I don't know how large the NEHU is, but the SHU has around 2000 members with around a 5% decrease yearly. There are a lot of new delegates in the SHU, or at least the opportunity for new Delegates, so hopefully more fresh ideas.
The only income the SHU has comes from Membership and Life Rings. My understanding is that the NWHU is ran from a private home. The SHU has office facilities and two staff members to pay. The Membership fee doesn't cover this, so the Life Ring income is essential.
This all started when NWHU issued rings early. Eventually the RPRA started to issue theirs early and the SHU now issue theirs as soon as they receive them. I think it may have been to prevent the loss of sales. The RPRA have also placed a registration fee on NWHU rings. The SHU did not follow on this though.