Your support directly funds invertebrate conservation advocacy, applied research, education, and outreach. With your help, we can raise the profile of these vital yet often overlooked creatures. As a Xerces Society member, you will receive a one year subscription to Wings: Essays on Invertebrate Conservation — our biannual color magazine. You will also be eligible for discounts on books and merchandise.

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Membership levels
Frequently Asked Questions

Membership Levels

• Basic individual membership—$25
• Institution, library, school, and organization rate—$50
• Limited income—$15
• Supporter—$50
• Friend—$100
• Patron—$250
• Benefactor—$500
• Sustainer—$1,000

Frequently asked questions about membership and donations

What are the benefits of membership?
The biggest benefit of your Xerces Society membership is the knowledge that you are directly helping to protect invertebrates and conserve their habitat. Your membership dues directly support our conservation and outreach programs. Additionally, you will receive one year’s worth of Wings, published twice a year and full of beautiful full-color photographs and essays by well-known scientists and nature writers. You also qualify for discounts on Xerces publications, such as our popular Pollinator Conservation Handbook, as well as discounts on other books and merchandise. With your membership, you will stay up-to-date on critical issues affecting bees, butterflies, beetles, dragonflies, mollusks, caddisflies, and other invertebrates.

When does my membership expire? What happens if I renew early?
Your membership expires 12 months after we receive and process your check, money order, or credit card. If you renew before your membership expires (which we encourage you to do to reduce the number of renewals you receive), you won’t “lose” any months: we will extend your membership 12 months from your original join date. If you would like to pay for two years at a time, please double the dues and note that you are joining for two years.

Can I use a credit card?
Yes! You can use your MasterCard or VISA to pay for membership dues, make a donation, or purchase books. You can either join online, call us at (503) 232-6639, Monday through Friday from 10am-5pm Pacific Time, or send us an order form with the relevant information.

How do I give a membership to someone else?
Giving a gift membership to a relative or friend is a wonderful way to mark a birthday, holiday, or special life event. The recipient will receive notification of your gift and a complimentary recent issue of Wings. Give a gift membership online now.

May I give a gift to Xerces in honor of someone or in celebration of an event?
Yes! An honorary gift is a wonderful way to celebrate a particular life event or to honor of a special person’s life. For both honorary and memorial gifts, please provide your name and address so that we can acknowledge your tax-deductible gift, as well as the name and address of the recipient and the reason for the gift (for honorary gifts) or next-of-kin or family member (for memorial gifts). We will send a card announcing your thoughtfulness. Please indicate whether your gift is honorary or memorial. Give an honorary or memorial gift online now, or call us at (503) 232-6639 with your MasterCard or VISA information.

Bequests, Donations of Stock, and Major Gifts
For many, remembering a favorite organization in their will is an important legacy. Others prefer giving securities (stock), or would like to make a large impact on a specific project by contributing in support of that program. Please contact our Executive Director, Scott Hoffman Black, if you are interested in discussing these options.

In-Kind Gifts
If you are in the Portland (OR) metropolitan area, you might wonder if our office needs equipment, supplies, books, or other items. We gladly accept these in-kind gifts, but only if we can really use them. Please contact us first for more information.

I’ve moved / changed my name. How do I notify you of my new address / name?
Just contact us via email, telephone, or postal mail and we will update our records accordingly.

How much of my donation is tax-deductible? Will I get an acknowledgment letter of my donation?
The Xerces Society is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Because IRS rules change often, please contact a tax adviser or accountant for the most up-to-date information. Donations and dues to the Xerces Society are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law. To reduce paper usage and mailing costs, we will acknowledge gifts between $50-$99 with a postcard and gifts over $100 with a formal letter. If you would like to receive a letter for tax purposes, please contact us.

Why do I get so many renewals and appeals?
We send renewal notices two to three months before your membership expiration date. If we don’t hear from you, we will send two more renewals. We send multiple notices because renewals often get buried in kitchen drawers or lost in a move. Twice a year, in spring and fall, we send special appeals, sometimes for general support and sometimes for specific programs. Our hope is that those who are able to contribute will make a donation in addition to their membership dues. If you are curious when your membership expires please contact us and we will help you find out.

Why does Xerces not give out membership cards or pins?
Sometimes members wish they had tangible evidence of their Xerces membership. We have decided, however, to save money and resources by funneling money directly into our conservation, applied research, publications, and outreach programs, instead of buying membership cards, pins, patches, buttons, notepaper, or other membership items.

Will you share my name with other groups? How do I opt out of name-sharing?
Yes, we do occasionally trade membership lists with other carefully chosen conservation organizations. This is one important way that we gain new members, and hopefully at the same time introduce our members to like-minded organizations. We will never sell your contact information, nor do we ever share telephone numbers or email addresses. If you would like to opt out of name sharing, please call, write, email, or fax us a note to that effect, and please include your full name and mailing address.

Why do you ask for my email address? How will you use it?
We ask for your email address in case we have a question about your membership or a particular merchandise order. We may also use email to alert you of any Xerces news or invertebrate conservation information. We will never trade or share your email address with another group and, should you prefer, will remove your email address from our records upon your request.