Our Sustainability Model

Why we keep a radically open sliding scale ($0 to $250)

Our take on a Buddhist approach to generosity is a challenge to mainstream culture. It resists putting a price on everything, asking "what is this worth?," which re-enforces transactional ways of relating. We think instead of mutual support: a system where we are all giving — of our time, or our resources — and helping one another in that.

The point is to give freely and joyfully, while taking responsibility together for sustaining ourselves and the community for the benefit of all. By having a radically open sliding scale (from $0 to $250), with no barrier to entry, we are also trying to introduce a modicum of justice within the larger structural inequities of our world. We are in this ocean together, but not all in the same boat. A sliding scale accounts for that.

Everything we do is freely offered on the basis of mutual generosity. No one is turned away for lack of funds. We call this “mutual generosity” because teachers are also giving — of their time and skills, and they are taking a leap of faith that support will be there, even if some members are not in a position to contribute financially.

People are invited to freely choose their level of contribution. We encourage everyone to consider their financial circumstances. In contributing, they are supporting all the work that goes into keeping S2M going and freely accessible.

Gift Economics and Transparent Generosity

In Buddhist contexts it often uncommon to share details/information publicly about the income generated from a retreat or a sangha gathering. This might be because money can produce a lot of mental proliferation and speculation, whereas the whole point of dana (the practice of generosity) is to give freely, without “emotional accounting,” fueling expectations, or regret. If you are overthinking it, it probably means you are giving too much, or not enough. This is one of the ways that dana is traditionally understood as a practice, not a fee structure. It challenges us to listen to ourselves, our needs, our sources of joy, and contemplate our ethical responsibilities in a given situation.

That all sounds nice, and it is certainly in line with traditional Buddhist ideas of monastic/lay mutual support in Asia. For some people it works well. For others, it can be confusing, vague, and even create decision stress.

In attempting to address tensions between spiritual ideals, material needs and expectations of transparency, we have been been inspired by colleagues in the Buddhist Geeks community, namely the meditation teacher Vincent Horn (see a blog post of his here). We are trying out what this community called Transparent Generosity. In essence, it is an effort to both honor Buddhist ideals and to be pragmatic.

We believe financial resources shouldn't be a barrier to practice, AND we value the sustainability of teachers and community. Can we do that at the same time? We very much hope so!

Our Goals

This is current and target monthly budget:

Guiding Teachers Stipend $3500 (currently $2500)
Supporting Teachers $1200 (currently $1000)
Tech Costs (*) $230 (expected to increase in 2026-2027)
Weekly Newsletter / Web maintenance labor $1500 (currently $500)
Payment Processor (3% + fees) $200 approximately
Pro Rata Overhead Costs(insurance, bookkeeper) $200 approximately
Event Fund (scholarships, retreats, travel) $400 (currently unfunded)
Total target: $7000 (vs. $4600 current)

(*)It takes a little village of tech systems to run S2M: Google, Mailchimp, Squarespace, Membershipworks, Zoom.

In Feb 2026, monthly contributions amounted to $4610. This represents a decrease of 20% over last year (2025), which we attribute to 1) attrition of contributing members 2) challenges in on-boarding new members willing or able to contribute financially 3) our own hesitation to communicate our needs clearly enough. Meanwhile, our expenses have increased. This is why we are shifting to a model of “Transparent Generosity”: letting you all know where things stand, and what our needs are to be more sustainable.

Our 2026 goal is to reach $7000 a month. This would allow us to cover all our technological expenses with ease, to more adequately remunerate all teachers for their time, and to have enough funding to support more in person events such as retreats (this involves financial risks including putting down deposits for venues, covering travel, and offering scholarships).

We also hope to find a fiscal sponsor. Currently S2M is run through an S-Corp, which means that contributions are not tax-deductible. A fiscal sponsor is a registered tax exempt (501C3) non-profit entity that agrees to receive and disburse funds on behalf of another project. As we do not have tax exempt status, a fiscal sponsor would help us be more attractive to foundations and certain donors seeking tax benefits for charitable donations. Sponsors typically charge a processing fee. Setting up our own 501C3 is something we're also exploring, it's costly and a bit complex, but not impossible if we don’t find a fiscal sponsor.

Where we stand

Here is where we stand (last update: March 30 2026).

Number of Members: 445 (up from 439 in Feb)
Number of financially contributing members: 133 (up from 129 in Feb)
Average contribution from contributing members: $36 (steady since Feb)
Total monthly contributions: $4800 (up from $4160 in Feb).
Our Goal: $7000.
FYI Average Zoom meditation attendance: 30-50 people per day

Since we published our 2026 Goals on March 16th on the occasion of the 6th anniversary of S2M, eight contributing members increased their monthly pledge, and one Open Access $0 member become a contributing member. YEY! This got us a little closer to our goal, and we are ever so grateful to you!!

Many ways to give

People sometimes contact us to express regret that they cannot contribute more financially, or more consistently. We encourage people to take personal responsibility for their financial welfare and what works best for them. Some people prefer to give, over a monthly commitment, one-off donations on the occasion of Sangha or Dharma nights, or special events, or simply when they are able. Some do a combination of both. Standing commitments allow us to plan more effectively, but all types offerings are always welcome!

Importantly, there are many ways to give to the community beyond financial contributions, and these are very welcome and very important: volunteering at events, writing blog posts (really needed!), engaging during talks, showing up for meditation or sharing circles, sharing information about us with people who might be interested — all of these help contribute to Space2Meditate's vitality and foster a sense of belonging.