Your USFA dollar - breaking it down

[Chuck F.]

Where, exactly, do USFA membership dues go? There have been many discussions about whether or not USFA membership is "worth it", but those discussion generally just depend on personal opinions.

Instead, objectively, I would like to see a break down of each USFA dues dollar. This would allow everyone to decide for themselves whether or not they feel they are getting their money's worth.

For example:
10 cents for widgets
15 cents for whatzits
55 cents for gobbledegook
20 cents for whatchamajiggy
--------
$1.00 (each USFA "dollar")

I had heard that this may have already been done by someone (Mr Epee?), but the closest thread I could find is this one: USFA membership fees...How much? (although it is very interesting in its own right).

[OROD]

10 cents for widgets
15 cents for whatzits
55 cents for gobbledegook
20 cents for whatchamajiggy
--------
$1.00 (each USFA "dollar")

I'm concerned that we are spending 55 cents of every dollar on gobbledegooks. I'm sorry, but that's just ridiculous. I'd suggest that the gobbledegook budget should be no more than 20 cents... especially since only 10 cents is going to widgets, which IMO we desperately need more of. So what I want to know is, why 55 cents/dollar? Cant the USFA outsource some (or all?) of the gobbledegook management? I mean, it's not like they've been doing such a great job anyway, and there's already a very good online whatchamacallit run by whatshisname that a lot of people are already using for gobbledegooks, as well as thingamajigs. Cant the USFA just use that one?

<sigh>

[KD5MDK]

How do you account for USOC money, income from the US Fencing Foundation, etc?

[Allen Evans]

As a frequent user of gobbledegooks, I think the budget for this item should be INCREASED and not reduced. Thingamajigs are no substitue for gobbledegooks, and since thingamajigs are mostly used by fencers who prefer an Italian handle, I personally can't stand them....

I'd rather just see a budget, myself. I can do the break down myself, after that.

AE

[tchwojko]

As a frequent user of gobbledegooks, I think the budget for this item should be INCREASED and not reduced. Thingamajigs are no substitue for gobbledegooks, and since thingamajigs are mostly used by fencers who prefer an Italian handle, I personally can't stand them....

I'd rather just see a budget, myself. I can do the break down myself, after that.

AE

I bet you also prefer reading real information rather than predigested pap like USA Today with it's meaningless pie charts.

I find it amusing that so many people want as high a resolution on their images as possible, but want to lower the resolution on information that really matters, to the point where there isn't any information left.

[Phrogger]

There's nothing wrong with breaking it down so someone can see information better at a glance. The following facts come from the 2006 USFA tax returns referenced by Mr. Epee:

Of the USFA's total expenditures of $3,992,542:

64% National and International Events
11% Development Programs
10% Membership (Magazine, Rulebooks, Insurance)
4% Junior Programs
10% Other

Broken down further into individual expenditures:

31% Travel, Hotel, Meals
14% Employee Salaries, Benefits, Compensation, and Payroll Taxes
11% Rents
9% Grants
8% Contract Services
7% Honorariums
4% Dues and Fees, Insurance, Telephone and Credit Card Processing
4% Postage and Shipping
3% Per Diem
3% Ground Transportation
2% Printing and Publications
2% Supplies
1% Equipment and Uniforms
1% Depreciation, Advertising, Bad Debts and Misc

Of course this doesn't tell the whole story. I welcome someone else to take a crack at it.

[TBean]

What does it matter if the USFA membership is "worth it." We have to pay it anyway. What are we going to do otherwise - not pay the membership and fence what events.

[peet]

I find it amusing that so many people want as high a resolution on their images as possible, but want to lower the resolution on information that really matters, to the point where there isn't any information left.

Mr Tufte would be so proud...

-p

[tchwojko]

Mr Tufte would be so proud...

-p

Several of those Books I Really Ought To Read, and also several of those Books I'd Probably Really Enjoy Reading.

It's like a good movie that I never saw, but always catch a few minutes of here and there on TV, to the point where I pretty much get the idea.

Darn it, now you've just added to my stack of things I want to do in my imaginary spare time. (One of which is playing with AskFred's web services.)

[Inquartata]

64% National and International Events

Anyone have any idea how much of that is national and how much international?

[Phrogger]

Anyone have any idea how much of that is national and how much international?

I can't tell from the tax returns.

It's worth noting that the USFA earned 1,562,231 from tournaments, or 41% of its entire income. 24% came from membership dues, 3% from club insurance fees, and only 1% from the magazine (advertising). Less than 1% came from securities dividends, and I'm not sure about the other 31%, possibly from contributions or the USOC.

[Philistine]

Anyone have any idea how much of that is national and how much international?

I believe in one of the other threads, T posted the budget--which showed last year's budgeted versus actual revenues and expenses in a number of categories--in one of the threads in the election section.

--Philistine

[LeftHanded]

Thanks for the break down on the expenditures but that doen't really tell us how our dues are being spent. So we know what they are spending it on but what I am curious about is how much they are not spending and pocketing in comparison

Also, where'd you get that info? Freedom of Information Act?

[KD5MDK]

None. They are pocketing negative money.

You can get Form 990 returns here: http://www.guidestar.org/

[Inquartata]

I believe in one of the other threads, T posted the budget--which showed last year's budgeted versus actual revenues and expenses in a number of categories--in one of the threads in the election section.

--Philistine

Ugh. I am not inclined to wade through all that unpleasantness again. My curiosity is not THAT great.