World Federation of Amateur Orchestras
Membership

Membership

At the General Assembly in Toyohashi, Japan, September 2013, a Membership Structure and Membership Fees in USD were  approved.

For paying in Euro, the General Assembly in Oslo (Norway), September 2016, decided to use the exchange rate  USD – EUR of October 1 of the year that preceeds. On October 1, 2016: 1 USD = 0,8893 // 1 EUR = 1,1248 USD.

Bank account information

Beneficiary Name: WFAO World Federation of Amateur Orchestra
Bank’s name: Post Finance
Bank’s SWIFT: POFICHBEXXX

for paying in USD :
Postkonto 91-550370-8 USD / IBAN CH59 0900 0000 9155 0370 8 with BIC POFICHBEXXX

for paying in EUR (under SEPA):
Postkonto 91-778482-5 EUR / IBAN CH50 0900 0000 9177 8482 5 with BIC POFICHBEXXX

Using PayPal:  wfaorchestra@gmail.com

WFAO Membership Benefits

The following benefits are included with your membership:

• Access to the members-only section of WFAO’s new website: www.worldamateurorchestras.com
• Member discounts at WFAO co-sponsored orchestra festivals
• Access to WFAO resources and network partners
• Free banner advertising on WFAO’s website for member activities

Membership Guidelines

1. Membership Fee Structure

• Individual personal members $ 25 / € 23,-
• Individual corporate members $ 65 / € 58,-
• Corporate members:
– Small National
(< 25 orchestras) $ 100 / € 89,-
– Medium National or comparable organizations $ 200 / € 178,-
(25 to 100 orchestras)
– Large National $ 300 / € 267,-
(100 to 500 orchestras)
– XL National $ 500 / € 445,-
(> 500 orchestras)

2. Definitions

• Individual personal member
represents a single individual, not affiliated with an individual orchestra or orchestra organization

• Individual corporate member
represents a single orchestra/ensemble; membership is in name of the orchestra, and the orchestra can assign any number of individuals to represent its interests at WFAO functions

• Corporate member
represents an umbrella organization (e.g. federation) with multiple orchestras as its constituents; membership is in name of the umbrella organization, and the organization can assign any number of individuals to represent its interests at WFAO functions

3. Voting Rights

• Individual members (corporate and personal) are entitled to one vote each
• Individual members (corporate and personal) from the same country are entitled to a maximum of three votes between them
• Corporate members of the same countryare entitled to a maximum of 6 votes between them
• Associate members do not have the right to vote
• Patron and honorary members are not entitled to vote

4. Due Dates

• WFAO membership fees entitle members access to WFAO resources for the calendar year starting on January 1st, and ending on December 31st, of each year.
• Membership dues are payable by October 1 for each subsequent calendar year.
• WFAO does not offer partial reimbursement for joining after January 1st of that calendar year.

5. Fee Reductions/Exemptions

WFAO recognizes that its membership fees may be out of reach for potential members in developing countries. Therefore, the WFAO membership committee, in consultation with the Board of Directors, will review applications for reduced/waived membership fees on a case by case basis.

In order to be considered for reduced/waived membership fees, applicants should meet the following criteria:

a. The applicant is located in a country with a Human Development Index of less than 0.70. For more information about the HDI visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index;

b. The applicant’s annual operating budget does not exceed $500;

c. The applicant does not qualify for government subsidies in the country of residence.

Applications for reduced/waived membership fees must be made in writing, addressed to the WFAO Chairman. The application must contain the following information:

a. Full verifiable business address of applicant;

b. Annual operating budget in US dollars;

c. If the application is for Individual Corporate Membership, list the number of members in the ensemble;

d. If the application is for Individual Corporate Membership, list the number of years in existence.