• CTC
  • The CTC Mission
  • Core Commitments
• Levels of Engagement
• How CTC Works
• Logistics
  • Contributions
  • Application

Contributions

While what I am describing here feels like a dream in terms of who I might get to work with, I am also holding with a lot of care my own sustainability in being able to continue to do this work. I would want anyone who joins to do so with a willingness to hold my own sustainability as a priority.

At the same time, part of my dream is the vision of a gift economy (there is an article in Wikipedia that defines this concept well enough for my purposes). A gift economy is a way of implementing aspects of interdependence that are core to my own vision and dream of what NVC consciousness is.

What this means in terms of CTC is that whatever contribution each person chooses will still give them access to all that CTC has to offer.

1. Monthly contribution

I find myself drawn to structuring the contributions on a monthly basis. Each person will be invited to choose the level of monthly contribution that works for them. There will be no connection between level of contribution and level of access to CTC resources.

Contributions of several kinds are welcome: financial, teaching/empathy time (service within CTC), administrative time, or service projects (this kind of contribution would extend the gift economy beyond the limits of CTC). Financial contributions will be made to BayNVC. My proposal is as follows:

When I think about what would support sustainability for me, and a sense of joy in continuing to show up for the program, I would love people to commit to at least $250 a month, and I have no upper limit. However, I am eager to work with whoever wants to be part of this, regardless of their financial resources. I would love each person to find an amount of money that feels possible for them to contribute to me every month, however small or large.

I am hoping that some people who have access to resources will contribute much more than the $250 a month, and I want to let you know my thoughts about what more funds will make possible. More funds will allow me to have more ease and support, more capacity to focus my energy on teaching and writing only what most emerges from my soul, and the possibility of reducing any administrative involvement on my part. More funds will allow practitioners to engage in projects that do not generate income and support transformative social change. More funds will create much more ease in making everything available to everyone, including those who have nothing to contribute.

If no amount of money is available to you, I want to reiterate that you are completely welcome to participate like everyone else. I would still love for you to find other ways of contributing to me: administrative, special skills and talents, personal support to me, or anything else that works for you and for me.

To stretch the idea of a gift economy even further, I would welcome you to participate, at whatever level of engagement we both agree on, even if you are not finding any willingness or capacity to contribute anything. This is part of the vision of the world I want to create: we take care of those who have nothing left to offer.

I am excited about taking on faith that collectively and over time this strategy of CTC will provide for my own sustainability and that of others. Initially, I intend financial contributions to be divided only between me and BayNVC. However, I am committed to identifying an amount of money that will cover my essential needs, including the level of self-care that’s required to sustain me as the sensitive organism that I am given how much energy I put out into the world. Beyond that amount, I plan to pass some of the money to others in the community, starting with trainers and continuing with others who take on responsibility within the community. I am also committed to identifying an amount of money that is my maximum income. Any additional amounts that will come into CTC I plan on giving away completely, including into supporting projects within CTC. At that time I am hoping to increase the flow within CTC to the point of creating funds to support a variety of needs. The sky is the limit of my imagination of what we can create together in this way.

2. Trial period

Anyone is welcome to join for an initial trial period of 2 months. Beyond that, I request at least a year’s commitment. The only aspect of CTC that is not available during the trial period is the materials.

3. Participation in other classes

If I recommend you take classes or join one of BayNVC’s programs, you will be asked to contribute to that separately, and the usual “no one turned away for lack of funds” policy will still be applied to you. Similarly, and depending on where you live, I may suggest you take classes with other NVC trainers who may be trainers or supporters in CTC, and you will be asked to contribute based on whatever financial arrangements these other trainers maintain.

4. Retreats

If you want to join an existing retreat (such as the Leadership Program retreat in February), you will be asked to cover the direct out of pocket expenses, and contribute what you can and want to toward tuition. If we schedule a CTC-only retreat, we will figure out together how to make it work financially for all those who want to come while supporting sustainability for whoever leads the retreat.

Application

I am not constructing any formal application process. If you would like to join CTC, send an email to ctc@baynvc.org with your full contact information (if you are not positive you are in the BayNVC database already), as well as whatever you would want to say about why you want to join, where you see yourself fitting based on your experience, your relationship with the core commitments, and what you want to contribute (financially and otherwise) within CTC and/or in the world. Or you are invited to find your own way of applying that’s unique to you. I welcome innovation.