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10/31/2024
ASAE Urges Presidential Campaigns to Prioritize Associations in Policy Agendas
Associations play pivotal roles in strengthening the nation’s workforce, economy
Last week, the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) delivered a letter to both presidential campaigns last week urging them to recognize and prioritize the essential contributions of trade and professional associations in their policy agendas.
"We welcome the opportunity to engage in further discussions with both campaigns to explore how associations can contribute to the economic, social and workforce priorities of the next administration," said ASAE President and CEO Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE.
In the letter, ASAE highlights the pivotal role associations play in strengthening the nation’s workforce and economy.
- Associations account for more than 1 million jobs, generating more than $71 billion in wages.
- They hold more than 272,000 events every year that attract nearly 52 million participants and generate $42 billion in spending.
- Associations also pay almost $28 billion in federal, state and local taxes each year; their events generate an additional $7.5 billion in taxes.
Yes, but the letter also addresses the uncertainty surrounding future tax policies, given that sweeping tax breaks established in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) are set to expire in 2025. ASAE is sounding the alarm that the tax-exempt sector could be targeted by lawmakers to help offset the cost of tax legislation.
ASAE warned both campaigns last week that changes to the tax treatment of association revenue streams would severely impact associations’ missions and the public benefits derived from their activities.
This article was provided to OSAP by ASAE's Power of Associations and Inroads.
