Are FAS Member Dues Contributions? Or Vice Versa?

Since the merger of FAS and the FAS Fund this past fall, members want to know whether the status of their FAS membership has changed. There are no significant changes in our membership program. As in the past, memberships are renewed annually, usually in the spring at the same time that members elect representatives to the FAS board. The new FAS retained the 501(c) 3 IRS designation of the FAS Fund, a tax-exempt, charitable nonprofit organization. That means membership payments are now tax-deductible, minus $7 for the Public Interest Report. The minimum annual dues for regular members are $50; rates for student and senior members are $20. First-time members pay $35.

Payments above the annual dues amount are considered charitable contributions and provide you with the same tax advantages as membership dues. You may deduct the full amount of your gift for tax purposes.

You may renew your membership at any time of the year. The FAS website allows you to renew a membership and make a contribution on-line. In addition to www.fas.org/join.html, Helping.org and Working Assets are venues for joining and making a gift to FAS. In fact, the Internet is the most active source of FAS' new members. When you use a credit card to make an on-line dues payment or gift to FAS, please remember that we accept MasterCard and Visa.

We also enclose a reply envelope in each issue of the Public Interest Report. Our address for contributions or dues by mail is Development Office, 1717 K Street, NW, Suite 209, Washington, DC 20036. Whether over the Internet or by mail, we are grateful for your support!