Pricing with purpose: What we mean by 'ethical and accessible'

How people value labor and set pricing for services has historically been skewed by systemic inequities, often disadvantaging marginalized communities. Addressing how contemporary practices continue to undervalue the expertise and experiences of Black, Indigenous, racialized, LGBTQ2S+, and disabled individuals is crucial to building equitable relationships and fostering inclusion.

Future Ancestors Services (FAS) prioritizes accessible pricing and ethical compensation. We work collaboratively with our Clients and Speakers to ensure our pricing structures reflect fairness, equity, and the true value of diverse voices.

Accessible Pricing

For us, accessible pricing means making our services available to clients with all kinds of budgets and needs. We know that financial barriers can hit underfunded organizations and marginalized groups the hardest, so we’ve designed our approach to meet people where they’re at.

This means offering tiered pricing based on the type of client we’re working with. For example, government and corporate clients, who often have larger budgets, may pay higher rates, which helps us subsidize costs for non-profits, youth-led initiatives, and activist groups. It’s about making sure everyone has access to the expertise of our incredible Speakers, not just those with the deepest pockets.

And the need is real. In what is currently Canada, non-profits are struggling: nearly half of charities reported a drop in revenue after the pandemic, and youth-led initiatives often face inconsistent funding. Add to that the fact that Indigenous and racialized communities receive just 1% of philanthropic funding despite making up nearly 5% of the population, and it’s clear why accessible pricing matters so much.

But we don’t stop at tiered pricing. We also guide our Speakers on when and how to offer discounted or pro-bono services. This way, opportunities are distributed equitably, and we stay aligned with principles of reconciliation and systemic change. Our pricing model helps match the right Speakers with the right audiences, fostering meaningful connections and amplifying impact across diverse communities.

Accessible Pricing in Action

We serve diverse clients with a wide range of budgets by offering tiered pricing based on the client type (whether they're non-profit, youth, or activist-led, government or publicly owned, or private corporations).
We offer a wide range of Speakers that offer different prices based on their expertise, experience, and qualifications.
We support Speakers in understanding when and how to offer discounted and pro-bono services to clients equitably.
We support Clients in articulating non-financial compensation options when needed.
We maintain prices that are competitive with industry standards.

Ethical Compensation

The numbers paint a stark picture. Racialized workers in Canada earn 16% less than their non-racialized peers, and Indigenous women earn 35% less than non-Indigenous men. LGBTQ2S+ individuals, particularly those who are transgender or non-binary, face even higher unemployment rates, with nearly 40% of trans Canadians earning under $30,000 annually. And over half of working-age disabled adults earn less than $40,000 a year, often due to systemic workplace barriers.

At FAS, we’re committed to rewriting this narrative. At its core, ethical compensation is about recognizing the true value of the unique expertise our Speakers bring. By ensuring fair pay, we honor the expertise of our Speakers and empower them to sustain their important work. For many of our Speakers, who often operate as independent consultants in the gig economy, this means providing stability in a space where job security can be scarce.

Fair compensation doesn’t just benefit our Speakers, it enriches our Clients, too. By paying Speakers what they’re worth, Clients access high-quality expertise that drives meaningful change. And when budgets are tight, we get creative, working with Speakers and Clients to explore non-financial compensation that's achievable and meaningful to all.

Ethical Compensation in Action

We advocate for fair compensation that aligns with their pricing.
We collect a commission rate 10% to 25% less than the industry standards.
We have structured internal processes to monitor and distribute contracts equitably amongst the Speakers.
We offer marketing services to the Speakers free of charge.
We support Speakers in understanding how to price their services, and to not undersell or underprice their value.
We offer templates and resources uniquely tailored to our Speakers that support them in developing an intrinsic understanding of self-worth and service value.
We seek out non-financial compensation with Clients who come in under budget.