Guided by Equitable Access as one of our Core Values, Alder Commons provides programs and resources either for free, or based on a sliding scale. This includes our Membership fees, and program registration fees. The goal of this pricing system is to decrease the financial barrier to access to our programs and facilities, recognizing that other barriers to access remain.
This system is based on trust; we don’t ask anyone to justify the amount they decide to pay. We do ask that you don’t take advantage of this flexibility; higher-income community members and organizations with larger budgets should pay on the higher end of the scale in order to subsidize those who cannot afford to do so.
To help guide your decision regarding payment, please consider the following self-assessment questions around your own financial privilege, adapted from the Aorta Co-op:
For individuals
- Are you and your family homeowners or landowners?
- Have you attended private education institutions or do you have an advanced degree?
- Are your bills or credit cards on autopay?
- Have you not had difficulty accessing and affording healthcare or health insurance for you or your family members?
- Do you have zero to no debt and/or do you have disposable income?
- Do you have a safety net composed of “financially stable” or wealthy family and friends?
- Does your income only support you and not other loved ones?
- Is your household income above the median for the Portland metro ($83k)?
- Have you or do you expect to inherit money or property?
For organizations or groups
- Is your group a legal entity (versus an informal group)?
- Does your organization have paid staff?
- Does your organization have an annual budget greater than $100k?
If you answered yes to several of these questions, please consider paying on the higher end of the sliding scale.
Social Identities
In addition to assessing your financial situation, please also consider some of the social identities listed below that might contribute to your social privilege.
- Race
- Ethnicity
- Nationality
- Citizenship
- Class
- Religion
- Gender
- Gender expression
- Sexual orientation
- Age
- Language
If you experience social privilege on several of these dimensions, please consider paying on the higher end of the sliding scale.
Feedback
We welcome feedback on this system, and are always open to ideas for ways of making Alder Commons more accessible and inclusive.
