***MONEY**
Family Camp, NVC and Money
We hold money as a strategy to meet needs. When we offer workshops, we meet a variety of our own needs, including for contribution, meaning, connection, and growth. We want to also meet our need for support in our livelihood through our sharing of NVC & the full camp experience because that way we can contribute most of our time and energy without seeking other work through which to sustain ourselves and our families. Hoping to meet these needs, we ask that each person contribute an amount they feel comfortable with within the range we've requested. At the same time, we have a deep joy in and commitment to making camp available to all people regardless of their financial means.
We are aware that "money" is a charged issue for most of us in this culture. In this context, we want to maximize our own and others' opportunities to consider how to shift our relationships to money throught compassionate giving. One of our strategies is to create a wide sliding-scale rather than the usual quite narrow sliding-scales. We hope that each person will consider our sliding-scale an opportunity to consider the variety of needs that exist within your relationship to money – your needs for sustainability, security, ease, comfort, and contribution, among others. We hope that each person would consider those needs of yours along with ours which we described above, and arrive at an amount that reflects your financial reality grounded in your needs. Hoping to meet all of our needs, we ask that each person contribute what gives you the greatest joy.
We are excited about this approach as we predict that, over time, it will contribute to meeting all of our needs for learning and for moving toward a society in which everyone's needs fully matter.
Financial Assistance –
“This is the first time I've been able to ask an organization for financial support without losing my dignity.”
We have so enjoyed the way we work with money. So many needs of ours have been met, principally among them the sweetness of living in line with our values, and the opportunity to connect with so many people who we might have missed otherwise.
Along with the joy, we have faced two challenges. First, we are aware that some people do not approach us with their needs regarding finances and choose instead not to participate in our programs. We’re sad about this, longing for trust in our commitment and passion for inclusion. We hope that this document will further support everyone in building trust that their needs matter and that we fully wish to include them.
A second challenge is logistical: making individual arrangements with people takes quite a lot of people power on our end. Toward that end, we have created this summary of frequently asked questions and the answers to them. It would contribute to us enormously if you’d be willing to review this document to determine whether you need to contact us with any questions. If your questions are not answered, we will gladly respond to you by email or phone.
We hope your financial situation will not hinder you in any way from participating in our offerings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: The requested financial contribution is a stretch for my family. What can I do?
A: See below for information about various options for financial assistance. However, before you consider them, we encourage you to consider doing some fundraising for yourself.
Each person who participates in the program will be contributing back to their community through their skills in living NVC and sharing it with others, in leading groups, mediating, and serving as a hub for those who want to learn more about NVC. We believe many communities and individuals would enjoy investing in an individual who wants to make the commitment to learning and integrating NVC at this level.
Nearly every one of the fundraising ideas below can also become an opportunity to talk with people about NVC and to share flyers or brochures about NVC and/or about the program:
1. Write letters or emails to family and friends, describing your plans and asking for their support.
2. Contact local parenting-oriented organizations (such as La Leche League or attachment parenting groups, PTA’s, etc.), faith-based, neighborhood-based, or civic organizations. Share your plans and ask for their support. You can then offer the group members to participate in the empathy or practice group sessions you will lead later in the program, or hold a series specifically for the group.
3. Offer introductory sessions on NVC in your community, and ask for donations at those events to support your participation in the program.
4. Organize an unrelated fundraiser, such as a bake sale, garage sale, etc. You can hold a bake sale at your local farmer’s market.
5. Ask friends to hold garage sales for you.
6. Organize a fundraising dinner: you cook and host some friends, and ask for donations.
7. Hold an “empathy booth” or “mediation table” at a local café or farmer’s market, with a donation basket.
8. Seek small grants from local grant-makers, especially highlighting that you will offer free series as part of your contribution to the community.
9. Ask friends for other fundraising ideas – and share them with us so we can share them with others!
Q: It’s not sustainable for me to make the full financial contribution that is requested. What are my options?
A: There are three main options you can consider:
1) Extended payment plan
2) Work exchange
3) Tuition scholarships
Q: What needs may be met by each of these options?
A: Many needs may be met with each one. Some might include:
1) Extended payment plan
Needs that may be met for you:
• Contribution at the level and within a time frame fully sustainable for you
• Joy of contribution at a level fully sustainable for us
Needs that may be met for us:
• Sustainability, support
2) Work exchange
Needs that may be met for you:
• Joy of contribution of your energy and time
• Learning/engagement with others who share your values
Needs that may be met for us:
• Support, mutual contribution
3) Tuition scholarships
Needs that may be met for you:
• Support, ease, sustainability
Needs that may be met for us:
• Contribution, inclusion, living in line with our values
Q: How do extended payment plans work?
A: You determine how much you can contribute per month, and decide for how many months you’d be open to making this contribution.
Our preference would be to set up automatic monthly credit card payments through your credit card company, ideally of at least $100/month (because credit card payments incur a charge for us). If this is not an option for you, you can give us post-dated checks, or send us regular payments at intervals that we work out together (such as monthly or quarterly).
Q: How does a work exchange plan work?
A: There are several aspects to answering this question.
First, please note that, while we are grateful to receive offers of your time, we only want people to make work exchange agreements if they are connected with a desire to contribute to us in this way.
We generally want to receive as much time as you are comfortable and happy to give – not more. At the same time, each time we have a volunteer or work exchange person working with us, it takes staff time to train and support that person. Therefore, we request some minimum time commitments in order to consider a work exchange option.
Here are our general guidelines. We are open to working out specific arrangements with individuals who have different strategies in mind.
Generally, we would enjoy receiving about an hour of your time for each $15 of our requested tuition, wherever you want to position yourself on the sliding scale.
We will also gladly consider less time if you have specific skills that will contribute to us in significant ways and save us an expense.
Q: How do you make decisions about scholarships?
A: We aim not to turn anyone away for lack of funds, for any of our programs. So far we have successfully managed to find ways of including virtually every person who has wanted to come to Family Camp and let us know of their desire ahead of time.
Depending on our own resources, we offer full and partial scholarships for tuition for those who would not otherwise be able to attend and who are unable to or prefer not to offer their time. We generally ask that families pay for their food cost.
Q: What is the process for requesting financial assistance?
A: The registration forms include space for you to indicate the type and amount of assistance you are requesting. You will be contacted by one of our organizers to work out the details.
Family Camp, NVC and Money
We hold money as a strategy to meet needs. When we offer workshops, we meet a variety of our own needs, including for contribution, meaning, connection, and growth. We want to also meet our need for support in our livelihood through our sharing of NVC & the full camp experience because that way we can contribute most of our time and energy without seeking other work through which to sustain ourselves and our families. Hoping to meet these needs, we ask that each person contribute an amount they feel comfortable with within the range we've requested. At the same time, we have a deep joy in and commitment to making camp available to all people regardless of their financial means.
We are aware that "money" is a charged issue for most of us in this culture. In this context, we want to maximize our own and others' opportunities to consider how to shift our relationships to money throught compassionate giving. One of our strategies is to create a wide sliding-scale rather than the usual quite narrow sliding-scales. We hope that each person will consider our sliding-scale an opportunity to consider the variety of needs that exist within your relationship to money – your needs for sustainability, security, ease, comfort, and contribution, among others. We hope that each person would consider those needs of yours along with ours which we described above, and arrive at an amount that reflects your financial reality grounded in your needs. Hoping to meet all of our needs, we ask that each person contribute what gives you the greatest joy.
We are excited about this approach as we predict that, over time, it will contribute to meeting all of our needs for learning and for moving toward a society in which everyone's needs fully matter.
Financial Assistance –
“This is the first time I've been able to ask an organization for financial support without losing my dignity.”
We have so enjoyed the way we work with money. So many needs of ours have been met, principally among them the sweetness of living in line with our values, and the opportunity to connect with so many people who we might have missed otherwise.
Along with the joy, we have faced two challenges. First, we are aware that some people do not approach us with their needs regarding finances and choose instead not to participate in our programs. We’re sad about this, longing for trust in our commitment and passion for inclusion. We hope that this document will further support everyone in building trust that their needs matter and that we fully wish to include them.
A second challenge is logistical: making individual arrangements with people takes quite a lot of people power on our end. Toward that end, we have created this summary of frequently asked questions and the answers to them. It would contribute to us enormously if you’d be willing to review this document to determine whether you need to contact us with any questions. If your questions are not answered, we will gladly respond to you by email or phone.
We hope your financial situation will not hinder you in any way from participating in our offerings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: The requested financial contribution is a stretch for my family. What can I do?
A: See below for information about various options for financial assistance. However, before you consider them, we encourage you to consider doing some fundraising for yourself.
Each person who participates in the program will be contributing back to their community through their skills in living NVC and sharing it with others, in leading groups, mediating, and serving as a hub for those who want to learn more about NVC. We believe many communities and individuals would enjoy investing in an individual who wants to make the commitment to learning and integrating NVC at this level.
Nearly every one of the fundraising ideas below can also become an opportunity to talk with people about NVC and to share flyers or brochures about NVC and/or about the program:
1. Write letters or emails to family and friends, describing your plans and asking for their support.
2. Contact local parenting-oriented organizations (such as La Leche League or attachment parenting groups, PTA’s, etc.), faith-based, neighborhood-based, or civic organizations. Share your plans and ask for their support. You can then offer the group members to participate in the empathy or practice group sessions you will lead later in the program, or hold a series specifically for the group.
3. Offer introductory sessions on NVC in your community, and ask for donations at those events to support your participation in the program.
4. Organize an unrelated fundraiser, such as a bake sale, garage sale, etc. You can hold a bake sale at your local farmer’s market.
5. Ask friends to hold garage sales for you.
6. Organize a fundraising dinner: you cook and host some friends, and ask for donations.
7. Hold an “empathy booth” or “mediation table” at a local café or farmer’s market, with a donation basket.
8. Seek small grants from local grant-makers, especially highlighting that you will offer free series as part of your contribution to the community.
9. Ask friends for other fundraising ideas – and share them with us so we can share them with others!
Q: It’s not sustainable for me to make the full financial contribution that is requested. What are my options?
A: There are three main options you can consider:
1) Extended payment plan
2) Work exchange
3) Tuition scholarships
Q: What needs may be met by each of these options?
A: Many needs may be met with each one. Some might include:
1) Extended payment plan
Needs that may be met for you:
• Contribution at the level and within a time frame fully sustainable for you
• Joy of contribution at a level fully sustainable for us
Needs that may be met for us:
• Sustainability, support
2) Work exchange
Needs that may be met for you:
• Joy of contribution of your energy and time
• Learning/engagement with others who share your values
Needs that may be met for us:
• Support, mutual contribution
3) Tuition scholarships
Needs that may be met for you:
• Support, ease, sustainability
Needs that may be met for us:
• Contribution, inclusion, living in line with our values
Q: How do extended payment plans work?
A: You determine how much you can contribute per month, and decide for how many months you’d be open to making this contribution.
Our preference would be to set up automatic monthly credit card payments through your credit card company, ideally of at least $100/month (because credit card payments incur a charge for us). If this is not an option for you, you can give us post-dated checks, or send us regular payments at intervals that we work out together (such as monthly or quarterly).
Q: How does a work exchange plan work?
A: There are several aspects to answering this question.
First, please note that, while we are grateful to receive offers of your time, we only want people to make work exchange agreements if they are connected with a desire to contribute to us in this way.
We generally want to receive as much time as you are comfortable and happy to give – not more. At the same time, each time we have a volunteer or work exchange person working with us, it takes staff time to train and support that person. Therefore, we request some minimum time commitments in order to consider a work exchange option.
Here are our general guidelines. We are open to working out specific arrangements with individuals who have different strategies in mind.
Generally, we would enjoy receiving about an hour of your time for each $15 of our requested tuition, wherever you want to position yourself on the sliding scale.
We will also gladly consider less time if you have specific skills that will contribute to us in significant ways and save us an expense.
Q: How do you make decisions about scholarships?
A: We aim not to turn anyone away for lack of funds, for any of our programs. So far we have successfully managed to find ways of including virtually every person who has wanted to come to Family Camp and let us know of their desire ahead of time.
Depending on our own resources, we offer full and partial scholarships for tuition for those who would not otherwise be able to attend and who are unable to or prefer not to offer their time. We generally ask that families pay for their food cost.
Q: What is the process for requesting financial assistance?
A: The registration forms include space for you to indicate the type and amount of assistance you are requesting. You will be contacted by one of our organizers to work out the details.
