What are the important deadlines for Chapter Charter Fee Compliance?
Each calendar year, there are several important deadlines:
- MARCH 1 - DEADLINE FOR 3% EARLY PAYMENT DISCOUNT
- April 1 – deadline for remittance of Charter Fee Payment – NO DISCOUNT
- July 1 – deadline for submission of verification of membership roster and prior year dues and membership fee revenue.
- July 1 – deadline for submission of Charter Fee Payment without penalty. Unpaid balances after July 1 will accrue a .05% monthly interest penalty. NO DISCOUNT
When is the AGC Charter Fee Due?
Charter Fee Payments are due in full by April 1 each year. NO DISCOUNT
Are there discounts for EARLY payments?
Yes. AGC continues the 3% discount for payments received prior to March 1 and continues to use April 1 (No Discount) as the due date for the annual charter fee remittance.
Are there penalties for LATE payments?
Yes. AGC grants a 3-month grace period for the late payment of Charter Fees. However, any unpaid charter fee balance not received by July 1 will be subject to a Late Fee of .05% to be assessed on a monthly basis.
How is my charter fee adjusted annually?
Charter Fees are adjusted annually to reflect 50% of a 3-year average percentage change of reported dues and membership fee revenue from one year to the next. The prior year charter fee will be adjusted based on this percentage change to determine the new charter fee.
As an example: The 2024 Charter fees will be based on the percentage change of reported dues and membership fee revenues from 2021 to 2022, 2020 to 2021, and 2019 to 2020. These annual percentage fee increases/decreases will be averaged and the 2023 Charter Fee amount will be adjusted by 50% of this percentage change (+ or -) to determine the 2024 Charter Fee.
What revenue should be reported as “Membership Dues & Fees”?
The revenue information that a chapter should report should include any/all membership dues and/or fees that were collected in a fiscal year. This figure can be readily found on a Chapter’s IRS Form 990 – Part VIII – Statement of Revenue and is typically reported on line 1b or 2a. It should NOT include any special assessments charged to members, advocacy fund collections, PAC contributions, etc.
Is there a maximum increase or decrease in Charter Fee that a Chapter may experience in any given year?
Yes, the percentage increase or decrease a chapter can experience in any given year is no more than 50% of the 3-year average year over year increase/decrease percentage.
What is the minimum Charter Fee?
The minimum charter fee is $20,000. At no time shall a chapter’s charter fee fall below this level, regardless of adjustments based on percentage change to reported dues and membership fee revenue.
How does adding members during the year affect my chapter’s Charter Fee to AGC of America?
How does dropping members affect the dues payment?
At any time, a chapter may add or drop members on their roster without any immediate financial obligation to AGC of America. The financial impact on the chapter will be reflected in the next annual calculation of the Chapter’s charter fee that will be based on the percentage change in the Chapter’s total dues and membership fee revenue compared with the prior year.
How do I know what members AGC of America has on record for my chapter?
To view a complete membership roster for your chapter, simply log on to the AGC Chapter Exchange (http://chapters.agc.org) and select the “Reports and Data” button on the home page. From here you will find a link to the “Member Report” which is an exportable, comprehensive listing of all of the members AGC of America has on record for your chapter.
When should I report new members, dropped members and changes?
We strongly encourage chapters to submit new member information, dropped member information and company information changes to AGC of America all throughout the year. Regular reporting and updating of member information throughout the year ensures that members are readily able to access their AGC of America benefits and that certifying the chapter roster at the end of the year is a more manageable task.
How do I report new members, dropped members and changes throughout the year?
Updating your chapter’s membership information is quick and easy. Simply log on to the AGC Chapter Exchange (http://chapters.agc.org) and select the “Manage Members” button on the home page. From here you will find links to Add a New Member or Drop a Member or Change a Member record.
Does this Charter Fee concept change the Home Chapter Concept of the old volume dues system?
The new system is a charter fee and not a dues model, so the home chapter concept is not really a consideration in the new model for existing members. AGC of America no longer has a Non-Home member classification. These members are now all classified as General Contractors (GC). As such, each chapter needs to determine what dues to collect from its members, and may have a different dues structure for visiting members. This concept gives chapters the flexibility to establish dues in any manner they desire, and a national solution is not warranted.
How do I complete the Annual Chapter Charter Fee Compliance Process?
Annually – before July 1 – each chapter will be asked to log on to the AGC Charter Fee Compliance Website (https://chartercompliance.agc.org) to:
- certify the Chapter’s membership roster;
- provide the appropriate Membership Dues & Fees Revenue figures;
- upload a copy of the Chapter’s Form 990; and
- verify that all of the charter compliance information is true and accurate.
For verification purposes, ONLY the AGC Chapter Executive has access to providing and certifying this information and data. Once the relevant data has been submitted, the Chapter Executive will be provided with a “projected” Charter Fee amount for the next year.