ONS Remains a Financially Strong Organization Into 2019

Cancer care is evolving rapidly, and ONS is committed to providing oncology nurses with tools to stay abreast of innovative treatments and technologies used to care for people with cancer. The ONS Board of Directors has both strategic and stewardship responsibilities for the fiscal health of the organization that will help us to meet those goals. 

ONS continues to reinvest in our membership through educational programming via conferences, online courses, publications, and support for nurses who care for people with cancer. We encourage our chapters to do the same. In 2018, the ONS Board approved funding for resources to support the future of oncology nursing, sustain the organization, and ensure that we are prepared to meet the needs of oncology nurses for decades to come. 

Treasurer’s Report

ONS maintained a successful fiscal performance record in 2018 in line with the strong U.S. economy. We carefully monitor our expenses and are fortunate to have a diverse revenue stream. Membership dues are a part of that picture—but dues are only a percentage of a broad portfolio that includes other sources such as advertisements, exhibits, registrations, and grants. We have held ONS member dues steady for 2019 and have not increased dues in three years. 

The investment environment was a little less positive toward the end of 2018 because of market fluctuations that many of you may have seen in your own investments as well. We reviewed our year-end results with our investment managers at our face-to-face board meeting in February. We do not need to use our investments for ONS operations and thus can continue to support big initiatives as noted previously. The ONS Board has set a relatively conservative investment strategy, and the organization continues to have a sound investment portfolio.  

As my role as ONS Board treasurer comes to an end, I am grateful for the experience. It has been a privilege to serve this incredible organization and its members.