Joining BAOC (and Orienteering USA)
Why Join BAOC?
- Get reduced BAOC event fees for Orange and advanced courses, and at special events.
- Support orienteering in the Bay Area.
- Get a tax deduction (depending on your tax situation).
Membership Fees
Type of Membership | 1 year |
Individual | $16* |
Family/Youth Group | $21* |
Contributing Individual or Family/Group |
$30 |
- * Note: The $1 processing fee added to these categories applies only to on-line payments.
How To Join BAOC, or Renew or Change Your Membership
To become a member of BAOC, or to renew your membership, do one of the following:
- Go to the online membership website (https://www.memberplanet.com/Groups/GroupJoinLoginNew.aspx?ISPUB=true&invitee=i8qn36467w1nx) as described below. (This method is easiest for us, and hopefully is easy for you.)
- Fill out, print, and mail our membership form along with a check.
- Fill out a membership form and pay at an event.
If you have questions regarding BAOC memberships, call Werner Haag, Membership Director, at 408.599.9709 or send email to .
Online Membership System
You can join, renew, or change your profile at the online membership website (https://www.memberplanet.com/Groups/GroupJoinLoginNew.aspx?ISPUB=true&invitee=i8qn36467w1nx):
- If you already have an account on the website, simply log in with your email address and password.
- If you don't have an account, enter your information in the "Create an account" panel, and click on "Create my account". (Remember the email address and password you use, because you will need them to check your status later and to renew your membership if you disable automatic renewal.)
- Complete your member profile (the starred items are required).
- The system requires your birthday to register. However, if you prefer not to give that away, feel free to enter January 1 of your birth year, since the year is all we really need (e.g., 01/01/1963).
- Enter your phone number(s) without spaces, dashes, or parentheses (e.g., 6505551212).
- Don't fill in any of the extra member information fields like "family", "jobs", "education", etc., unless you really want to. We don't need those items.
- Select the desired membership level, and click on "Continue" at the bottom of the page.
- Complete your member profile (the starred items are required).
- You can renew your membership by clicking on the "Renew" button on your personal member page.
- If you are joining or renewing, on the Checkout page:
- Either leave "Auto renewal" enabled, or click on "Switch to manual payments" (this will pertain to your renewal next year).
- Enter your credit card information.
- Click on "Pay Now".
- To change your profile (e.g., email address), click on your name at the top right of the window, and select "Edit my profile" in the drop-down menu.
- You log out by clicking on your name at the top of the page, and then "Log out" in the drop-down menu.
The online system does not allow for multi-year memberships, but it allows you to put a credit card on file for automatic renewal. Please note that the default setting is auto-renewal, So, if you want just a one-time payment, you should deselect auto-renewal.
- Note: If you put a credit card on file for auto-renewal, be sure to remember to update the information when the card expires, or if you want to change cards.
Check Your Membership Status
You can check on your membership status by logging on the online membership website (https://www.memberplanet.com/Groups/GroupJoinLoginNew.aspx?ISPUB=true&invitee=i8qn36467w1nx) with the email address and password you used when you created your account. Your renewal date is displayed to the right of "Bay Area Orienteering Club"—next to a "Renew" button (hint, hint 😉) if you are not set up for automatic renewal, or a "Renew early" link.
Note Regarding Tax Deductibility
Since BAOC has tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) organization (i.e., charitable non-profit organization), annual membership fees are deductible to the extent allowed by law, per your own individual situation. Generally, that means the full amount of your annual membership fee can be deducted if you itemize deductions on your U.S. and/or state tax return.¹ (BAOC's tax identification number is EIN 43-4309358.)
Also Join Orienteering USA
In addition to joining BAOC, consider joining Orienteering USA (OUSA) for these benefits (and more):
- Reduced National Event fees
- A subscription to the monthly E-Newsletter
- Secondary medical insurance (for national and local orienteering events)
- Voting rights at the Annual General Meeting (adult members only)
- Membership in the world governing body, IOF
- Rental-car and hotel/motel discounts
- Supporting the growth of orienteering in the U.S.
To learn more and to join Orienteering USA, please go to http://orienteeringusa.org/membership (http://orienteeringusa.org/membership).
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1 Reference: IRS Publication 526, Charitable Contributions, paragraph titled "Certain membership benefits can be disregarded".