Professional associations run on the dues and non-dues revenues generated by membership and services. When those dollars coming in fall below the dollars going out that provide membership services, programs, and other vital benefits designed to support the profession the association represents, the consequences can be severe.
The NCRA Board of Directors approved a motion calling for a dues adjustment that would take effect in 2026 is a call to members to step up and help ensure the membership benefits, services, and programs provided by their Association remain viable and relevant to today’s court reporting, captioning, and legal videography professions. If approved, this would be the first adjustment since 2019 more than five years ago.
In the five years since the last adjustment, NCRA, its Board of Directors, and its staff have prioritized identifying and implementing cost-cutting measures to help avoid the call for an increase. These measures have included downsizing office space for headquarters and reducing the cost of monthly rent, freezes on hiring and salary increases, reducing the specialty tracks offered at Conference as well as the length of the event, reworked vendor contracts to ensure the best pricing to fit the budget, reducing the size of the JCR print magazine by 32 pages, relocating the NCRA bookstore to reduce stocking and distribution fees, and overall consolidations when possible of benefits and services.
NCRA’s Board of Directors and staff concur there are no more cost-cutting measures that can be taken and that the call for a dues adjustment is vital to the survival of our member-driven Association.
Below is a brief rundown of what very well could be impacted should the dues adjustment vote fail. The vote is being held July 24 following the Annual Business Meeting taking place at the 2025 NCRA Conference & Expo July 24-26 in Minneapolis, Minn.
- Reduction in overall services and benefits
- Increased costs for educational and professional development opportunities, including for CEUs and PDCs
- Higher costs for networking events or a limit to the number offered to members
- Weakened advocacy efforts which will lead to less influence and less effectiveness when it comes to lobbying to protect the profession at the state and federal levels
- Elimination of special savings programs such as business insurance, office supplies, and more
- Reduced access to the latest industry information including trends and issues impacting the professions
- A reduction in staff that could result in the sunsetting of vital programs
The overall financial strain that will be put on NCRA to provide its members with the benefits and services they have come to appreciate and rely on will undoubtedly be felt across all levels of the membership. This financial strain will also have a negative impact on the services and support NCRA offers to court reporting and captioning students, the membership segment that represents the future of the Association and our beloved professions. If everyone gives a little, everyone gains a lot.
Please be sure to vote for this much-needed dues adjustment on July 24. Show your commitment to NCRA; the court reporting, captioning, and legal videography professions; and the future generations entering these viable career fields by voting “yes” to the call for a dues adjustment.
Remember, voting on the 2026 dues adjustment proposal will begin within two hours of the Annual Business Meeting taking place on July 24 in conjunction with the 2025 NCRA Conference & Expo.
Learn more about the proposal.
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