Client Rates
These are our rates for hiring AORTA as a consultant or facilitator for your organization. If you are looking for our rates for our public programs such as the Facilitate for Freedom Fundamentals Training or Skill Up! Trainings, go to the Public Program Rates page.
Hourly Rates
Solidarity*
$165
PER HOUR, PER CONSULTANT
For organizations with annual budgets up to $600,000
The highest paid staff member is paid less than $70,000/year (FTE) or there are no staff members
Full Cost
$325
PER HOUR, PER CONSULTANT
For organizations with annual budgets between $1.2 and $5 million
The highest paid staff member is paid between $90,000-$150,000/year (FTE)
Redistribution
$485
PER HOUR, PER CONSULTANT
For organizations with annual budgets above $5 million
The highest paid staff member is paid more than $150,000/year (FTE)
*We prioritize our Solidarity Rate for organizations that are doing movement building work and/or work to build a solidarity economy, and are led by communities of color, immigrants, and/or working class and poor people.
Half Day Rates**
Solidarity*
$1625
For organizations with annual budgets up to $600,000*
The highest paid staff member is paid less than $70,000/year (FTE) or there are no staff members
Full Cost
$3250
For organizations with annual budgets between $1.2 and $5 million
The highest paid staff member is paid between $90,000-$150,000/year (FTE)
Redistribution
$4875
For organizations with annual budgets above $5 million
The highest paid staff member is paid more than $150,000/year (FTE)
*We prioritize our Solidarity Rate for organizations that are doing movement building work and/or work to build a solidarity economy, and are led by communities of color, immigrants, and/or working class and poor people.
**Our fixed fee rates are priced per trainer and include prep and follow-up time. It does not include travel, lodging, and per diem expenses.
Sustain
$245
PER HOUR, PER CONSULTANT
For organizations with annual budgets between $600,000 and $1.2 million
The highest paid staff member is paid between $70,000-$90,000/year (FTE)
Sustain
$2500
For organizations with annual budgets between $600,000 and $1.2 million
The highest paid staff member is paid between $70,000-$90,000/year (FTE)
Solidarity*
$3250
For organizations with annual budgets up to $600,000
The highest paid staff member is paid less than $70,000/year (FTE) or there are no staff members
For training and meetings up to 3.5 hours
Hourly rates apply to consulting, coaching, and facilitation. Our hourly rate does not include prep and follow-up time; when applying our hourly rate to our work to custom trainings or facilitation, we bill for all hours we work, including prep and follow-up. Our hourly rates are priced per trainer, do not including travel, lodging, and per diem expenses. For work involving significant travel, we generally bill by the day.
Full Day Rates**
For training and meetings between 4-7 hours
Sustain
$5000
For organizations with annual budgets between $600,000 and $1.2 million
The highest paid staff member is paid between $70,000-$90,000/year (FTE)
Full Cost
$6500
For organizations with annual budgets between $1.2 and $5 million
The highest paid staff member is paid between $90,000-$150,000/year (FTE)
Redistribution
$9750
For organizations with annual budgets above $5 million
The highest paid staff member is paid more than $150,000/year (FTE)
About Our Rates
AORTA offers our services on a wide sliding scale. Our sliding scale is an intentional effort to distribute resources equitably between organizations we work with, including universities, nonprofits, cooperatives, and grassroots community organizations, as well as to support and strengthen groups doing strategic movement-building work. Paying at the higher end of the scale—the Redistribution rate—makes it possible for AORTA to work with grassroots organizations at little to no cost to them.
Where are your fees going?
Since AORTA’s founding in 2010, our revenue has been generated almost entirely through the training, consulting, and facilitation work that we do with clients. We do accept grants and donations, which we use to subsidize our offerings to communities that are underfunded and in alignment with our Theory of Change. However, we have intentionally chosen a business model that does not rely on grants or donations. To learn more about why we are so passionate about the worker-owned cooperative model, please visit our friends at the U.S. Federation of Worker Coops: usworker.coop
Below is a breakdown of how we use the fee for a $4,000, day-long training. Any payment for reimbursed expenses (travel, meals, lodging, etc.) goes directly toward reimbursing our workers for those expenses.
$2400 (60%) — Salaries
Our average salary is $84,000 for 35 hrs/week.
$680 (17%) — Benefits
We currently offer group health, dental, and vision insurance; retirement; health and dependent care flexible spending accounts, stipends for emergent needs, professional development funds, and workers compensation insurance.
$600 (15%) — Independent contractors
We hire independent contractors to collaborate with us on client projects, provide our team with coaching support, and consult with us on organizational development initiatives.
$280 (7%) — Operating Expenses
This includes workplace retreats, supplies, software, insurance, office equipment, payroll fees, website, accountant fees, legal advice, and other overhead.
Consultant Rates FAQs
Is my organization eligible for the Solidarity Rate?
We prioritize our Solidarity Rate for organizations that are doing movement building work and/or work to build a solidarity economy, and are led by communities of color, immigrants, and/or working class and poor people.
Some organizations address this by partnering with allied local groups to co-host a training and share costs, or by connecting AORTA with other local organizations that may also want to hire us. We are happy to hear from you and discuss options. If we can’t make it work, we’ll do our best to refer you to an organization or trainer who might be a good fit.
What does the Full Cost Rate cover?
The Full Cost Rate is the actual cost of our work (our break-even rate is $325/hr). This is the range that covers the costs we incur as a business while working with you. Because we are a worker-owned cooperative business and not a 501c3, we do not receive grants to subsidize our client work. We rely on our fee-for-service income to pay our salaries and keep our business operating. For a full breakdown of where this income goes, see our transparent expenses above.