To be clear, the Assn. receives no support from any public entity. It is entirely supported by volunteers and subscriptions. Subscription funds go to the following purposes.
- Hosting fees. The Assn. incurs fees from internet service providers for storage and bandwidth.
- Off line backup. Editors maintain backup copies of the text and artwork of the website. The systems used must be maintained and updated.
- Domain registration and DNS supervision.
- Custom programming. Some of the elements of the website have been designed to specification, and as internet standards change they must be maintained. This is a professional skill that requires continuity.
- Telecommunications. Just like you, the association must pay for connectivity.
Should we ever have a surplus (hope springs eternal), we will
- pay an editor for the many hours it takes to keep all this straight; could that be you?;
- pay a programming team to up our game by upgrading to modern technical options as they arise;
- pay for alumni search and member recruitment;
- provide greater support for alumni events like reunions (we've consulted gratis for several);
- add capacity to support
- mass storage for audio-visual content to create a permanent archive
- video functionality using paid third-party services
- outreach to community businesses for additional support and networking
- lifetime career-building services for alumni
Finally, our long-term goal is to build an endowment to provide scholarships to alumni in support of lifelong learning. Stay tuned!