How to handle donations
Should your counseling ministry request a donation? Some biblical counselors believe that some counselees wouldn’t come in for counseling to begin with if there was a cost involved. They believe that as a result of requesting donations, some counselees may not get the help they need and may continue to live in a lifestyle of sin, suffering, etc.
Some biblical counselors believe that without a cost involved, some counselees may not take their counseling as seriously, may miss appointments, not do their homework, or may not take you seriously (particularly if you’re an individual counselor).
Here are some different ways that you could handle donations:
Completely Free
The majority of the biblical counselors that we support offer counseling for free, especially for members of their church. Any books, resources, and time provided comes at no cost to the counselee.
Donate Towards the Cost of Materials
Some ministries request that counselees donate towards the cost of their own books and resources, but the counseling is completely free.
Refundable Cancellation Policy
A few ministries offer their time, resources, and books for free, but they require a refundable donation in case the counselee misses an appointment. This is done to motivate the counselee to not miss appointments. If an appointment is missed, the counseling ministry either donates the money to another ministry, uses it to purchase counseling materials/resources, or compensates the counselor for their lost time/money.
Flat Donation
Some ministries ask for all counselees to donate a certain amount of money before being assigned to a counselor.
Sliding Scale
It is exceptionally rare for biblical counselors to use a sliding scale. If a ministry uses a sliding scale, the counselee is recommended to donate a certain amount of money which is dependent on what the counselee’s financial resources are.