When setting membership fees for a toy library, aim to balance affordability with sustainability. Consider your running costs, your community’s ability to pay, and your operating model. Be clear about what members receive for their fee and whether other funding helps cover expenses. Look at neighbouring or similar toy libraries to understand common fee ranges. Review fees regularly and adjust as the toy library grows.
When setting membership fees for a toy library, it’s important to balance affordability with long-term sustainability. Key things to consider include:
Costs - understand your running expenses such as rent or venue hire, insurance, toy purchases and replacements, cleaning, systems, and any staff or volunteer-related costs. Membership fees should help cover these so the toy library can operate safely and reliably.
Community - think about what families in your area can reasonably afford. Fees that are too high may limit access, while fees that are too low may affect sustainability. Many toy libraries offer concession or reduced fees to support inclusion. You may also like to establish a financial assistance program to support families. This ensures that families experiencing financial difficulty can still access the toy library by offering reduced fees, flexible payment options, or fee or volunteering waivers so no one is excluded due to cost or family situation (e.g. new baby). This may be on a case by case basis.
Operating model - volunteer-run toy libraries often have lower fees, while those with paid staff or higher overheads may need higher fees.
Membership terms - be clear about what the fee includes, such as how many toys can be borrowed, loan periods, and any additional benefits or charges.
Other funding - Grants, donations, or subsidised space can reduce the need for higher membership fees.
What others charge - look at neighbouring or similar-sized toy libraries to get an idea of common fee ranges and models.
Review regularly - revisit fees as your toy library grows and costs change.
Once you have decided on this your membership policy will need to outline all these considerations.
You can view all our policy templates in Quality Standard 2.5.
You also need to consider how you families will pay for their membership cash, electronically (square, eftpos etc), pay pal. Gift Card/Vouchers might be offered in your toy library. These might be electronic or a physical item. Laws around gift cards were changed in November 2019, and in most cases, must be valid for 3 years from purchase.
Further Reading
Pay What it Takes - https://paywhatittakes.com.au/ - an initiative to reframe and address the true cost of overheads for non-profits delivering impactful work. Resources and tools available.
Updated:
3 Mar 2026