Membership organisations form a key constituent of civil society, whether they be charities with members, associations, clubs or trade unions.
Around half of all charities are membership bodies, but not all membership bodies are charities. Many membership organisations have evolved, with separate classes of members benefiting from different rights.
Many membership bodies, such as the Women's Institute, student unions or Amnesty International, allow their members to vote at their AGMs. Members get together and propose resolutions, which have to be discussed on the floor of the AGM. This level of engagement can be time-consuming and messy but those organisations that allow it can claim to be truly democratic, and generally last the distance. Many of the best-known membership charities, such as the RSPCA, were founded more than 100 years ago.
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The National Trust had its best ever financial performance last year, according to the charity’s 2009/10 annual report published today.
The Pituitary Foundation faces an arduous fight against a former member who is calling for a governance overhaul after alleged data protection breaches and mistreatment claims.
A year-long project investigating the future of membership in civil society has revealed that many charities place too much emphasis on providing tangible benefits, and should instead stress the sense of belonging and identity that membership provides.
Scottish members of the MS Society have voted firmly in favour of remaining a part of the national charity, on the understanding that charity’s currently-suspended Scottish council is reconstituted.
The Royal College of Nursing has decided to no longer be a charity. Members of the RCN voted last week to no longer have charitable status and instead to set up a separate charitable foundation.
The Royal British Legion is pulling the plug on the trading arm that runs its network of new ex-servicemen’s clubs after three consecutive years of losses.
The National Trust has successfully seen off a members' revolt over plans to develop housing on one of its Welsh estates.
Members: asset or liability?
Charities vary in many ways and one of the most striking is the vastly different role that the members play within organisations in the sector.
Following a highly successful first year, with over 1,000 trustees joining, Charity Trustee Networks has just updated and relaunched its website and membership package – www.trusteenet.org.uk – to meet the needs of trustees and chairs nation-wide.
United Response established a specialist inclusion team to help it increase the involvement of beneficiaries in the charity's governance
Members have responsibilities and not just rights
Of the many thousands of charities registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales 80,000, or nearly half, are membership charities.
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