View from HQ
Dave Mathewson
Affinity programs: a benefit to members and AMA
Membership organizations generate revenue in several ways. Revenue can generally be broken down into two categories: revenue from dues—the most obvious form of revenue generation for a membership organization—and non-dues revenue.
Dues revenue is self-explanatory. Non-dues revenue can be generated in several ways including magazine advertising, donations from members, sales of organization-branded merchandise, or profit from trade shows.
Another important source of revenue comes from affinity programs. This involves the organization working in collaboration with a partner company that may have a product or service the organization believes would be perceived as a value to its membership.
Affinity programs are good for the partner company because they have the potential to sell more of its product or services. Affinity programs also bring in non-dues revenue based on sales by the company. An organization’s members can benefit from affinity programs because they generally can acquire the product or service at a more favorable rate than they otherwise might.
If you belong to other membership organizations similar to AMA, you’re probably familiar with these types of programs. Until now, AMA has not really taken advantage of this type of programming and has not captured the advantages that affinity programs can provide to the organization or its members.
AMA is becoming more engaged in affinity offerings and you will soon read more about this effort online and in our magazines. The programs that we plan to offer will be few and will be carefully vetted. We will only partner with well-known companies with excellent reputations.
AMA wants to provide as much value as possible to our members as a benefit of membership.
These programs will be official AMA initiatives and clearly identified as such. Members will have the option of taking advantage of the opportunity offered or to decline, depending on how individual members view the perceived value.
AMA wants to provide as much value as possible to our members as a benefit of membership. Affinity programs leverage the power of a large pool of potential customers (our members) into acquiring a more attractive cost for the service or benefit, as well as create an additional source of non-dues revenue for the organization, which helps keep membership dues stable.
When you receive information about an affinity offer, I ask that you look at the program and see whether or not it is for you. I belong to several membership organizations and the value I get from my membership in those organizations has been enhanced by some of these additional offers that I have taken advantage of. And I’m helping to support these organizations by doing so.
AMA hasn’t announced much lately concerning the impending FAA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) because, frankly, little has taken place. The proposed rule associated with the NPRM will adopt specific rules for the operation of sUAS in the national airspace system. By definition, a model aircraft is an sUAS.
The rule that was originally scheduled to be released for public comment more than two-and-a-half years ago, is still winding its way through the FAA processes. The official reason for the delay is “unanticipated issues requiring further analysis.”
Although there is no certainty in the schedule, the FAA’s timeline suggests that the NPRM will be released for public comment on January 31, 2014, with a 120-day comment period ending May 1, 2014. During this period, the general public, including model aviation enthusiasts, will have an opportunity to comment on the proposed rule.
AMA plans to draft an official response on behalf of its members. I ask that you be judicious in following the progress of the rule and be prepared to react with your comments when and if necessary. Model Aviation is a good source of information, but for the most current information please regularly visit the Government Relations section of the AMA website at www.modelaircraft.org.
AMA elections for 2014 have begun and candidate statements appear on page 145 in this issue. Please take a moment to review the statements and exercise your right as an AMA member to vote for the candidate of your choice.
See you next time …
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
