Paying for Participation: Equitable Compensation Models for Community Co-Researchers

Community-engaged research is increasingly central to philanthropic practice, yet funders rarely provide guidance for compensating community members who participate as co-researchers. This gap is especially pronounced for youth, who often face administrative, legal, and developmental constraints that complicate what “fair pay” looks like in practice. This article presents findings from a mixed-methods comparative case study of three youth participatory action-research projects involving 44 youth ages 16–24 across varied organizational settings. Data were collected through youth surveys, focus groups, staff interviews, financial analysis, and document review. Findings show that each model carries distinct trade-offs related to feasibility, transparency, and administrative capacity, with no single model well-suited to all youth engagement contexts. To support philanthropic organizations and their partners, the authors introduce practical tools including a compensation calculator, model agreements, and a compliance checklist, along with guidance for adapting compensation systems across organizational contexts.