A KConnect Initiative
Lived Experience is a Form of Expertise.
Expertise deserves compensation.
PARTNERS COMMITTED TO COMPENSATING LIVED EXPERIENCE EXPERTISE IN KENT COUNTY & BEYOND
The Impact for Organizations
LivedPay helps organizations compensate lived experience as expert insight that strengthens strategies and trust. The result is clearer insights, stronger alignment, and lasting credibility.
The Impact for Individuals
If your lived experience informs policy, products, or programs, it is expertise. LivedPay helps you name that value, advocate for yourself, and receive fair compensation for your work.
LivedPay For Organizations
LivedPay helps organizations just like yours move from intention to action by providing a clear, consistent way to compensate lived experience as expertise. Our model supports organizations in engaging communities as true partners in decision-making processes that shape policies, products, or programs.
The LivedPay Model offers a practical framework that helps you:
Engage community expertise transparently and ethically
Align compensation practices with your vision and values
Build trust and credibility with the communities you serve
Compensation Rates
The LivedPay Compensation Model
The LivedPay compensation rates below are based on a proprietary formula developed by KConnect and are updated annually using emerging income and cost-of-living data to ensure rates remain fair, relevant, and grounded in current economic conditions. This formula is customizable based on your community.
Compensation Rates
The LivedPay Compensation Model
The LivedPay compensation rates below are based on a proprietary formula developed by KConnect and are updated annually using emerging income and cost-of-living data to ensure rates remain fair, relevant, and grounded in current economic conditions. This formula is customizable based on your community.
| Engagement Activity | Participant Contribution | Compensation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Empowering: Giving community members sole decision-making authority over new programs or services and allowing professionals to serve online in consultative and supportive roles. | Grassroots Support: Community residents engaged in grassroots efforts and strategy development are given technical support. | Compensation is not provided for grassroots support, but community residents have sole decision-making authority in their efforts. |
| Collaborating: Enabling community members to participate in every aspect of planning and decision making for new programs or services. | Align and Design Team Member: Engages in cross-sector workgroups to develop strategies aimed at closing disparity gaps. | $43.27 per hour up to 8 hours per day. |
| Involving: Working with community members to ensure that their aspirations and concerns are considered at every stage of planning and decision making. | Guest Meeting Participant: Participants invited to meetings who share information based on their experiences or area of expertise. | $43.27 per hour up to 8 hours per day. |
| Consulting: Inviting feedback and alternatives, analyses, and decisions related to new programs or services. | Focus Group: Participants who offer feedback and ideas on specific topics, typically lasting 1.5 hours. | $50 gift card. Refreshments and childcare are provided. |
| Consulting: Inviting feedback and alternatives, analyses, and decisions related to new programs or services. | Survey: Participants who respond to survey questions via phone, in person, or electronically. | Entry into a drawing for a $50 gift card. |
| Informing: Providing balanced and objective information about new programs or services, and about the reasons for choosing them. | Community Conversations: Community members who want to learn more about current projects and provide feedback. | Compensation is not provided. Refreshments and childcare are provided. |
Is LivedPay right for your organization?
LivedPay is designed for entities that rely on lived experience to guide decision-making and want a clear, credible way to compensate that expertise.
LivedPay may be a good fit if you:
Engage community members or customers for insight, feedback, and co-creation
Want to move beyond stipends or gift cards
Are ready to align compensation practices with trust and accountability goals
Need a consistent, trusted approach that works across teams and projects
You do not need to have everything figured out. Some organizations come to LivedPay ready to implement, while others are beginning to explore what lived experience compensation looks like in practice. LivedPay meets you where you are and helps build a path forward, together.
Your Path Forward
High-level milestones for implementing LivedPay in your organization.
Stage 1
Awareness & Commitment (Inform)
Establish organizational buy-in and shared understanding.
Stage 2
Early Implementation (Consult)
Begin structured, two-way communication with community stakeholders.
Stage 3
Shared Involvement (Involve)
Integrate community participation into planning and implementation.
Stage 4
Partnership & Co-Governance (Collaborate)
Formalize shared power and decision-making structures.
Stage 5
Community-Led & Sustained (Empower)
Transition from “engaging community” to “community self-determination.”
Stage 6
Community Power (Owner)
Community leads the work, using lived experience to set priorities and drive the vision forward.
Common Challenges LivedPay Helps Solve
Many organizations value lived experience, but struggle to compensate it consistently and fairly. LivedPay helps remove these barriers by providing clear structure and support.
Inconsistent compensation
Stipends or gift cards can create confusion and administrative hassle. LivedPay offers a consistent approach across teams and projects.
Unclear pay expectations
Many organizations are unsure what fair compensation looks like. LivedPay provides data-informed rates grounded in our current economic reality.
Unequal exchange of time & knowledge
Unpaid or underpaid participation diminishes trust. LivedPay supports ethical, respectful compensation.
Values not reflected in practice
Organizational values fall short without consistent follow-through. LivedPay helps align values with action.
Difficulty scaling practices
What works in a pilot often breaks down at scale. LivedPay is designed to scale consistently.
Ready to move from listening to action?
Implement LivedPay in your organization.
Additional Resources
Tools, guides, and frameworks to support lived experience compensation at every level.
LivedPay eBook
The comprehensive framework for implementing lived experience compensation in your organization.
Download the eBook
Lived Experience Bill of Rights
A foundational document establishing the rights of lived experience experts in institutional settings.
Download Now
LivedPay Podcast Episode
Listen to the conversation about why lived experience compensation matters and how to get started.
Listen Now
Coming soon!
LivedPay for Lived Experience Experts
If your knowledge guides decision-making, it deserves respect and compensation.
LivedPay helps you participate in policy, product, program, and community conversations without being asked to give your time or insight for free. The LivedPay model provides structure to help you advocate for yourself, set clear expectations, and be paid fairly for the expertise you bring.
Name your lived experience as legitimate, professional experience
Participate with clear expectations around time, role, and compensation
Receive fair, consistent pay without negotiating alone
Engage in ways that protect your dignity, boundaries, and labor
Compensation Rates
The LivedPay Compensation Model
LivedPay compensation rates are designed to reflect the real value of lived experience expertise. Rates are based on current income and cost-of-living data and are updated annually to remain fair and relevant.
Compensation Rates
The LivedPay Compensation Model
LivedPay compensation rates are designed to reflect the real value of lived experience expertise. Rates are based on current income and cost-of-living data and are updated annually to remain fair and relevant.
| Engagement Activity | Participant Contribution | Compensation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Empowering: Giving community members sole decision-making authority over new programs or services and allowing professionals to serve online in consultative and supportive roles. | Grassroots Support: Community residents engaged in grassroots efforts and strategy development are given technical support. | Compensation is not provided for grassroots support, but community residents have sole decision-making authority in their efforts. |
| Collaborating: Enabling community members to participate in every aspect of planning and decision making for new programs or services. | Align and Design Team Member: Engages in cross-sector workgroups to develop strategies aimed at closing disparity gaps. | $43.27 per hour up to 8 hours per day. |
| Involving: Working with community members to ensure that their aspirations and concerns are considered at every stage of planning and decision making. | Guest Meeting Participant: Participants invited to meetings who share information based on their experiences or area of expertise. | $43.27 per hour up to 8 hours per day. |
| Consulting: Inviting feedback and alternatives, analyses, and decisions related to new programs or services. | Focus Group: Participants who offer feedback and ideas on specific topics, typically lasting 1.5 hours. | $50 gift card. Refreshments and childcare are provided. |
| Consulting: Inviting feedback and alternatives, analyses, and decisions related to new programs or services. | Survey: Participants who respond to survey questions via phone, in person, or electronically. | Entry into a drawing for a $50 gift card. |
| Informing: Providing balanced and objective information about new programs or services, and about the reasons for choosing them. | Community Conversations: Community members who want to learn more about current projects and provide feedback. | Compensation is not provided. Refreshments and childcare are provided. |
Is LivedPay right for you?
LivedPay is designed for people whose lived experience is regularly sought out to guide institutional decisions and who want a clear, fair way to be compensated for that work.
LivedPay may be a good fit if you:
Are asked to share your experience in meetings, panels, research, or advisory roles
Want clarity about expectations, time, and pay before participating
Are tired of negotiating compensation on your own or being offered stipends or gift cards
Want your expertise treated with the same respect as other professional contributions
You do not need formal credentials to qualify. Your lived experience is the qualification.
Common Challenges LivedPay Helps Solve
Many lived experience experts are asked to contribute without clear boundaries or fair compensation. LivedPay helps address these common challenges.
Being asked to share expertise without pay
LivedPay establishes compensation as the standard, not the exception.
Unclear expectations or shifting roles
LivedPay helps clarify what is being asked and how your time will be used.
Pressure to participate out of generosity
LivedPay removes the expectation that your contribution should be unpaid or symbolic.
Navigating power imbalances alone
LivedPay provides structure so you are not left to advocate for yourself without support.
Inconsistent or unfair compensation
LivedPay offers transparent, consistent rates that reflect the value of your expertise.
Additional Resources
Tools, guides, and frameworks to support lived experience compensation at every level.
LivedPay eBook
The comprehensive framework for implementing lived experience compensation in your organization.
Download the eBook
Lived Experience Bill of Rights
A foundational document establishing the rights of lived experience experts in institutional settings.
Download Now
LivedPay Podcast Episode
Listen to the conversation about why lived experience compensation matters and how to get started.
Listen Now
Coming soon!
“The value of community members’ contributions should be recognized and reciprocated, regardless of age. As youth provide unique knowledge and services to the community, their efforts merit compensation.”
Camile Gerville-Reache
Secretary, Former Youth Grant Committee Member, Grand Rapids Community Foundation
As a Black and Brown returning citizen living in poverty, the LivedPay compensation model gave me space to breathe by providing me with a paycheck for a little over a year while I was building a business. We live in a capitalistic society and all need money, but it is more than a paycheck. LivedPay helped me learn so much—from facilitating and communication skills to how to invoice. These skills have empowered me to lead the enterprise I founded. I am on a path to create generational wealth for my family."
Eric Freeman
Community Engagement Co-Chair, Consulting, High School to Career Committee
ConnectUS Coaching & Support
Implementing fair compensation for lived experience requires clarity, alignment, and the right support. ConnectUS works alongside organizations to help embed the LivedPay model in practical, sustainable ways. We meet organizations where they are, whether you are ready to implement now or just beginning to build internal readiness.
LivedPay Consulting Tiers
| Tier 1: Foundation Coaching (3 Months) | Tier 2: Deep Dive Coaching + Technical Assistance (6 Months) | Tier 3: Strategy + Co-Creation (9-12 Months) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Organizations that have internal staff capacity and need strategic guidance to refine or kickstart implementation. | Organizations in transition or expansion of community engagement and equity strategies and want to build and sustain internal processes. | Organizations committed to long-term change that are ready to co-develop a customized and branded approach that centers lived experience. |
| Tier Includes | Monthly coaching sessions with a ConnectUs consultant; Troubleshooting specific barriers to implementation; Customizable tools and templates | Twice-monthly coaching + support sessions; Customized technical assistance on topics such as: Policy development, Budget planning for compensation, Equity-centered engagement strategies; Review and refinement of internal compensation practices | Ongoing coaching and consulting; Development of a tailored LivedPay implementation plan; Co-creation of a branded curriculum or institutional toolkit; Community-informed strategy grounded in local partnerships; Support to build institutional buy-in and sustainability models |
| Full-Price Rate | $10,000 | $20,000 | $30,000 |
| Limited Time Introductory Rate | $5,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 |
| Nonprofit Rate | $2,500 | $5,000 | $7,500 |
| Community-Based Org in Kent County | No cost | Reach out for consultation | Reach out for consultation |
Why Work with ConnectUS?
ConnectUS brings deep experience in systems change and community engagement. We understand both the operational realities organizations face as well as the lived experiences of communities that are too often asked to contribute without fair compensation.
When you work with ConnectUS, you gain:
Expertise rooted in real-world implementation, not just theory
Support navigating internal change, alignment, and resistance
A partner who walks alongside you from planning through execution
We do not offer one-size-fits-all solutions. Our role is to help you build a compensation approach that fits your organization.
Ready to embed LivedPay in your organization?
Let ConnectUS help you build a path forward.
What People Are Saying
The LivedPay™ compensation model is a great tool for explaining to others why we pay people and how much we pay people based on what the model suggests. It helps us engage in healthy conversations around equitable pay, and ensures people are getting paid for their labor.
Steff Rosalez
Chief Executive Officer,
Grandville Avenue Arts & Humanities
The LivedPay™ compensation model is a win for our community members participating in decision-making conversations because we're able to pay them for their lived experiences. And, it's a win for our organizations because we're getting data and information that we'd otherwise not have.
Evelyn Esparza-Gonzalez
Former President,
The Hispanic Center of West Michigan
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