Proposal Organisational Membership PHASA

PHASA is considering to add an option for Organisational Membership.

As PHASA often benchmarks with the Canadian (CPHA) and American Public Health Association  (APHA), we looked into organizational membership at these two organisations.

The CPHA does not offer something similar, but the APHA does. They have what they call Agency members. They only offer this to governmental and voluntary organisations providing personal and community health services such as: • Federal public health agencies • State and local health departments • Educational institutions and academic programs • Environmental protection agency's • Community health planning groups • Family planning groups • Hospitals, HMOs, home nursing agencies, and other health care delivery organisations • Associations with interests in personal and community health affairs. Employees of these organisations are not full members on their own, but do e.g. all get a reduced registration fee for the conference. A normal – individual – membership fee is $200 and for agencies they have the following fees: 1,000 or more employees $2,700;

500 – 999 employees $1,800; 20 – 499 employees $900; Less than 20 employees $365.

PHASA could consider this organizational membership, but the following should be kept in mind:

• The registration fee for PHASA is very low (especially compared to that of APHA ~R1800 per year) and in return members get quite a discount on the conference fees. Giving organisations a change to get organizational membership will result in a loss of income from membership, but especially conference fees. Or to say it differently: these members have a discounted fee (paid by the employer) and then get a further discount for the conference. (Possible fees in line with APHA distribution: 1,000 or more employees R4500; 500 – 999 employees R3000; 20 – 499 employees R1500; Less than 20 employees R600.)
• There should be clear categories who can and who can't apply for organisational membership (e.g. no for profit institutions can apply for organisational membership). Furthermore, there should be a process to judge applications (likewise APHA) which will increase the burden on the Exec. It has been highlighted by committee members that PHASA exec members will not have time for this.

When looking at the above, especially in light of finances and burden on the Exec, maybe PHASA should promote individual membership rather than adding an option for organizational membership.

This proposal is made by the membership committee: Annette Gerritsen, Flavia Senkubuge, Mandy Salomo, Siyasanga Valencia Mbiza