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What does it mean to be a CUB member?

Over the next week, CUB will be emailing renewal notices to people who have donated in the past but have not renewed their CUB membership for 2024.

We sometimes get asked about CUB’s renewal schedule, so we would like to explain: 

What is a CUB member? 

  • CUB memberships are based on the calendar year around Giving Tuesday. For example, the 2024 renewal campaign began on Nov. 21, 2023, and Giving Tuesday was on Nov. 28. 
  • That means anyone who has given CUB a donation on or after that date is renewed for the new year.

Is there a required donation amount? 

  • We recommend a donation of $25 or more to best help us serve Illinois consumers. 
  • But there is no required amount–we appreciate whatever amount you can give. 

What do I get as a CUB member? 

  • Exclusive access to members-only events
  • First look at new CUB publications
  • The CUB Voice, our quarterly newsletter, delivered to your door
  • Being part of a team that has challenged utility greed and helped save Illinois consumers $20 billion 

After I become a member, will I still get fundraising requests? 

  • If you’ve already joined CUB for the year, thank you! If you continue to get renewal notices, after you’ve donated, please let us know. We apologize for any inconvenience or confusion. During busy periods, it may take time to update our records and mark you as renewed. 
  • Over the year, CUB will send out additional donation appeals that are separate from renewal requests. These appeals reflect new developments, such as utility rate-hike requests, and help cover the significant expenses of fighting legal battles with the big utilities; staffing hundreds of free events across Illinois; staffing our Consumer Hotline; and maintaining CUB’s free library of money-saving publications.

We hope you can continue to support CUB in the future. But please know that a donation is not a requirement for using CUB’s service. Please know we appreciate you, and whether you give or not, please make sure to use CUB’s services–all free to the people of Illinois.