This message is for our valued hosts. We wanted to let you know that beginning in January 2025, WWOOF Canada will be returning to its original host membership price structure – a single membership price of $50 for an annual membership. But what exactly is changing and why?
What is Changing?
Beginning in 2021, in the midst of the pandemic and with many hosts struggling, WWOOF Canada brought in a membership price structure that allowed hosts to pay either $35, $50, or $65 depending on their ability to pay (emulating a sliding scale). This was intended to give hosts a bit of a break at a time when so many were dealing with the difficulties of pandemic-era restrictions.
However, this three-option structure was never meant to be permanent. Further, many hosts told us that this pricing structure (which had three different prices and yet provided the exact same service) was confusing. So, we are reverting to the original $50 pricing that hosts have contributed since WWOOF Canada’s establishment in 1985.
Why Do Hosts Pay for Their Membership?
This conversation begs the question, why do hosts have to pay for their membership at all? After all, hosts already provide so much to WWOOFers – hosting, feeding, teaching them. Shouldn’t a host membership be free for all?
While there is no doubt that they contribute a great deal, hosts paying for their memberships is important. First, because WWOOF Canada is a very small non-profit and memberships are how we keep the lights on. Host memberships make up a significant part of our yearly revenue. Second, because WWOOF Canada is a membership-based organization, hosts are not just paying for a service, but also to be a member of a community – a collective of like-minded individuals working towards the same goal.
Last, the membership fee is one way that hosts show they invested in being a WWOOF host. Being a host is not something you can really do on autopilot and so purchasing a membership shouldn’t be an afterthought. We want our hosts to be ready and prepared to accept WWOOFers into their home, and paying a membership fee is one way that they demonstrate this.
Where Does the Money Go?
We mentioned above that host memberships (along with WWOOFer memberships) make up a significant portion of WWOOF Canada’s yearly revenue, but what does that money go towards exactly?
Well, first and foremost, it goes towards paying WWOOF Canada’s two staff members, Robin and Catherine, who work hard to support the WWOOF Canada community by answering questions, providing advice, resolving disputes and addressing complaints. The team is also consistently developing new programs and resources, such as the comprehensive and supportive host approval process and the new WWOOFer Welcome Package.
The money also goes towards paying for our membership to FoWO (Federation of WWOOF Organisations), who, among other things, continues to develop new features for our website. Just in the past year, they have launched a new attractive visual design, improved host availability options, and the WWOOFers Community List. But the FoWO IT team is far from done – in the not too distant future, the team will be launching the first-ever WWOOF app! Keep your eyes open for that.
As always, get in touch if you have any questions. You can contact Robin at execdirector@wwoof.ca