The LSA's Executive Director, Alyson Reed, and Secretary-Treasurer, Lenore Grenoble, sent the following email to LSA members on September 17, 2020:

Dear Colleagues:

We are writing to update you on the current status of the LSA’s budget. As you know, the LSA is a non-profit organization. Our operations are largely funded by membership fees, any revenue that we take in from the Annual Meeting, and the publication and sales of the journal Language. Membership is directly tied to participation levels at the Annual Meeting and the LSA Institute. Although there is a set of linguists who are members continuously, in general membership does go up and down in direct relation to the Annual Meeting. In particular, membership increases when it takes place in some popular destinations (such as New York), and decreases in other years.

Given the uncertainties of travel in the current situation with COVID-19, it is not surprising that we have seen a steep drop-off in interest in attending this year’s Annual Meeting and a concomitant drop in membership. This, together with an anticipated loss of revenue for the Annual Meeting, has put us in fiscal crisis.

With this situation in mind, the LSA Executive Committee approved an operating budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2020, that included major reductions in all discretionary spending categories. We have taken drastic measures to cut the budget. The reductions include the elimination of all spending for the following:

• Staff Benefits (pension, insurance, etc.)
• Committees
• Stipends and Honoraria (editorial, Secretary-Treasurer, Publications Advisor)
• Honors and Awards
• Memberships in Coalitions/Advocacy: COSSA, ACLS, NHA, JNCL
• Liability Insurance
• Sponsorship of North American Computational Linguistics Open Competition (NACLO)
• Further reductions by more than half were made to expense lines for the LSA websites, financial services, IT support, and other administrative functions.

• Obtained a Paycheck Protection Act loan from the US Small Business Administration
• Conducted a campaign of personalized outreach to lapsed members (beyond the standard practic
• Launched two fundraising drives to restore the intern stipend, which has raised $6,200 towards a total goal of $15,000; and to offer discounted/free membership to those experiencing financial hardship, which has raised $3500 to date.
• Submitted grant proposals for special projects to various funding agencies.
• Renegotiated our contracts with Annual Meeting vendors, including the hotel, to reduce our liability.
• Raised subscription fees for Language paid by libraries and institutions (membership dues are unchanged and continue to include a free subscription).

We welcome your ideas for other steps we might pursue to replace the lost revenue we rely on to maintain our core operations. One step you can take is to renew your membership or where possible, to purchase a life membership. Please also encourage your colleagues to do the same.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through these financial difficulties while continuing to deliver on our core mission: to advance the scientific study of language and its applications. Thank you for your continued support.

Best regards,

Lenore and Alyson

Lenore Grenoble, Secretary-Treasurer

Alyson Reed, Executive Director

Linguistic Society of America