Football South recorded a small surplus of $11,071 for the financial year ending December, 2008 despite a 7.8% drop in income. Its income fell from $519,110 in 2007 to $478,416.
The surplus represents a turnaround of $20,192 when compared to the $9121 deficit recorded the previous year.
Chisholm said it was pleasing to make a small profit in challenging economic times but warned falling income could see the organisation "adopt a more user-pays attitude".
"I wouldn't want to be quoted as saying it is inevitable," Chisholm said, when asked if the fees would have to be increased.
"But we are certainly looking at our fee structure."
Football South has about 9000 members in junior and senior football and funding the organisation was costly.
"It is not quite as simple as saying we are going to put everyone's fees up," he said, adding the organisation needed to manage its expenditure carefully and generate alternative revenue streams.
"But if you add on $10 per player, that's $90,000. That turns the income-expenditure [equation] around.
"Over the years, football has been reasonably cheap down here. But I think we are certainly having to adopt a more user-pays attitude."
Dunedin senior teams pay a $1105 affiliation fee to Football South which increases to $1665 with New Zealand Football's affiliation fee. The local clubs have graduating fees for players which range from $70 a season for secondary school pupils to about $190 for senior men.
Chisholm said he was reluctant to raise fees which could turn some people away from the sport. But the reality is Football South is too reliant on grants, which make up 54% of its income compared to affiliation fees which make up 34%.
That would have to change, he said, with the pool of grant money available expected to decrease.
Football South spent $60,886 less than the previous year, mainly because of significant decreases in tournament expenses. There was no national age group tournament and the national women's league was put on hold for a year with New Zealand hosting the inaugural under-17 Women's World Cup.
