This is a reminder to sign up at https://ujamaagrandmas.getcommunal.com/memberships in order to retain your annual Ujamaa Grandmas membership. If you wish to continue receiving the monthly newsletter and other communications, please sign up today to remain part of our vibrant community. For those who do not sign up in Communal, you will no longer hold an active membership or receive any further communications starting November 1.

As our new Communal database is still relatively new, we received a question about why we felt the need to implement a membership fee, and whether this meant that we felt the many hours our members contribute as volunteers were not, in themselves, enough of a contribution. The following is in answer to that question.

We introduced a small annual membership fee (from signup date to the same date the following year) for a couple of reasons:

1. To help cover the cost of our new membership-management system.
Our new database replaces an outdated and inefficient system that required a significant amount of volunteer time to manage. Communal will help us maintain accurate membership information, including members’ interests and contact information. It also provides functionality that will allow us to reduce our reliance on, and eliminate the cost of, tools such as Eventbrite for ticket sales and SignUpGenius for volunteer shift management.

2. To help cover some of the everyday administrative and fundraising costs of running Ujamaa Grandmas.
As you know, there are many behind-the-scenes expenses involved in keeping our organization going, from our membership database and insurance to supplies, refreshments at celebrations, venue and vehicle rentals, and the costs of organizing our fundraising activities.

While some of these fundraising expenses are necessarily and justifiably covered through fundraising revenue, we believe that the money raised through our sales and other fundraising efforts should, as much as possible, go toward our mission and what brought us together in the first place: to raise awareness and funds for the Stephen Lewis Foundation’s Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign.

This is particularly important at a time when global health funding is being reduced, and the communities and programs supported through the Grandmothers Campaign continue to face significant challenges. Every dollar we can direct toward the Campaign matters. Your membership dues are therefore more than simply a way to help cover our operating costs. They are another way of helping ensure that the funds raised through your hard work, generosity, and commitment can have the greatest possible impact.

Please know that membership dues in no way diminish the enormous value of the time, talent and energy our members contribute. You are the heart of Ujamaa Grandmas, and the countless hours you give throughout the year are what make our fundraising possible. Membership dues are simply one small piece of the collective contribution each of us makes to keeping Ujamaa Grandmas strong and supporting the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign. Thank you for being a member of Ujamaa Grandmas and for helping us continue this important work.

With warm regards,  

Char