Agora's Economic Model

Agora's Sustainability Model calls for reliance on donations, state grants, and the sale of goods and premium services rather than on membership fees. We also receive funds through a percentage of the proceeds of all inter-club Agora-related events worldwide.

We follow a pattern similar to the Open Source world: If you use our system, materials, infrastructure, and services but do that in a public club so that everyone in your community can benefit, you pay nothing. However, if you want to make use of all of the former but only for a restricted group of people, you have the choice of either paying a club operation fee or giving back by enrolling in any of the fee-waiver opportunities.

Fees paid by members

As a Member, you only pay the fees that the clubs you belong to have decided to collect. Some clubs are free; others require a payment to contribute to their operation.

It's up to each club to decide whether to charge fees or not, the amount to charge, and the periodicity. These fees - if any - are paid to and administered directly by the club and may only be used for the club's overall operation.

To ensure full transparency, accountability, and proper use of funds, clubs that charge fees must comply with all the rules specified in the Club Finances section.

Fees paid by clubs

The fees paid by the clubs to Agora Speakers International depend on the type of club:

The Minimum Club fees are due at club registration time and are valid till the end of the educational year (Dec 31st). The fees are pro-rated monthly, rounded up. The fees for members that are above the minimum number for the club are due when the member signs up with the club and are valid till Dec 31st of the joining year. The rate is pro-rated monthly, rounded up.

For example:

• A corporate club registers on Jul 15th, 2020, with 13 members. On Aug 5th, 3 more members join, and on Oct 1st, another member joins.

The fees for the first year would be calculated as follows:

• Due Jul 15th, 2020:   $100 (Club Setup Fees) + 13 members x 6 months (Jul-Dec) x $4,5 = $451.   (Valid for the period Jul 15th, 2020 - Dec 31st, 2020)
• Due Aug 5th, 2020:   3 members x 5 months x $4,5 = $67,5   (Valid for the period Aug 5th 2020 - Dec 31st, 2020)
• Due Oct 1st, 2020:    1 member x 3 months x $4,5 = $13,5      (Valid for the period Oct 1st 2020 - Dec 31st, 2020)

If the club continues with all of its members in the next year, the following fees would be due:

• Due Dec 31st, 2020:  17 members x $54 = $918.    (Valid for the period Jan 1st, 2021 - Dec 31st, 2021)

Educational Materials

Access to the digital (online) versions of all Educational Materials is free for all Agora Members regardless of the type of club to which they belong and regardless of whether the club charges any fees or not. Please note that the materials may not be rehosted on a different site.

Additionally, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Policy, members can download and print any of the materials for use within the club meetings and other Agora events (such as contests, conventions, etc.).

Members that want a more professionally-looking bound-book version of the materials may order these from Amazon at a cost.

Fee reduction for members of multiple Restricted Clubs

If you're a member of more than one Restricted club, the clubs need only pay your fee to Agora Speakers International once. 

This does not apply to multiple memberships in Corporate clubs or combined membership in Restricted as Corporate clubs since Agora provides Corporate Clubs with a set of services with a per-member cost to the Foundation.

Fee waiver for Corporate and Restricted Clubs

New Corporate or Restricted clubs can have their fees waived for a maximum of two years through a mechanism of "Club Patronage", in which they create and act as patrons of a new Reference Club in their area:

• The new club must meet all the requirements of a Reference club. The fee waiver only continues while the requirements are met.
• The new club must be free. Any operating expenses such as photocopies, printing evaluation forms, etc., must be taken on by the restricted club.
• The new club must be in the same city as the Corporate or Restricted club.
• The new club must charter at least a week before the Corporate or Restricted club.
• Members of the Corporate or Restricted club must step in to correct any possible problems.
• Members of the Corporate or Restricted club must ensure (with their own attendance) that every session of the open club has at least 12 people attending.