As mentioned in the first article about the TWHBEA financial report presented at the December annual meeting, there are 11 revenue sources and 13 expenses categories listed. This post will take a look at the largest category of revenue and the related expenses. Remember, this financial report covers the first eleven months of the TWHBEA’s fiscal year and is reprinted in the January/February 2012 combined issue of the VOICE magazine.
TWHBEA’s largest source of revenue is Registry and Memberships and in 2011 they collected $1,057,207, or almost two-thirds of their total revenue. Total revenue was $1,641,139 and Registry and Membership accounted for 64.4% of that amount.
Compared to the previous year, Registry and Memberships decreased $139,454 from $1,196,661 in 2011 to $1,057,207 or 11.7%. President Irby has recently commented on the growth in memberships so it seems that the decrease is primarily in registrations.
On the positive side, TWHBEA was able to reduce expenses in this category by $58,120 from $364,243 to $306,123 this year, a reduction of 16%. But the reduction in expenses does not make up for all of the loss in revenue – a shortfall of $81,333.
A Look at the Numbers:
$1,057,207 – 2011 year-to-date Registry & Membership income
$306,123 – 2011 year-to-date Registry & Membership expense
$751,084 – 2011 year-to-date “profit”
Here are comparable numbers for 2010:
$1,196,661 – 2010 year-to-date Registry & Membership income
$364,243 – 2010 year-to-date Registry & Membership expense
$832,418 – 2010 year-to-date Registry & Membership “profit”
Comparison of 2011-2010 Registry & Membership revenue:
$1,057,207 – 2011 year-to-date Registry & Membership income
$1,196,661 – 2010 year-to-date Registry & Membership income
$139,454 – decrease in revenue in 2011 from 2010
11.7% - decrease in revenue in 2011 from 2010
Comparison of 2011-2010 Registry & Membership expenses:
$306,123 – 2011 year-to-date Registry & Membership expense
$364,243 – 2010 year-to-date Registry and Membership expense
$58,120 – decrease in expense in 2011 from 2010
16% - decrease in expense in 2011 from 2010
Comparison of 2011 – 2010 Registry & Membership “profit”:
$751,084 – 2011 year-to-date Registry & Membership “profit”
$832,418 – 2010 year-to-date Registry & Membership “profit”
$81,334 – decrease in “profit” in 2010 from 2011
9.8% - decrease in profit from 2010 to 2011
From the numbers above, it is apparent that Registry and Membership “profit” fund the vast majority of the TWHBEA’s activities while almost all of the other categories are marginally profitable or operate at a loss. The resulting decline in “profits” from last year means that the association has $81,334 less to spend on their programs going forward.
If in fact the decrease in Registry and Membership income is primarily due to a reduction in registrations and transfers that sends a troubling message. Registrations, and to a somewhat lesser extent transfers, are a barometer of a breed’s health and these figures give cause for concern.
Unfortunately, TWHBEA is not alone. All of the other major industry organizations are experiencing similar declines with a troubling economy, regulatory challenges both internal and external and a fractured industry all part of the problem.