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Join STC and the Washington DC, Chapter
The following is information about how individuals and corporations may join STC and the membership benefits in STC and the Washington, DC Chapter. See our STC Information: Membership page for information about who STC is for and what the Washington, DC chapter offers you as a member. For information about STC annual conferences / technical summits, STC election candidates (when available), related professional and student chapters in our region, and links to membership and educational information on the Society's site, see our STC Information: Annual Conference & STC Connections page.
Why Should You Join STC?
Sign up now! Become a dues-paying member of STC and take advantage of all the benefits of membership set aside for STC members only. "Members Only" benefits let you have
- Full access to the Society's jobs database and salary survey.
- Full access to the membership directory.
- Full access with search capability to STC's award-winning publications: Intercom, Conference Proceedings, Technical Communications Journal.
- Voting privileges in STC elections.
- Society-level recognitions, grants, and awards.
- Forums for sharing your expertise, expressing your professional opinion, and building a reputation within the industry. Share your expertise and give back to the profession of technical communication.
- Training seminars and workshops to advance your career.
- Health and other types of insurance plans.
- Worldwide networking opportunities through STC's 140 chapters and annual conferences
- STC helps shape the entire profession—and you help shape STC. Serving on a Society-level committee or taking on the duties of office ensures that your experience benefits technical communication for years to come.
- Publishing opportunities in STC publications and newsletters.
- Polish your presentation skills and share your knowledge by speaking at an STC conference or seminar.
Your membership dues help fund events that are available to the community at large. These include
- Jobs database where employers and recruiters can post their openings
- International competitions that recognize the very best examples of technical communication, including technical publications, art, and online communication
- Scholarships for students of technical communication
- Fellowships that help bridge the gap between technical communication practitioners and teachers
- Sponsoring an honorary fraternity for college students majoring in technical communication
- Honoring outstanding teachers of technical communication
- Financing research grants that further the understanding of learning and communication
- Providing continual learning opportunities
Why Should You Join the WDC Chapter?
Members of the Washington, DC Chapter may take advantage of all the "Members Only" resources on the WDC Website and other chapter affiliation benefits:
- See Washington, DC Chapter "Members Only"
job announcements - List your skills and availabiltiy in the chapter's Talent Pool (FREE for STC members; nonmembers are charged a fee of $10 per year and are flagged as nonmembers.1)
- List your company in our Documentation Contractors / Consultants page (FREE for STC members; nonmembers are charged a fee of $10 per year and are flagged as nonmembers.1)
- List your speaking topics and availability in our Speakers Bureau pages (FREE for STC members; nonmembers are charged a fee of $10 per year and are flagged as nonmembers.1)
- List your book or other publications on the Chapter Members' Publications page and include a link to the Amazon.com site if it is for sale
- Advertise your professional accomplishments on our Website, newsletter, and discussion lists
- Earn chapter-level recognitions and awards
- Be nominated for Society-level recognitions and awards
- Vote in chapter elections
- Participate in the CHAT discussion list
- Grow your leadership capabilities as an elected chapter officer
- Learn new skills as a member of a chapter committee
- Get a copy of the chapter membership directory
By affiliating with the WDC Chapter, a portion of your STC membership dues help fund WDC Chapter events that are available to the community at large. These include
- Scholarships for high school and college students studying technical communication
- Access to one of the largest chapter-level job announcement listings for jobs in the Washington, DC metropolitan area (Maryland, northern Virginia, and the District of Columbia)
- Enter or judge in local competitions for online communication and technical publications that provide professional feedback on the quality of your work and recognizes the very best examples of technical communication (the chapter submits and pays for the international-level competition entry fees for all entries that are given an award of Distinction in our chapter-level competitions)
- Monthly events with expert speakers on topics that affect your career, tools, and life
- Free job announcement postings for employers and recruiters
- Opportunities to network with and mentor other chapter members through our events, committees, competitions, and discussion lists
- Local special interest groups to connect you with others who have the same interests and subject-matter expertise to help answer your questions
You may affiliate with your local chapter and other STC chapters or SIGs that interest you for an additional $10 each.
1 The nonmember fee goes into our scholarship fund.
How to Join
The STC membership structure includes several categories of membership, each of which offers a different value to members. Before joining, please read the descriptions of Classic Membership, Limited Membership, E-membership, and Student Membership on http://www.stc.org/membership/duesTiersInfo.asp.
Annual dues are payable to STC on January 1 (membership year ends on December 31). Membership may not be transferred or assigned to another person. STC dues are tax deductible. A receipt and membership card will be mailed to you after your payment is received. New members joining after 31 January pay a prorated fee. Refer to the New Member Proration Schedule for how to figure the rates for new members. Dues are paid to the Society for Technical Communication and include membership in a local chapter. Initial chapter assignment is made upon approval of the membership application, and a portion of each member's dues is rebated to the local chapter. Fifteen dollars is applied towards a subscription to the quarterly journal, Technical Communication, and $15 is for the monthly magazine, Intercom.
Application Forms
- Online new member application encrypted by Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
- PDF version (1.6MB .pdf)
Mail application forms to the Society office:
- Membership Department
Society for Technical Communication
9401 Lee Highway
Suite 300
Fairfax VA 22031
Phone: 703-522-4114
Fax: 703-522-2075
E-mail:
Corporate Membership and Corporate Sponsorship
See the Corporate Sponsorship page for how organizations and corporations may sponsor our chapter.
Corporate Value Program & STC Partnerships
STC has established the Corporate Value Program (CVP) to meet the individual needs of your company. The CVP offers you a variety of options, tailored to meet your individual corporate technical communication needs. You can choose between memberships for all your staff or just a few. A large variety of benefits are offered to meet the individual needs of your company. Benefits include the following and more.
There are two forms of the Corporate Value Program: Group Discount and Membership for Marketing Purposes.
See the Corporate Value Program (CVP) page for more information.
Corporate Value Program Members
For detailed information about each of the following companies and how they partner with STC, see http://www.stc.org/membership/cvp02_a.asp.
Renew Your Dues
The Society office will send out the first renewal notice to all members by e-mail the first week in October. You may renew your dues online starting in October. The first U.S. postal mail to members (including a renewal invoice) will be sent out in mid-November. The renewal deadline is January 1 if you want to vote in the STC elections.
The last renewal date to renew STC membership is March 31. After that, your membership becomes inactive. You may renew your membership online at the Society's Web site:
https://access.stc.org/JoinSTC/Renewal.aspx
Change or Upgrade Your Membership
If you've already renewed, you may change or upgrade your membership category and add or delete affiliations to chapters and SIGs with the STC Membership Change/Upgrade Form.
STC Brochures
- 10 Reasons to Join STC Brochure (PDF file - 288KB)
- STC Can Help Employers STC Brochure (PDF file - 168KB)
- A Career in Technical Communication STC Brochure (PDF file - 88KB)
- STC Information Request Form











