NBB Membership Information

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) is organized exclusively to promote the common business interests of those parties seeking to advance the use of biodiesel as a fuel or fuel additive that meets ASTM standards. To advance these common interests, the NBB will admit to membership, on a nondiscriminatory basis, any industry member or supporter who meets the member requirements.

Biodiesel means the mono alkyl esters of long-chain fatty acids that are derived from animal fats or vegetable oils and that meet or exceed the specifications of ASTM D-6751 or any legal successor thereto.

Eligibility
A Voting Membership on the National Biodiesel Board is available to any biodiesel Feedstock Producer, Feedstock Producer Organization, Biodiesel Producer, or Biodiesel Marketer1 that is dedicated to the corporate purpose, pays the required dues, complies with the Articles, Bylaws, and Policies and Procedures of the National Biodiesel Board, and operates in a manner consistent with NBB goals.

Membership Approval Procedure
Upon receipt of a completed NBB Membership Application Form, a signed Health Effects Access Agreement (for Producers, Marketers and Small Producers), and a check for the appropriate Minimum Annual Dues, NBB shall act expeditiously on the application pursuant to the procedure detailed in the NBB Directorship Admission Policy.

Voting Membership Class
NBB has two classes of Voting Memberships (Non-Voting):

• A Feedstock Producer or Feedstock Producer Organization.¹
• A Biodiesel Producer or Biodiesel Marketer.¹

Associate Membership Class (Non-Voting)
NBB has three classes of Associate Memberships:

• A Small Producer
• An Organization
• An Individual

• How To Join

Dues
NBB operates on a fiscal year that starts on October 1 of each year and ends on September 30 of the following year. All Dues payments are geared to this schedule. Dues are not tax deductible as charitable deductions but may be tax deductible as ordinary and necessary business expenses. Initial Dues will be prorated to the fiscal year quarter in which Membership is granted. An eligible dues pay or must pay dues according to the following:

Feedstock Producer or Feedstock Organization: $10,000 per NBB fiscal year.
Two or more Feedstock Producers or Feedstock Producer Organizations may pool their contributions to meet or exceed the minimum $10,000 dues and, having done so, may jointly appoint the Voting Member to whom they are thereupon entitled.

Biodiesel Producer or Biodiesel Marketer: $5,000 per NBB fiscal year.
Additionally, on gallons above 666,667, members must pay Volume Dues based upon the cumulative annual volume of biodiesel produced, as follows:

Total Volume Produced during NBB's current fiscal year (gallons)		Volume Dues  ($5,000 Minimum)
0 to 5,000,000	$.0075 per gallon	($37,500 max)
5,000,001 to 15,000,000	$.0035 per gallon	($35,000 max)
15,000,001 to 45,000,000	$.0010 per gallon	($30,000 max)
Over 45,000,000	$.00050 per gallon
Subsequent to the first year of Membership, Producers and Marketers shall be invoiced for their $5,000 Minimum Annual Dues at the beginning of each fiscal year. However, Volume Dues shall be paid on a quarterly basis in the first and all subsequent years. Producers and Marketers must submit quarterly reports, postmarked by January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15, of cumulative biodiesel gallons produced to date during the current fiscal year. Two officers of the company must sign these reports. If the reported cumulative volume produced during the year-to-date has exceeded 500,000 gallons, then Volume Dues must be paid in accordance with the schedule above. Information on volumes reported shall be restricted pursuant to the NBB Confidentiality Policy.

Small Producer: $2,500 per NBB fiscal year.
Additionally, on gallons produced over 333,333, members must pay Volume Dues based upon the cumulative annual volume of biodiesel produced as follows:

Total Volume Produced during NBB's current fiscal year (gallons)	Volume Dues
All gallons sold	$.0075 per gallon
Subsequent to the first year of Membership, Small Producers shall be invoiced for their $2,500 Minimum Annual Dues at the beginning of each fiscal year. However, Volume Dues shall be paid on a quarterly basis in the first and all subsequent years. Small Producers must submit quarterly reports, postmarked by January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15, of cumulative biodiesel gallons produced to date during the current fiscal year. Two officers of the company must sign these reports. If the reported cumulative volume produced during the year-to-date has exceeded 333,333 gallons, then Volume Dues must be paid in accordance with the schedule above. Information on volumes reported shall be restricted pursuant to the NBB Confidentiality Policy.

Organization: $2,500 per NBB fiscal year.

Individual: $500 per NBB fiscal year.

Fuel sales among NBB Producers/Marketers:
For purposes of calculating Volume Dues payments, gallons of biodiesel that are sold among NBB members shall be counted only once. Volume Dues on such sales shall be paid only by the first NBB member involved in the transaction (whether the member produces the fuel, purchases it, or simply brokers it).

Volume Dues Auditing Policy:
NBB shall have access to the Member's books and records relevant to the proper payment of Volume Dues. If a Volume Dues audit reveals the member has underpaid NBB by more than 10% of the amount due, the member shall be assessed and shall be liable for the costs of the audit. All information accessed by the audit shall remain restricted pursuant to the NBB Confidentiality Policy.
Proper and timely payment of all dues allows the member, if an individual, to be a Member of the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). If a legal entity, proper and timely payment of dues allows the member to designate one individual to be a Delegate to the NBB. Nonpayment of dues is grounds for membership discipline, including suspension or revocation of membership. Appropriate Minimum Annual Dues must accompany all membership applications.

Delegates and Alternates
Voting Members. In order to operate knowledgeably, efficiently and consistently in the best interests of the biodiesel industry, that dues-paying legal entity must appoint only one individual to serve it consistently at NBB meetings.

That designated individual will be its Voting Delegate. This person must be an officer or agent of the dues-paying entity with full authority to vote on all matters coming before the Voting Members of the NBB. Each Voting Member elected shall have the option to designate an Alternate in writing within thirty (30) calendar days of the election.

Meeting Attendance
Faithful attendance at meetings is necessary for the NBB to act faithfully for the benefit of the industry. Proper attendance at an NBB meeting that fails for lack of a quorum is a waste of time for those Members who took the time to faithfully attend, and accomplishes nothing for the industry. Important Notice: An NBB Member, through its Voting Delegate or Alternate, is strongly encouraged to attend all meetings, and expected to attend at least half of all NBB meetings.

NBB Structure
NBB’s Governing Board consists of 15 Directors elected by and from Voting Members. Seven (7) of the Directors are elected by Weighted Voting. When a membership vote is taken by Weighted Voting, each Voting Member possesses one vote for each $1,000 in Total Financial Contribution for the first $100,000 and one vote for each additional $10,000. "Total Financial Contribution" includes dues, program funding, contributions to the National Biodiesel Foundation, and cash sponsorship of NBB events due from or obligated by the Member during the previous year and accrued on NBB's books by October 31. The remaining eight (8) Directors are elected by Straight Vote. These Directors shall be elected in each of the following categories:

• Two Directors shall be Feedstock Producer Organization Voting Delegates who are actively engaged in farming.
• Two Directors shall be Voting Delegates of Producer or Marketer Members which are members of either the National Renderer’s Association or the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF).
• Four Directors shall be Voting Delegates of and Producer or Marketer Member and/or Feedstock Producer member other than a member of the National Renderer’s Association or FPRF.

All elections for the Voting Members in these categories are conducted simultaneously, so that a candidate is eligible in only one category in any one election. All Voting Delegates are entitled to vote for candidates in all categories.

Other Requirements
A Voting Member must meet all applicable requirements listed in the NBB Membership Admission Policy.

• NBB Member Benefits

For more information about joining the National Biodiesel Board, please contact us at 1(888) BIODIESEL.