What membership really costs

The published price of a membership is usually a floor. The records on this site distinguish several components, and an organization's transparency is measured by how many of them it discloses.

The components

Initiation is paid once on joining: US$4,790 at YPO, US$3,500 at EO, US$5,000 at TIGER 21, an unpublished sum at many clubs. Dues recur, usually annually; some organizations bill monthly with short notice periods (TAB, C12). Chapter dues are the trap: YPO and EO publish global dues but chapter dues are set locally, are frequently the larger number, and appear nowhere central. Programme fees cover retreats, forums, coaching and events; TIGER 21 states that its dues cover the eleven regular meetings, while many organizations charge separately for the annual retreat that members describe as the best part. Investment commitments are a cost in kind: New World Angels members agree to invest up to US$20,000 a year; several angel groups set a minimum per deal.

Who publishes what

The research on this site found that a minority of organizations publish a price at all, and the pattern is consistent: member-governed associations (YPO, EO, the angel groups, the professional bodies) publish; commercially operated programmes (Vistage, masterminds, most clubs) quote on enquiry. Where a figure has been reported by a named publication it is shown on the profile as reported, with its date and a low or medium confidence, and never as the organization's own.

Doing the arithmetic

The cost calculator sums the disclosed components for the first year and for three years, and names every component it could not count. Treat the result as a floor. Then ask the chapter or Chair for the local figure, the retreat costs, and the notice period — and ask what happens to dues if you resign mid-year, which is rarely published.