Treasurer's How-To: Membership Dues by Alex Mok

A Treasurer's How-To Membership Dues Guide 1. Decide how much dues you will collect from each member.    

Dues must be at least $12.50 per member to cover the costs of International and District dues. The optional Club dues amount should be based off how much money is needed to stay within your budget for the year, especially if you need some initial funds to kickstart a fundraiser. Consider making the cost of dues an amount without cents like $13 or $16 to lessen the chance of dealing with coins. It is helpful to ask your past club officers and your advisors for a recommended amount of dues.

2. Get the approval from your executive board and your club advisor to charge each member the amount of money you decided. 

Change your cost of dues based on feedback from your executive board if applicable.

3. Inform everyone (previous club members and prospective members) of the amount of dues they will have to pay this year, of the last day of payment, and of how their dues help them.  

Members are more willing to pay if they know their money is going to be used well. Click here to see the dues break-up for International, District, and Club Dues.

4. With the help of your club advisor, collect membership dues and deposit the obtained money into your club account.    

Multiple dates of collection should take place so members have multiple opportunities to pay if one day is not suitable for them. Follow all school rules and other rules when collecting and depositing funds. A receipt book can help keep track of who paid and did not pay their dues. Be sure to collect the correct amount of money from each member by having two people count the bills received.

5. With the help of your Club Secretary, compile a member roster with general personal information.  

This list must include their name, their email, and their year of graduation to update the Membership Update Center. Collect any other information your executive board finds necessary from all members such as their birthday or their phone number.

6. With the help of your Club Advisor or Club Secretary, update the Membership Update Center.     

Updating the MUC is now a duty of the Club Secretary, but Club Treasurers can still help their fellow board members by sending the member roster to the Club Secretary. Club Secretaries should use online resources given by International to successfully update their club roster. Only new members will receive membership cards, pins, handbooks, and certificates. Visit keyclub.org/muc to access the Membership Update Center. Click here to watch a video on how to navigate and to update the Membership Update Center.

7. When the MUC is fully updated, click the “Print Invoice” button to print a PDF invoice. Fill out all required information on the invoice and print three copies.   

At this point, International now expects your club to send in $12.50 for each member you registered for the service year. Any errors in the member roster and, in turn, in the finances section of the MUC must be fixed by contacting Kiwanis at (800)KIWANIS or memberservices@kiwanis.org. One copy goes to the District Administrator, one copy goes to the District Treasurer, and one copy goes to International. The invoice will tell you how much money you must send to International in the form of a check or a money order.

8. Obtain a check or a money order from your club account with the help of your club advisor.   

This check should be made payable to Key Club International and should have the same amount written on the invoice (International Dues and District Dues combined). Be sure to give your school or bank enough time to write a check to avoid waiting until the last minute. Follow all school rules or other rules when requesting a check.

9. Make two copies of the check so that you have one valid check and two copies. 

The actual check goes to Key Club International. One copy of the check goes to the District Administrator and the other copy of the check goes to the District Treasurer.

10. Mail the actual check and a copy of the invoice to Key Club International.   

Please allow a two week delivery time and processing time for International, because the deadlines are arrival deadlines, not postmark deadlines. Be sure to paste the correct amount of postage stamps. It is suggested to send the package in a manila envelope. Mail the envelope to PO Box 6069 – Dept. 123, Indianapolis, IN 46206-6069 USA

11. Mail or email a copy of the check and a copy of the invoice to the District Administrator and the District Treasurer.   

Try to do this immediately after mailing the actual check and the invoice to International to avoid forgetting this step. Click here to obtain the emails of the District Administrator and the District Treasurer. If you wish to mail the copy of the check and the invoice, email the District Treasurer to obtain both the Administrator’s and the Treasurer’s mailing addresses.

12. Confirm that your dues have arrived to International by checking the Finances tab of the MUC or by asking your District Treasurer. 

It is important to make sure that your check was not lost in the mail and that it ended up in the correct location.

Important Dates September 1: Clubs can start submitting dues. Each club must have a minimum of fifteen members. November 1: Early Bird Dues deadline. The check and invoice must arrive at International’s office by this date. Mail the envelope two weeks in advance.

November 30: Regular Dues deadline. The check and invoice must arrive at International’s office by this date. Mail the envelope two weeks in advance.

December 1: Clubs that have not sent dues will become delinquent. Delinquent clubs cannot have delegates at District Convention or International Convention and cannot have candidates run for District or International office. Clubs can return to an active status by submitting dues.

February 1: Clubs that have not sent dues will become suspended. Clubs can return to an active status by submitting dues.

September 30 (of the following year): Clubs that not have sent dues will become inactive. Clubs can return to an active status by submitting dues with a $100 reactivation fee.

Suggested Timelines Early Bird Dues Timeline (vary as necessary)     

Early September: Have your first club meeting and start collecting dues. October 3: Finish collecting dues, generate a member roster, and deposit funds into a club account. October 4: Update the Membership Update Center with your Club Secretary and print out an invoice. October 5: Request a check from your school to give them ten days notice. October 15: Mail the actual check and invoice to Key Club International to give allow two weeks for delivery and processing. Mail or email a copy of the check and invoice to the District Treasurer and District Administrator.

Regular Dues Timeline (vary as necessary)     

Early September: Have your first club meeting and start collecting dues. November 3: Finish collecting dues, generate a member roster, and deposit funds into a club account. November 4: Update the Membership Update Center with your Club Secretary and print out an invoice. November 5: Request a check from your school to give them ten days notice. November 15: Mail the actual check and invoice to Key Club International to give allow two weeks for delivery and processing. Mail or email a copy of the check and invoice to the District Treasurer and District Administrator.

Extra Dues Some clubs have members join Key Club after dues are sent in. Do not worry! Just collect dues from these members, update the MUC to reflect these new members, and print another invoice. In other words, follow the steps of this guide one more time. You will not be charged again for the previously added members.

Last Notes After thoroughly perusing this guide, feel free to contact your District Treasurer if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. Good luck sending membership dues!

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