Sliding Scale Pricing
I believe that all birthing people deserve a doula if they want one, regardless of economic circumstances. As a result, I implement sliding scale pricing to my services and allow people to place themselves where they need on that scale. The information below is helpful for understanding the sliding scale and one’s place on it, and is shared with permission from Alexis J. Cunningfolk from Worts + Cunning Apothecary.
For a sliding scale to work it relies on the principles of truthfulness, respect for complexity, and accountability. I do not ask for income verification. I trust my students and clients to be honest. Community thrives when accountability is a central value, because that is where trust grows and depth work can be done. Teachers deserve to get paid and students deserve classes which recognize the multiple realities of economic access and privilege that exist.
Recently, someone shared with me the idea of sacrifice versus hardship when examining access. If paying for a class, product, or service would be difficult, but not detrimental, it qualifies as a sacrifice. You might have to cut back on other spending in your life (such as going out to dinner, buying coffee, or a new outfit), but this will not have a long term harmful impact on your life. It is a sacred sacrifice in order to pursue something you are called to do. If, however, paying for a class, product, or service would lead to a harmful impact on your life, such as not being able to put food on the table, pay rent, or pay for your transportation to get to work, then you are dealing with hardship. Folks coming from a space of hardship typically qualify for the lower end of the sliding scale. I find the idea of sacrifice versus hardship to be a very useful nuance when talking about class and access because it recognizes and respects that paying for something might still be a challenge even if it is just a short-term one, while giving appropriate space for those who are dealing with financial hardship.
Here is a general guidelines about how I currently price my sliding scale and to help you determine where you fall on it.
The highest dollar cost reflects the true cost of the class or service. It is the cost that the practitioner would charge all students in the absence of a sliding scale. If you have access to financial security, own property or have personal savings, you would not traditionally qualify for sliding scale services. If you are able to pay for "wants" and spend little time worried about securing necessities in your life, you have economic privilege and power in our community. This price is for you.
The middle cost (when there is one) reflects the practitioner's acknowledgement that paying the full cost would prevent some folks from being able to attend, but who do not honestly find themselves reflected in either descriptions for the highest cost or the lowest. If you are struggling to conquer debt or build savings or move away from paycheck to paycheck living but have access to steady income and are not spending most of your time thinking about meeting basic needs such as food, shelter, medical care, child care, etc., you belong here. If you, however, can ask others for financial support, such as family members, partners, or friends, please consider using those personal resources before you use the resources of the sliding scale and limit opportunities for others.
The bottom cost represents an honest acknowledgment by the teacher and practitioner that there are folks whose economic circumstances would prevent them from being a part of classes if there was not be a deliberate opportunity made for them to access services at a cost that is reflective of their economic realities. If you struggle to maintain access to needs such as health care, housing, food, child care, and are living paycheck to paycheck or are in significant debt, you belong probably belong here and you deserve a community that honors your price as equal an economic offering as the person who can pay the highest tier. Even when the lower tier is still prohibitive, I will work with folks to offer extended payment plans and other solutions.
Top of the Scale (or the left bottle):
I am comfortably able to meet all of my basic* needs
I may have some debt but it does not prohibit attainment of basic needs
I own my home or property OR I rent a higher-end property
I own or lease a car
I am employed or do not need to work to meet my needs
I have regular access to health care
I have access to financial savings
I have an expendable** income
I can always buy new items
I can afford an annual vacation or take time off
Middle of the Scale (or the middle bottle):
I may stress about meeting my basic needs but still regularly achieve them
I may have some debt but it does not prohibit attainment of basic needs
I own or lease a car
I am employed
I have access to health care
I might have access to financial savings
I have some expendable income
I am able to buy some new items & I thrift others
I can take a vacation annually or every few years without financial burden
Bottom of the Scale (or the right bottle):
I frequently stress about meeting basic needs & don’t always achieve them
I have debt and it sometimes prohibits me from meeting my basic needs
I rent lower-end properties or have unstable housing
I do not have a car and/or have limited access to a car but I am not always able to afford gas
I am unemployed or underemployed
I qualify for government assistance including food stamps & health care
I have no access to savings
I have no or very limited expendable income
I rarely buy new items because I am unable to afford them
I cannot afford a vacation or have the ability to take time off without financial burden
* Basic Needs include food, housing, health care, and transportation.
** Expendable Income might mean you are able to buy coffee or tea at a shop, go to the movies or a concert, buy new clothes, books, and similar items each month, etc.
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At the end of the day, the sliding scale thrives on trust. Trust is a pretty amazing thing. I trust you to be honest in your assessment of your economic reality. Since the sliding scale is a tool of accountability, it is an ongoing conversation and I remain committed to helping folks figure out how to talk about their own economic experiences, since it has been such a helpful language to learn on my own journey.
