Dear League of Women Voters of Winchester (LWVW) Member,

The League of Women Voters of the U.S. (LWVUS) is transitioning to a new centralized membership portal that will impact all Leagues nationwide. This new system is set to launch this month (February 2025). Below is an overview of what these changes will entail for you:                              

What’s new?

Sometime this month, you will receive an email requesting that you log in to the new membership portal. No password will be needed to log in. Instead, a code will be used to verify your account, and this code will be sent to you via email. You can then log in to access your account. Once you have access to the portal, you will be able to update your personal information, particularly your contact details.

How will the Winchester LWV benefit?

Under the new system, LWVUS will collect dues at the national level and then send Winchester its portion. This represents a shift from our current method, where Winchester pays both the national and state portions of your dues. The percentage of the new fees will be distributed as follows:

• 33% will be kept by National (in the past this was 51%)
• 47% will be distributed to State League (in the past this was 37%)
• 20% will be distributed to Winchester (in the past this was 12%)

Dues will no longer have a fixed rate—currently, ours is $65—but will instead be pay-what-you-can. A suggested amount of $75 will be recommended, but members may give any amount above $20 (the minimum). This policy will apply equally to all members across the nation.

When do I renew my membership?

There will now be a rolling membership period. Membership fees are due at the end of twelve months. For example, if you pay for a membership that starts on March 1, 2025, it will expire on February 28, 2026. If another member starts their membership on May 10, 2025, it will expire on May 9, 2026. The new portal also offers the option for annual auto-renewal. When it’s time to renew, you will receive a reminder email from LWVUS.

Can I still donate to the Winchester LWV?

We are grateful for the donations you have made to support our local activities in the past, and we hope you will continue to support us. If you would like to donate to the Winchester League, you can do that as well through this new system. It will be a separate screen from the membership dues screen. On the donation screen, it will ask you to indicate the amount of the donation and the name of our League (the League of Women Voters Winchester). If you prefer, you can also make a donation to the Winchester League via the Donate button on our website and/or send a check payable to WLWV and mail it to PO Box 1033, Winchester, MA 01890. Please note that paying a higher member dues rate in excess of $75 does not equal a donation and will be split three ways.

Thank you!

We understand this is a lot to digest. Hopefully, these changes will make managing your membership easier. On a National level, this is expected to increase membership around the country and increase the League of Women’s ability to empower voters and defend democracy. We will keep you informed as we have new and relevant information. If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kim Foley (kqfoley@gmail.com) or Elizabeth Ghoniem (eghoniem@gmail.com) and either of us can schedule a call with you.

 League of Women Voters of Winchester Steering Committee