The New NABD Online Membership Portal

The New NABD Online Membership Portal – What Members Need to Know

We’re pleased to confirm that the new NABD online membership portal is now live and fully operational!
This replaces the cumbersome and problematic old system, which had become unreliable due to some form of ‘Software Dementia’ and was ultimately taken offline after erroneously cancelling dozens of memberships while taking duplicated payments for others.

It had been apparent for some time that the old portal was inherently problematic and cumbersome, and it was only the constant ministrations of our Webmaster at the time that had prevented it from fatally collapsing several years ago.

The New System:

The new portal, hosted by Zeffy, is a platform designed specifically for non-profit organisations. It is free for the NABD to use, with no transaction fees, helping us keep membership costs affordable.

The typical fees charged by other online membership and donation processing platforms are far beyond what the NABD can afford to pay.

The process of joining or renewing is now much simpler:
• Enter your details once
• Choose monthly or annual payment by card
• Opt in or out of a plastic card and postal magazine
• Tick Gift Aid if applicable

Your new membership or membership renewal will be automatically processed, and you will receive a digital membership ‘e-card’ via email within minutes.

Physical Cards and Patches:

Members who request a plastic membership card and patch will still receive them by post. Though, as these will have to be processed manually, and may take a little longer than we would wish while the Membership Secretary role remains vacant.

Donations to Zeffy:

Before you submit your new membership or renewal, Zeffy will request a voluntary donation to support their service. This is entirely optional, your membership will be processed whether or not you donate, and you can choose any amount, including £0 if you do not wish to make a donation.

The association will no doubt be making donations to Zeffy occasionally in amounts we can afford, because it is a valuable resource for processing memberships and fundraising, so it is in our interests to ensure this portal remains available for our use.

New Membership Numbers:

This new system cannot retain existing membership numbers. All members will therefore be issued with a new, automatically generated number. While we appreciate that some members may be disappointed by this change, it was unfortunately not possible to retain existing numbers without incurring costs far beyond what the NABD could justify or afford.

My own existing membership number is 39 but, when my membership is due for renewal again next January, I will no doubt have a new number somewhere in the high hundreds, or possibly even the low thousands. I can honestly say I won’t be losing any sleep over it.

I have been a member of the NABD continuously since July 1991 and I don’t need a number to remind me of that proud fact. What is really important is the fact that I remain a member of the NABD irrespective of the number on my membership card. I hope that all existing members can maintain a similar perspective when they renew their membership through the new portal.

Transferring to the New System:

We will be contacting all existing members directly (if the email addresses we have are still valid) to explain the new system and what they need to do, but here’s the gist of it.

Renewing a Monthly Subscription:

Members who are paying a monthly membership subscription should cancel it with their bank (or wait for us to cancel it through the old system) then use one of the ‘Become a member’ or ‘Join Today’ links on the all new NABD website to renew their membership in the new portal. From then on, it should be plain sailing.

Renewing an Annual Subscription:

Members who pay an annual membership subscription should receive a renewal reminder when it is due and when they have renewed through the new portal, it will all be automated from then on.

Incorrectly Cancelled or Inadvertently Lapsed Subscriptions:

Members who have had their subscription cancelled by the faulty old system and those who could not renew while the online membership portal was closed can go straight to the new portal and renew their membership. We will ensure that no lapse is shown in their membership history.

I will no doubt post additional updates on the website and social media outlets as and when the opportunity presents itself but for now I simply ask that all existing members continue to support the NABD with their membership subscriptions, their forbearance, and their goodwill, so together we can get beyond this insufferable and unwelcome IT calamity and ride boldly on, towards whatever new embuggerment the future lay in our path.

In conclusion, I offer the heartfelt apologies of the NABD Trustees and National Committee members for any inconvenience or aggravation that members have encountered during this transition period.

Rick Hulse
NABD Chairman