ONS Connect - February 2008 - (Page 26) yOurDOllarSaTwOrk ONS Board of Directors Approves a Balanced Budget for 2008 [By Gay Bailey, RN, MBA, OCN ®, Treasurer, ONS Board of Directors] O NS is the largest professional on cology association in the world, and the organization continues to be committed to supporting its members in various practice settings by provid ing the very best educational materi als through programs, publications, and financial support to chapters and spe cial interest groups. These programs and services are made possible through ONS’s financial assets, so ONS must pay attention to balancing its revenues with its expenses. I’m sure each of you has experienced balancing your own budget and knows that in today’s world it is no easy task. It’s not much different for the Board of Directors trying to balance the ONS budget. You may have heard that orga nizations (including hospitals and phar maceutical companies) are concerned lately about possible conflicts of interest around using pharmaceutical dollars to fund certain programs. Also, in these times of financial uncertainty, philan thropy tends to be less robust and pre dictable. However, some new revenue is expected in 2008 because ONS has secured a tenant for the third floor of the national office in Pittsburgh, PA. With all of this in mind, the Board spent many hours last fall discussing the budget and ways to continue to of fer the same level of support with an anticipated decrease in revenue. At that meeting, the Board approved a balanced budget, which will allow ONS to con tinue to fund existing programs as well as some new ones. Other proposed new programs were not funded this year be cause of the cost involved and the lack of secured outside funding. ONS has made a determined effort to reduce costs where possible, although some expenses such as utilities are out side of its control. Despite cutbacks, the Board believes it is necessary to in crease the annual dues by less than 10% to $102 starting in 2008. As always, ONS spends 83% of its revenue on programs for members, and we believe that this is an integral part of the ONS mission. Moving forward, the Board and staff will continue to diversify ONS’s stream of revenue to ensure the Society’s future viability as the premier oncology nursing organization. ✱ Let the ONS Board of Directors Know What You Think The ONS Board of Directors soon will conduct its annual assessment of Board performance and is seeking feedback from members on how well it has met your needs throughout the past year. Has ONS met priorities important to you and to the oncology nursing profession? How can the Society better meet your needs as an oncology nurse? Let us know what you think about these and any other issues. Your input is crucial in developing projects and activities that lead to the provision of quality cancer care. Please share your ideas and opinions with us. Simply e-mail your comments to executive@ons .org or fax them to 412-859-6161, Attn: Executive Team. You also can mail them to Oncology Nursing Society, c/o Executive Team, 125 Enterprise Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15275-1214. Feedback must be received by March 1 to be included in this year’s evaluation process. 26 ONS CONNECT February 2008
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