What do the membership dues you send to the Florida Swimming Pool Association do? All members should understand the basic answers to this question. If you don’t know where your money goes then it is hard to justify spending it. The majority of your dues go to your local chapter, a percentage of your dues go to government relations and an administrative fee stays at the state office.
The money for government relations (approximately 25%) covers the costs associated with Jennifer Hatfield, FSPA government relations consultant. She spends the legislative session in Tallahassee and deals with legislative and regulatory issues year round. Without dedicated personnel fighting these battles, legislative and regulatory changes could be made which would affect the way you build or service every pool, impacting the expenses you incur on each job. Keeping you informed on what FSPA is fighting, any changes pending, and what you need to do to comply before you are caught off guard can provide a return on your investment of more than your annual dues. She also assists members with local issues and has relationships with the DOH, CILB and FBC.
Local chapter funding (approximately 65%) is used to help pay for meetings, local continuing education, local pool safety activities, supporting PIPAC, encouraging the community to use FSPA members through referrals, and pays for a chapter coordinator.
An administrative fee (approximately 10%) which is held at the state office covers your monthly newsletter Florida Pool Prosm and weekly e-newsletters, the consumer website promoting FSPA members, the industry website as a resource, membership processing and renewal, and many other things
The annual trade show is the primary revenue source for the association and, along with insurance dividends, provides personnel to run the association as the Board directs. Just to name a few things, staff at the state office manage the continuing education program, production of the newsletters, updating the websites, industry promotion, printed publications, the arbitration program, expansion and management of member benefit programs, and answering your questions and consumers’ questions at the other end of the phone line.
While the above is a quick version of what your dues provide to your company, hopefully it helps makes your decision to renew your membership for another year easy. Now is a great time for a renewed commitment to the swimming pool industry.
