THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2026 65 AFSA NEWS AFSA Dues Increase for 2026 In accordance with Article IV of the AFSA Bylaws, the Governing Board can increase annual dues by no more than the cumulative increase in the national Consumer Price Index, published by the Department of Labor, since the effective date of the previous dues increase. For 2026, the board has voted to increase all membership dues by 3 percent. In concrete terms, this amounts to an increase of $2.15 up to $16.41 per year, depending on the individual membership category. For those paying quarterly, the increase is between 53 cents and $4.10 per quarter, again depending on membership category. Those paying annually will be billed the new rate on their regularly scheduled renewal date. AFSA last increased its membership dues rate in January 2025. n AFSA Governing Board Meeting, October 15, 2025 The board awarded the 2025 Matilda W. Sinclaire Language awards to 10 recipients. The board discussed constructive dissent and exemplary performance vetting process changes that will go into effect with the 2026 awards. The board agreed to appropriate an additional $6,500 from the Legal Defense Fund for legal services rendered for AFSA. The board agreed on changes to the AFSA website and the Legal Defense Fund standard operating procedures (SOP). n AFSA Treasurer’s Report AFSA’s finances enter 2026 battered but not broken. RIFs, buyouts, and early retirements reduced AFSA’s dues-paying membership by 25 percent in 2025. A March 2025 Executive Order, among other actions, led to a cessation of payroll and annuity deductions for dues payments, depriving AFSA of that revenue. AFSA then worked for months to get members to visit the AFSA website to switch to direct payment— while the State Department appeared to have electronically blocked employees from doing so on their work computers. As a result, AFSA lost $1.5 million in projected 2025 dues revenue—a 25 percent drop. We anticipate that the loss of dues revenue in 2026 will be about the same—25 percent because of the loss of effortless paying via salary or annuity deduction and Foreign Service downsizing. This 25 percent drop in annual dues revenue has necessitated a substantial belt-tightening in AFSA’s operations. We reduced The Foreign Service Journal’s frequency of publication from 10 issues in 2024 to seven in 2025 and six in 2026 (although each issue now has more pages). With staff salaries and benefits constituting AFSA’s biggest expense, we cut staffing from 41 positions at the start of 2025 to 34 at the year’s end. Every AFSA section slashed discretionary spending. Despite those cuts, as we drafted the 2026 AFSA operating budget, it became clear that projected dues revenue would not be sufficient to maintain the core staffing required to defend the Foreign Service in the critical areas identified in the strategic plan outlined by John Dinkelman in this month’s President’s Views column on page 6. To close that funding gap, the AFSA Governing Board in November approved a 2026 budget counting on two additional sources of revenue: First, we plan to draw down AFSA’s $3.1 million emergency reserve by 20 percent in 2026. Since similar drawdowns may be needed in 2027, 2028, and possibly beyond, taking larger annual drawdowns would leave the reserve dangerously low at the end of this decade. Second, this year we will seek to raise $725,000 in donations and grants from individuals and foundations concerned about preserving a nonpartisan career Foreign Service. That is an ambitious target, but we hope for success similar to that of 2019, when generous donors helped AFSA defray the attorney fees of members called to testify during House of Representatives’ impeachment hearings. While we believe that our 2026 financial plan will allow AFSA to fight on to protect our members individually and the Foreign Service as a profession, a shortfall in fundraising or unanticipated events such as additional RIFs or the need to file new lawsuits could require further budget cuts as the year progresses. Another key to avoiding deeper cuts is your continued membership despite the added effort of direct dues payment. n —John K. Naland
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