With everything that’s going on in the world these days, Agile Alliance may be one of the last things on your mind. We get that. Still, as we mark our 20th anniversary, we’d like to remind you that we’re here – and to share what we’re up to.
For two decades, Agile Alliance has been supporting people and organizations exploring, applying and expanding Agile values, principles and practices. That’s our mission. We’ve morphed from a small entity offering an annual conference to a global member organization offering a variety of events and resources to Agile practitioners and the companies they work with. Agile Alliance has changed, but our membership model hasn’t. Until now. To better reflect the organization we are today, we’re adjusting the way membership works. We’re also aiming to grow our worldwide membership.
TLDR: Individual membership fees going down. Incentives for corporate membership going up. Leads to more members. Good news for all.
Why change things?
As a non-profit – we’re a US 501(c)6 non-profit member organization – our revenue depends on membership fees and event registrations. We fund activities to serve individual Agilists and influence change in industry. We also support local Agile communities by sponsoring not-for-profit conferences and community groups, and Agile events around the globe. Success depends on having a large supporting membership. We need to grow our membership to do our work.
So, why be a member?
Many people associate membership with getting a great discount on Agile20XX. But there are many other benefits to becoming an Agile Alliance supporting member. We provide tools and resources to help practitioners at all levels navigate their Agile journey. As a member, you can access an extensive collection of non-commercial content and tools on our website. You can take part in a variety of professional development activities. Individual members can also publish articles and blog posts on agilealliance.org [LINK] and share information about non-profit community events on our platforms.
What’s changing about membership?
First of all, in 2021, we’re lowering the price of an annual individual membership to US$49. While this might seem counterintuitive in a year when we need the financial support of our members more than ever, we also want to make it more affordable for individuals to become and remain members. Without revenue-generating in-person conferences, 2020 was a tough year for Agile Alliance, yet it was also a difficult time for many of our members given the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Secondly, lowering individual membership dues makes membership more affordable for Agile practitioners in all parts of the world. Over the years, we’ve expanded our portfolio of events to include conferences and happenings around the globe. We want to encourage Agile practitioners everywhere to become and remain Agile Alliance members. Setting uniform membership dues worldwide is the simplest approach. The benefits of being a member remain the same for all.
Thirdly, changes are coming to corporate memberships. Corporate supporting membership enables Agile companies of all sizes to offer the benefits of individual membership to their associates and to demonstrate their support for our work. After consultation with corporate members, the cost of a base level corporate membership will rise along with an increase in the number of individuals included under a corporate plan. We’re also adding new benefits to help corporate members put Agile Alliance resources to work. And for our corporate supporting members who provide services to the Agile community, there will be more flexibility in how your brand and offerings are shared with our community.
Full details will be posted on the Agile Alliance website in February. Changes will take effect with memberships that begin or renew in February 2021. In the meantime, if you have any questions or want more information before the official announcement, please contact [email protected]
And, if you can’t wait, you can join or renew today. We appreciate your support!
