Dues News: Changes Coming to EGA Membership Dues in 2024 and Frequently Asked Questions

Note: We continue to update the Frequently Asked Questions section below as more information becomes available. New and updated items have a timestamp. Latest update: 4/12/24. For instructions on How to Renew your EGA membership click here. Exciting changes are coming in the first quarter of 2024! We are currently working on several aspects of membership dues payments that will greatly improve the current processes in place. The final details are still being tested, so please be patient while we continue the work involved in setting up our new system. Much more information will be disseminated soon. Be sure to watch the EGA website and monthly e-newsletter for the most up-to-date information as it becomes available. Here’s what has been finalized for the new year so far: Chapter members will renew online starting April 2024. When it’s renewal time, current chapter members will receive an email from EGA headquarters alerting you that it’s time to renew your membership. You then will be able to log onto egausa.org, visit the Chapter Map, select your chapter, and pay your national, region, and chapter dues. New members will be able to join chapters or as members at-large online beginning Jan. 2, 2024. They simply log onto egausa.org and are then able to choose between joining one of our chapters using the chapter map or as a member at-large. Renewal dates will change from always being on May 31 to being one year after the membership dues are paid. All monthly renewal dates will be the last day of the month. This helps with accounting and managing communications with those who need to renew. With these changes, we will no longer have prorated dues, which will eliminate some of the confusion for potential members. For example, if you renew your membership on June 17, 2024, your next renewal date will be June 30, 2025. Chapters and regions will receive their members’ information and dues from EGA headquarters periodically. This new process changes the order in which payments are received by EGA headquarters and chapters. Instead of chapters having to send dues payments to EGA headquarters and the regions, EGA headquarters will send the dues money and member information directly to the chapters and regions. Starting in 2024, you will have the option to set your membership renewal as a recurring payment. With this new feature, you will be able to have your membership auto-renew each year. In addition, the system will notify you when your credit card needs to be updated. We are increasing security and password protection on our website to protect everyone’s valuable information. The online Chapter Map is being revamped. We are making updates to the Chapter Map to include more relevant information for people interested in finding a chapter. Included in the changes you will see are new information for chapters (including logos) and social media links. There also will be a quick link for chapters to submit changes to their chapter listings. The biggest change to the Chapter Map is that each chapter will have a “Join Now” link, through which people can join their preferred chapter from virtually anywhere. Website improvements. To make all these changes more efficient, we are streamlining processes on the back end of the website that will result in a faster loading experience for members. This article first appeared in the December 2023 issue of Needle Arts. – Pam Coller, EGA Treasurer

Frequently Asked Questions

1 – Why are you changing to taking online payments for memberships? While members at-large have been able to join and pay online for years, not all chapter members have been able to. In response to feedback from members, in 2024 we will begin accepting online payments for all memberships including chapter memberships. In the past, those wanting to join a chapter would have to go through many steps that could deter potential members from joining. They would be directed to the chapter map where they could get the chapter’s email address, and then contact the chapter and learn the best way to join them. With this new process, a potential member could find and join a chapter in a matter of seconds. 2 – When will new members be able to join and pay online? New members will be able to join EGA chapters electronically starting on January 2, 2024. 3 – When will chapter members be able to renew their membership for the 2024-2025 period? Current chapter members will be able to renew their membership starting on April 1st 2024. EGA Headquarters will send an email to all members due for renewal when it’s time to renew their membership. 4 – How will new members find and join a chapter? They can find the chapter nearest to them using our chapter map. The chapter listings will include a link to instantly join the chapter and pay for their membership. 5 – Will all members be paying all their dues directly to national? Yes, when paying online through the EGA website, members will pay one fee that includes their National, Chapter and Region dues. EGA National will then electronically send the dues to the necessary chapters and regions. 6 – How long will new members have to wait to receive access to their online member benefits such as Petite Projects, Class Registrations, etc.? They get instant access! With this new process, members joining a chapter online will have instant access to their online benefits, the same way it has been for members at large. This means there will be no waiting from the member’s side for Headquarters to receive the information from the chapter. 7 – How long will I have to wait for my EGA member number? If you are a new member, a member number will be assigned to you once your registration is processed. 8 – Will I receive a receipt after I renew?  Just as in all sales thru the EGA website you will receive a receipt for the transaction. (Added 1/16/24) 9 – If I renew on 4/1 when will my renewal date be going forward? Your renewal date will remain 5/31.  We are having an extra long renewal period this year because we are using a new  process. (Added 1/16/24) 10 – Will I be able to set a recurring payment for my membership? Yes, with these changes, members will have the opportunity to set a recurring payment for their membership to auto-renew every year. 11 – Will renewal dates change from being on the 31st of May? Renewal dates will change from always being on the 31st of May to being one year after the last day of the month they joined. If you renew your membership on May 15 of 2024, your renewal date will be May 30 of 2025. If you renew your membership on June 17 of 2024, your next renewal date will be June 30 of 2025. 12 – Why will renewal dates be at the end of the month and not the actual day I joined? This helps us for accounting purposes and managing communications with those who need to renew. 13 – Does this mean we will no longer have prorated dues for memberships? Correct. Prorated memberships have caused confusion for members and with these changes and the new recurring payments capabilities this will no longer be needed. 14 – I am a plural member of a chapter, will I be paying my plural membership dues online? Not at this moment. Because no part of the dues from plural members comes to EGA national, Plural memberships must be paid directly to the plural chapter and region if applicable. We are looking at adding the ability to pay plural chapter dues as a future update. 15 – How will the chapter where I am a plural member know that I’m a member of another primary chapter? You can provide the chapter with your member number and renewal date and they can confirm it by contacting EGA headquarters. 16 – What will my renewal date be, if I have multiple plural chapters and paid them at different times? Membership fees cover you for a full year. At this time plural member fees will be paid directly to that chapter and not online. The chapter where you are a plural member will be in charge of providing you with your renewal date for that plural membership. 17 – How will chapters know that a member has joined their chapter? Chapters will receive information about new members joining their chapter within about a week of the registration being received. During the usual renewal months of April, May and June, chapters and regions will receive a monthly list from EGA Headquarters of the chapter memberships that have been received. Chapters and regions will also receive an electronic payment from Headquarters for their new members and renewals. Further details on this to follow.  Headquarters is currently developing this new system to get information and payments out in a timely manner. (Updated 1/22/24) 18 – Are there any options available to those who can’t pay online? Members who can’t renew or pay online can send a check directly to EGA Headquarters at 501 Baxter Ave Suite 200 Louisville KY 40204 along with a membership form for their membership to be processed. Please be aware that this process takes longer and you will need to wait until the check is received and processed to receive access. (Updated 2/10/25) 19 – If a chapter changes their dues, who should they notify? Chapter treasurers should notify Headquarters immediately when a change happens in their dues so the proper changes can be made online and the chapter is properly compensated. Please use this form to notify us of the update. (Updated 2/10/25) 20 – Will current members get a reminder when it is time to pay their dues? Members will receive multiple emails reminding them to pay their dues. 21 – Will there be a late fee if I do not pay my dues on time? There will be no late fee. Your renewal date will change to the last day of the month when you do renew. During the time you are not a member you will not receive the benefits of membership. 22 – How will Life members renew their chapter membership? This renewal process will be the same as plural members. You will renew directly with your chapter and region if applicable. 23 – I haven’t renewed yet but would like to change my chapter, can I do that? Yes, instead of renewing from your profile, you will need to look for your new chapter on the Chapter Map page and join it through the link under the chapter name. Once you have placed your order, you should be able to visit the My Subscriptions page and click View next to the subscription for your previous chapter that shows an ending date of May 31, 2024, and Cancel that one there. 24 – How can I turn off recurring payments? All automatic payments are currently turned off. Renewal payments must be done manually. (Updated 2/10/25)  From your Profile, visit the My subscriptions page and turn off the Auto-Renew toggle. Blue means the auto-renew it’s on, gray means it’s off. 25 – How do I know if recurring payments are off on my account? All automatic payments are currently turned off. Renewal payments must be done manually. (Updated 2/10/25) From your Profile, visit the My subscriptions page and check to see if the Auto-Renew toggle is off and that your Payment says Via Manual Renewal. 26 – I’m a member at large and would like to change my membership to a chapter, is this possible? If you haven’t renewed your at-large membership yet, you can simply visit the Chapter Map, select the chapter of your choice and join it by clicking Join or Renew. Once you have placed your order, you should be able to visit the My Subscriptions page and click View next to the subscription for your At-large membership that shows an ending date of May 31,2024, and Cancel that one there. If you already renewed your at-large membership, we’d love to help you join a chapter. Send us an email at egahq@egausa.org and we can assist you. 27 – On the My Memberships page I see information that an order was already created some days ago but I haven’t renewed yet, what does that mean? The date that says X days ago was when we added the current memberships to all members on the website, that’s what allows you to see your membership as being covered through May 31, 2024. It makes it possible for members to renew their subscription. You will not be charged for this order, only for your renewal order.