The following content is from an email sent from Steve Phinney, PAO President on August 9, 2017. It details the rationale and changes to the PAO dues structure effective August 27, 2017.

Membership Dues Change to Advance Strategic Priorities

After careful consideration, the PAO Board of Directors voted to raise membership dues as a way of maintaining our high-quality offerings, delivering important benefits, and achieving the PAO’s vision and mission.

Growing the Game & the PAO as an Association

The decision to increase membership dues is a critical step in the growth of the PAO. Let me try to explain why.

As an Association, the PAO provides resources, tools, and development opportunities that in addition to maintaining and enriching our membership at all levels enables us to grow the game for all ages and abilities including children, youth and persons with disabilities. Our Annual Championships, player & referee clinics, member-only publications, Leadership Initiatives, website, toolkits, General Liability Insurance offering to affiliate clubs and tournament software to affiliates are significant and quality member and club benefits. These benefits incur costs; operating websites, communicating with members, and securing and developing high quality coaches/instructors and officials are not inexpensive. It is not however the whole story.

PAO Revenue

PAO’s sustainable revenue is derived from three primary sources – membership dues, sponsorships, and grants. While membership dues are a vital source of funding for the operations of our Association and for our ability to provide resources to meet PAO’s strategic priorities our ability to obtain grants has been severely limited by the fact we are not a Recognized Sports Organization provincially and that Pickleball Canada is not a federally Recognized Sports Organization. Our recent application for a $75,000.00 Trillium Grant was, despite the efforts of a dedicated team, not approved.

Racquetball Canada receives $437,000.00 for Sport Support annually and $82,000.00 Athlete Assistance annually. How many racquetball players do you know?

For both the PAO and Pickleball Canada to become Recognized Sports Organizations there is several criteria that need to be achieved, including having certified coaching and referee programs, athlete development programs and thresholds for revenues and membership.

Our new membership dues structure will allow us to in addition to strengthening and expanding the resources both the PAO and Pickleball Canada provides to its members enable both organizations to move faster on our strategic priorities.

We are succeeding thanks to the hard-work of our extremely effective Board members and community of Ambassadors. But we want to do more and to attempt to do it alone would be neither effective nor efficient.

Develop More Actionable Tools & Resources

The PAO continues to provide cutting-edge resources at no additional cost beyond your membership. For example, our work the Membership system created a free suite of resources to locate members, partners, self serve on information for tournament registration, and access and update Places2Play. Likewise, our school curriculum design initiative gives all school districts the best thinking around designing robust programs to meet rising demands for getting children more active. We are developing toolkits to help individuals establish new clubs, starter kits with drills, nets, balls and paddles for school programs and enhancing the Ambassador program.

Establish Partnerships That Matter

The PAO now has a seat on the Board of Pickleball Canada and will be better able to build relationships with PC and the other provincial associations and leverage their support with the various levels of government and their departments.

Perform Research & Capture Data

Your additional support will allow the PAO and PC to conduct surveys that inform you, the community, and all stakeholders. These surveys will provide us with benchmarking data about the priorities and challenges facing our Association and the pickleball communities we support. We can accomplish this important work only with your support.

How Much Will Your Dues Increase?

It currently costs $12.00 to join Pickleball Canada. At your next renewal date, your Membership fees will change to $15.00 with $10.00 going to the PAO and $5.00 to Pickleball Canada. New members who join on or after August 27th or after will pay $15.00.

These increases are independent of any club fees or dues.

The PAO is a small Association with a substantial impact. Help us do even more in 2017/2018 and beyond. We are committed to growing the game and ensuring that leaders in the province have the tools with which to build the capacities and capabilities within those communities. We pledge to be good stewards of your member dues and we appreciate the trust you place in us.

Thank you for your incredible support. We are grateful for your commitment to a strong future for the PAO and Pickleball Canada. Please don’t hesitate to speak with me via email or by phone (416)579-7364 should you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Steve Phinney
President, PAO