The OAA remains committed to providing its Local Architectural Societies with the tools and resources needed to build a strong, connected architectural community that effectively meets the needs of the profession and the public. This email provides some background on the 14 Local Societies, including how they are currently funded. It also asks you to share your thoughts on how these important groups can be supported in the future.

While the Local Societies have been in existence for many decades, their form and function have changed greatly over the years. Today, they provide a variety of activities, experiences, and services to their local members as well as the community at large. These activities may include social and networking events, Continuing Education opportunities, professional promotion through social media platforms and websites, local advocacy for practice-related issues, and promoting the public appreciation and awareness of architecture. All these activities rely heavily on volunteer resources and nominal financial support.

The Society Chairs and their respective Councillor Liaisons meet regularly with the OAA to network, share ideas, and explore a wide variety of issues related to administration, operations, and programming. Recent discussions have focused on increased administration and operational costs in relation to the above activities. This has created challenges and limitations within the scope of what the Societies can achieve.

The OAA recognizes the importance of the role and responsibilities of its local Architectural Societies and would like to help address these challenges in the most effective way. As a result, it is collectively re-examining the current approach to funding these Societies. Currently, they are funded in three specific ways:

• Annual Voluntary Membership Dues
  Membership in a Local Society is voluntary. The annual fees are $65 for Architects and $25 for Intern Architects; Student Associates may join for free. The Architect fee was last increased in 2019—the first increase in 20 years—while the Intern Architect fee has remained unchanged for more than a quarter-century. This fee is collected by the OAA on behalf of the Societies each year during the annual fee renewal period, and then transferred directly to the corresponding Society. Under the OAA Bylaws, each Society is permitted to set its own annual membership fee.
  
• Per Capita Funding from the OAA’s Annual Operating Budget
  Societies also receive nominal per capita funding from the OAA based on the number of OAA members who have voluntarily joined. The amount provided to each Society is calculated on an inverse sliding scale, which has remained the same for more than 30 years.
• Annual Special Project Funding
  Societies may also apply for Special Project Funding annually for standalone or recurring (over a three-year period) initiatives.

The OAA and the Society Chairs are exploring ways to remedy the financial challenges faced by the Local Societies and help offset additional operating costs.
To better understand how best to support the Local Architectural Societies, the OAA is asking for input from all those who hold status with the Association. Your participation in this brief survey, which is open until Tuesday, August 6, would be greatly appreciated. All responses will remain anonymous.

Visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VXZJNY9 to share your thoughts.