The Gift Economy
What the Gift Economy Means Here
The New Story Community operates within a gift economy. There are no fees for participation in any program. Engagement is never contingent on financial contribution.
A gift economy is grounded in the understanding that what is offered is given freely, without expectation of direct exchange. What is received is received. Support arises from those who choose to give, when and as they are able.
This way of offering the work is intentional. It reflects a different relationship to value, responsibility, and trust than a transactional model allows.
The teachings and practices shared through the New Story Community are understood to come from Spirit and to belong to Creation. They are not commodities to be purchased or products to be sold.
Operating within a gift economy aligns with the foundations of the New Story itself—care for the Earth, respect for the feminine, attention to the global poor, and a willingness to live beyond extraction and accumulation. A system built on required payment would contradict these principles.
The gift economy also reflects a different understanding of scarcity and abundance. It trusts that what is needed will be provided—not through control or transaction, but through response to what has been received.
Why the Work Is Offered This Way
An Invitation to Support
Some people feel moved to support this work financially as part of their participation in the gift economy.
There is no expectation or obligation. Those who wish to give may do so below, or at any time.
Participation and Support
Participation in New Story programs is open to those who are ready for the work and willing to commit to the practices and responsibilities involved. Financial capacity is not a criterion for participation.
Those who have the means and feel called to support the continuation of this work may do so. Financial contributions help sustain the time, care, and infrastructure required to offer programs and to hold the community over time. They also make it possible for others to participate without financial barrier.
Support may also take forms other than money. Some choose to give by:
helping others become aware of New Story wisdom
replicating programs or circles within their own contexts
integrating the teachings into existing work or service
All forms of support are received as gifts.
Those who feel called to support the ongoing life of the New Story Community may do so here.
Optional Support
Boundaries and Practicalities
The gift economy does not mean that the work is free of cost.
Offering programs requires time, attention, and resources.
What it does mean is that:
there is no tracking of who gives and who does not
there are no tiers of access or recognition based on contribution
participation is never used as an opportunity to solicit donations
no one is asked to give beyond what feels appropriate or possible
Those who wish to contribute financially may do so through this website. Those who are unable, or who prefer to contribute in other ways, remain equally part of the community.
What the Gift Economy Is — and Is Not
The gift economy is not a strategy, funding model, or experiment to be scaled or replicated.
It is simply how this work is offered.
It rests on trust—trust in the guidance of the Sacred, trust in the generosity of those who are able, and trust that the work will continue for as long as it is meant to.
A Closing Word
The gift economy invites each person to listen inwardly and respond accordingly.
There is no expectation.
There is no obligation.
There is only the question: