What is a association membership agreement?
Most associations have a constitution or bylaws, but members rarely read them, and disputes about dues, voting, logo use or removal usually start with someone who never knew the rules. A short signed membership agreement puts the essentials in front of each member and records that they accepted them, while leaving the governing documents in charge.
This template admits an individual or organisation member in a named category, with an optional named representative. It sets annual dues and an optional joining fee, when dues fall due, a grace period and lapse, and refunds on resignation. It lists the main benefits, voting rights for the category, your code of conduct, whether members may display the member logo (and what they may not suggest by it), directory listing choice, renewal by payment or automatic renewal, and a fair process for suspension or removal: written notice, time to respond, an unconflicted decision-maker, written reasons and appeal.
- Best for
- Trade associations, chambers, clubs, societies and professional bodies
- Signed by
- An officer of the association and the member
- Covers
- Dues, benefits, voting, conduct, logo use, renewal, removal process
- Length
- 3 pages
When to use a association membership agreement
- A trade association welcoming a new member business
- A professional body admitting individual members to a full or associate grade
- A sports or social club moving from paper forms to signed agreements
- A chamber of commerce offering a member logo for websites
- A society introducing a code of conduct and wanting each member's acceptance
What you fill in
24 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: association, member.
1 Membership
- Agreement date*
- Association (legal name)*
- Association address
- Association's governing documents*
- Member (person or organisation)*
- Member address
- Member is* an individual · an organisation
- Named representative (organisation members)
- Membership category*
- Membership starts*
2 Dues
- Currency*
- Annual dues*
- One-off joining fee
- Dues payable* on joining and on each anniversary of the start date · on joining (pro rata for the first year) and then on the first day of each membership year
- Grace period for late dues (days)*
- Refund on resignation* Dues already paid are not refunded. · Unused whole months of dues are refunded.
3 Rights and benefits
- Main benefits*
- Voting rights* one vote at general meetings, and may stand for election to the board · one vote at general meetings · no vote (non-voting category)
- Code of conduct*
- Member may use the member logo* Yes · No
- Member directory listing* The Member agrees to be listed in the Association's member directory. · The Member does not want to be listed in the Association's member directory.
4 Renewal and ending
- Renewal* Membership renews each year when the next year's dues are paid. · Membership renews automatically each year unless the Member resigns before the renewal date.
- Time to respond to a complaint (days)*
- Governing law*
5 Who signs
- Association signature and date, job title · The secretary, executive director or another officer authorised to admit members.
- Member signature and date, job title · The individual member, or a person authorised to sign for a member organisation.
What the association membership agreement covers
- Admission
- Dues
- Benefits
- Voting and office
- Code of conduct
- Name and logo
- Member information
- Renewal and resignation
- Suspension and removal
- When membership ends
- General
Using the association membership agreement, step by step
1 Name the association and member
Enter your association, its governing documents, the member and whether it's an individual or organisation, with a representative if needed.
2 Set the category and dues
Enter the membership category, start date, dues and any joining fee, when dues are payable, the grace period and the refund rule.
3 Set rights and rules
List the main benefits, choose voting rights, name your code of conduct and decide on logo use and directory listing.
4 Choose renewal and send
Choose renewal by payment or automatic renewal, set the response time in the removal process, and send it to the member.
Tips before you send it
- Your constitution or bylaws come first. Check they allow the category, voting and removal process you put in this agreement.
- Ask for consent before listing members in a public directory — the agreement records the member's choice.
- If you use automatic renewal, send a reminder before each renewal date; consumer rules in some places require it.
- Follow the removal steps exactly — a fair process is usually what decides whether a removal stands.
Sign it online in minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. FileIt builds the PDF with every signature, date box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in your vault and emailed to everyone.
Association membership agreement: frequently asked questions
Which wins if this conflicts with our bylaws?
The governing documents. The agreement says so expressly, so you can use it alongside your constitution or bylaws as they change.
Can a member be removed?
Yes, for serious or repeated breaches of the code of conduct or the agreement, or if they no longer meet the membership requirements, after written notice, a chance to respond and be heard, a decision by people without a conflict, and written reasons with the appeal route.
Can members use our logo?
If you allow it, while membership is current and following your brand guidelines. The logo shows membership only — members may not suggest the association endorses or certifies their products — and must stop using it when membership ends.
Can it be signed electronically?
In most countries, including the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada, an electronic signature is generally valid for an agreement like this one. FileIt keeps an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion with the signed PDF as evidence of who signed and when.
Is this template free?
Yes. The template is free to use with the eSignature app in FileIt, and the people you send it to don't need a FileIt account to sign.