Skip to main content
Donate Contact Us
HomeChapterSpot

ChapterSpot Updates

The latest updates on the transition to the new membership model, ChapterSpot.


If you have questions, email our Membership team at: membership@lwvgcv.org.



Changes_Ahead_Newspaper.jpg

ChapterSpot, the new League membership platform, will provide a centralized portal where any person can join the League or renew their membership, regardless of which League they are joining. This will improve the member experience by making the joining process consistent across Leagues and will allow new members to join their local League from LWVUS. This change is intended to make membership accessible to those who currently find dues to be a barrier to joining. There will still be the option to renew by check for members who don't use the internet.

Membership Fees Structure:

In the new system, dues are set as follows: 

  • ‘Pay what you can’: Any individual may join the League for one year by paying any amount equal to or greater than $20. 
  • The suggested amount will be $75. 
  • Member Types: 
  • There is no longer a Household membership type - only Individual (Primary) Member. 
  • There is no longer a Student Member type. Like any other member, they must pay at least $20, unless the local League subsidizes them out of their local League budget 
  • Persons who have been members for 50 years are Life Members and will continue to have their member dues waived. 
  • Auto-Renew: Members will be encouraged to register their financial information to sign up for automatic renewal. 

New Membership Model - How it Will Affect Our League

September Update


In 2025, LWVUS will implement significant changes to League membership and dues structure. LWV is switching to a new member portal for all Leagues across the country. There is no action that our members need to take right now, but we want to provide you with an overview of what these changes mean for you. The new member portal will launch January/February 2025, using the ChapterSpot platform. 


Launch is still on track for January/February 2025 for everyone.


Individual (Primary) Membership:

Most of our members will not need to renew their memberships for many months after the January/February 2025 cutover date. Every current member of the LWV-GCV who has an email address in our system, will receive an email in January 2025 directing you to sign in and verify and/or update your data in the LWV US National database (ChapterSpot), even though your membership may not yet up for renewal. Watch for this email.


Change to Household and Student Membership:

Although renewals will not happen all at once, the change of member status will happen in January 2025 to all Household and Student membership levels. With the new ChapterSpot system, Household and Student membership types will be discontinued and these membership levels will not be recognized. The new system will automatically change these membership levels into individual (primary) members. Note: the minimum membership fee will be $20.00.


Then, when your Household or Student memberships next expire, you will receive an email renewal notice. Currently, household renewal emails are sent to the individual (primary) member, which includes the household member. 


When the Individual (Primary) member in your household receives their renewal notice, the individual member will have the option to renew on behalf of another member in your household as well. If you choose to renew for your household member, the current Household member may not need to respond to their renewal notice. But they should be aware that the notices are coming and that they have the option to renew on their own.


Members who usually renew by check:

Starting in February 2025, renewal dues checks must be made out to LWVUS but sent to our local League address (P.O. Box 75, Menomonie, WI 54751). LWV-GCV will forward your check to LWVUS for processing.


Estimated timeline for implementation:


To view previous updates, click the "black arrow" to the right of the month.

Accordion Widget
January 2024 Update
January 2024 Update

New Membership Model - How it Will Affect Our League

At the end of this year, LWVUS’ will be rolling out a new membership system, called ChapterSpot. 


All Leagues across the country at the local and State levels will make this transition together, and instead of dues collection at the local level, dues will be collected at the National level. LWVUS will retain 33% of dues, State will receive 47%, and the local League will receive 20%. New members will be able to join, and existing members will renew online through a link on our website, or mail in your paperwork. Both credit cards and checks will be accepted.


Why is the League changing its membership structure?

  1. To implement a multi-stage, multi-year inclusive process that increases and diversifies League membership and strengthens League operations across the nation to deliver on our mission work and build league power.
  2. To provide a consistent and aligned membership system across all levels of the League that will eliminate financial barriers to participation, create an equitable division of dues between levels of the League, and overall, simplify the mechanics of joining the League.

Donations:

For LWV-GCV to retain 100% of your donations, we will ask our members to donate directly to our League via our website “Donate” button. This means that donations would be managed separately from when you join or renew your membership. 


Summary:

  • What will change? 
  • Joining or renewing a LWV-GCV Membership
  • Donations to LWV-GCV during joining or renewing
  • When will it change? The ChapterSpot system will be implemented late 2024 or early 2025
  • How does it affect me? Nothing changes right now, and we will continue our current process
  • LWV-GCV website changes? No change and we will keep our current website
Accordion Widget
March 2024 Update
March 2024 Update

New Membership Model - How it Will Affect Our League


In 2025, LWVUS will implement significant changes to League membership and dues structure. LWV is switching to a new member portal for all Leagues across the country. There is no action that our members need to take right now, but we want to provide you with an overview of what these changes mean for you. The new member portal will launch January/February 2025, using the ChapterSpot platform. 


Pay-What-You-Can Membership Dues Model:

 • Instead of a fixed dues rate, members will choose their dues amount – pay-what-you-can

 • The recommended rate will be $75 per individual member

 • Minimum of $20


Member Types:

 • Individual members

 • There will no longer be a distinct student membership

 • No more “household membership” designation

 • Lifetime members – still exempt from dues


Dues Flow:

Dues will come into LWVUS and be distributed to state and local Leagues


Donations:

For LWV-GCV to retain 100% of your donations, we will ask our members to donate directly to our League via our website “Donate” button. This means that donations would be managed separately from when you join or renew your membership. 


Estimated timeline for implementation:

Accordion Widget
May 2024 Update
May 2024 Update

New Membership Model - How it Will Affect Our League


In 2025, LWVUS will implement significant changes to League membership and dues structure. LWV is switching to a new member portal for all Leagues across the country. There is no action that our members need to take right now, but we want to provide you with an overview of what these changes mean for you. The new member portal will launch January/February 2025, using the ChapterSpot platform. 


Donations:

For LWV-GCV to retain 100% of your donations, we will ask our members to donate directly to our League via our website “Donate” button. This means that donations would be managed separately from when you join or renew your membership. 


A few notes from the LWVUS Update as of April 26, 2024:

  • Launch will be in January 2025 for everyone.
  • No update yet on how checks will be processed.
  • LWV-GCV Membership will continue to receive updates as members join or renew.
  • A new system for using credit card payments will be implemented. This system is called Stripe, which is a broadly used and well-respected payment processor. Currently, we do not know how this will impact your use of PayPal for credit card payment of your donations directly to LWW-GCV.
  • Your membership payment will no longer be fully tax deductible. The portion of your membership dues amount that goes to LWV-GCV is 20%, and that portion of your membership is tax deductible and the rest is not.
  • Our Fiscal year will remain the same: July - June.
  • New members will l see a Join button on our website, but the link will take them to the ChapterSpot site to process their membership.
  • Each League member will be required to have a unique email address.


Accordion Widget
July 2024 Update
July 2024 Update

New Membership Model - How it Will Affect Our League

Summary of why we are changing:

In 2025, LWVUS will implement significant changes to League membership and dues structure. LWV is switching to a new member portal for all Leagues across the country. There is no action that our members need to take right now, but we want to provide you with an overview of what these changes mean for you. The new member portal will launch January/February 2025, using the ChapterSpot platform. 


Donations:

For LWV-GCV to retain 100% of your donations, we ask our members to donate directly to our League via our website “Donate” button. This means that donations would be managed separately from when you join or renew your membership. 

​

A few notes from the LWVUS Update as of July 17, 2024:

  • Launch is still on track for January/February 2025 for everyone.
  • No update yet on how checks will be processed, if using a paper form to join or renew.
  • Our LWV-GCV Membership committee will continue to receive updates as members join, renew, or expire.
  • A new system for using credit card payments will be implemented. This system is called Stripe, which is a broadly used and well-respected payment processor. We do not know how this will impact our use of PayPal for credit card payment of any donations directly to LWW-GCV. 
  • The new ChapterSpot system will require that you create a user id and password, that will not be the same as your user name and password on our website.
  • There will not be a membership directory on the ChapterSpot website, due to privacy concerns about sharing personal data.
  • Our Fiscal year will remain the same: July - June.
  • New members will see a Join button on our website, but the link will take them to the ChapterSpot site to process their membership.
  • Each League member will be required to have a unique email address. Dummy email addresses will possibly be available to use.
Accordion Widget
September 2024 Update
September 2024 Update

New Membership Model - How it Will Affect Our League

Launch is still on track for January/February 2025 for everyone.


Individual Membership:

Most of our members will not need to renew their memberships for many months after the January/February 2025 cutover date. Every current member of the LWV-GCV who has an email address in our system, will receive an email in January 2025 directing you to sign in and verify and/or update your data in the LWV US National database (ChapterSpot), even though your membership may not yet up for renewal. Watch for this email.


Change to Household and Student Membership:

Although renewals will not happen all at once, the change of member status will happen in January

2025 to all Household and Student membership levels. With the new ChapterSpot system, Household and Student membership types will be discontinued and these membership levels will not be recognized. The new system will automatically change these membership levels into individual (primary) members.  Note: the minimum membership fee will be $20.00.


Then, when your Household or Student memberships next expire, you will receive an email renewal notice. Currently, household renewal emails are sent to the primary member, which includes the household member. 


When the Primary member in your household receives their renewal notice, the primary member will have the option to renew on behalf of another member in your household as well. If you choose to renew for your household member, the current Household member may not need to respond to their renewal notice. But they should be aware that the notices are coming and that they have the option to renew on their own.


Members who usually renew by check:

Starting in February 2025, renewal dues checks must be made out to LWVUS but sent to our local League address (P.O. Box 75, Menomonie, WI 54751). LWV-GCV will forward your check to LWVUS for processing.