Last week I attended a dance class where students put money into (and took change out of) a glass jar at the front table. The table was unattended, so essentially the payment mechanism operated on an honor system. (Edit for clarification: the payment was a set amount – not a suggested donation).
On the one hand, it’s nice to see such a sense of trust and community among the people, and I highly doubt that anyone will take advantage of the situation. On the other hand, even assuming that no one will cheat, I still felt uncomfortable that that money is just out there unguarded. With no one to do proper accounting!
I don’t quite know why I feel that way. Money left out in the open seems almost too strange to me. Or have I become too jaded? Has anyone else encountered a similar situation (the honor system payment)? How did you feel?
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I think living in the city makes you jaded about people stealing or walking by yourself at night or things like that. It makes me feel good that there is still some level of trust in our society to pay on your honor.
I worked at a pizza shop through highschool and part of college and we had a tip jar for the cooks up front. On the side, it says “Theft Free Since” + a few crossed out dates, then the date the last time somebody stole the cash in it. They’re currently only 2 months without incident. I don’t like cash that’s left out.
I have been to a few yoga studios that operate on this “donation-based” payment system. Personally, I love it, because it allows me to continue to go when I couldn’t normally afford to. There is usually a “suggested donation” of $10, but friends who are teachers at the studios say anything you can bring is appreciated. Even if it’s homemade cookies, or a handful of seashells, or a bouquet of flowers. Even if it’s just your positive energy (this could just be a yoga thing though). I think the teachers would rather have people to teach than have students stay home because of a lack of finances.
I’ve never experienced anyone stealing the money, but it’s also usually a box/jar on a table in the studio. Nobody is “watching” it per se, but it’s sort of a collective awareness. At one studio, the table was right next to the door, and nobody ever stole it. Perhaps it’s a collective consciousness…or maybe it goes along with that theory that if you provide fewer restrictions, people will behave better? Like if you don’t give your teenagers a curfew, they’ll be more responsible/won’t sneak out/etc. because they know you trust them and won’t want to betray the trust – whereas if you are overly strict, they will want to rebel because they think you don’t trust them.
I don’t know if that directly correlates, but I think with the yoga studios at least, it’s the whole principle that we’re all in this together, each contributing what he or she can, bringing positive energy to the space and enjoying this time together.
@Kim – wow! That sounds like a pretty special studio. I haven’t heard of anything like that in dance studios. The people I’ve met in tango are usually pretty nice and there’s a sense of community, to be sure, but no one is saying your positive energy can substitute for cold hard cash.
I wonder how your studio stays in business? Do people pay above the “suggested donation” amount? I imagine such action is needed to balanced those who cannot pay the full amount.
I think many people do pay the suggested donation (the box/jar usually looks pretty full). The studio also makes money (sometimes) from sales of clothing and yoga mats and such, though I’m sure it’s not enough to pay the teachers/bills/etc. To be honest, I’m not sure how they make the bulk of their money. Private donations perhaps? I could ask my yoga teacher friends and find out!
http://www.yogatothepeople.com/ and http://www.poweryoga.com/ if you want to check out their websites.
PS – For the record, I have not heard of this in a dance studio either (though I would love it). Maybe it’s just a yoga thing…it does seem to gel with the whole yoga-mindset
Not really — just at work. There is honor system coffee and a big room filled with (mostly junk food type!) snacks for 50 cents.
That’s impressive.
Ok, so a couple of responses from yoga teacher folks:
“We started with a little money before [at Yoga to the People]. [The owner and his partner] have that. Then the more people you get in, the more you end up making. At first you’ll lose a lot, but by the end if enough people start coming you start at least breaking even. So the people who donate most to donation based yoga are the people who bring their friends.”
“Well there are many different things about donation yoga and many ways to do it. Bryan Kest [of Bryan Kest Power Yoga] asks that his teachers pay rent and admin fees…this covers rent and copying fees. The teachers take everything in the box with them. It works out nicely for them.
I have just been introduced to another studio that divides everything in the box between the two- studio and teacher on a porportion. Its nice cause then the teacher is risking very low.
No matter what donation yoga is an investment for the long haul. It can be very rewarding, but it can be very frustrating too.
”
It sounds like the studios and teachers are certainly not in it for the money! I knew that, but I didn’t realize how little of an actual business plan type of thing there was (or wasn’t?). Seems like they do it for the sheer goodness of providing a place for affordable yoga practices, and not so much for turning a profit. I don’t know how they stay in business – both places have been in business for a long time! Must just be some generous donors…
@Kim – thanks for following up! The yoga info is super interesting… I’m going to try to find more information on it and maybe turn it into a more well-thought out post.