Editor’s note: Last July, Kim James provided an article with information from DoulaMatch.net on which doulas received the most referrals and charged the highest fees. Her article, Certification Matters: CDs and PCDs Get Higher Fees and More Clients, was based on six months of data (January – June 2015). In this update, Kim draws from a year of data from DoulaMatch.net with the same conclusions. Our thanks to Kim for sharing this update with expanded data. Evidence-based information is important for your doula business too! — AG
Certification Still Matters: DONA(CD)s Earn Higher Fees & Attract More Clients
From the doula availability database, DoulaMatch.net, we have solid evidence that DONA International certified doulas consistently earn a higher fee and receive more referrals than non-certified doulas and doulas certified through other organizations.
From July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016, 5,258 active doulas in the database received at least two or more referrals. See chart below:
DONA International certified doulas commanded a 25% higher fee than non-certified doulas and a 7% higher fee than doulas certified through other organizations. DONA International certified doulas also received twice as many monthly referrals.
What’s more interesting is to look at how DONA International certified doulas compare to other doulas with the same amount of experience. See chart below:
At all levels of experience, certified doulas, and DONA International certified doulas in particular, earn higher fees and attract more clients.
For new doulas, achieving a meaningful certification means you are more attractive to potential clients, especially when you’re just starting out. When you don’t have a lot of births under your belt, having a recognized certification demonstrates to potential clients that you are an effective doula. You’ve achieved a major professional milestone that gives you an edge over doulas with the same amount of experience who are not certified or are certified through lesser-known organizations.
For established doulas, experience is the great equalizer and decreases the fee and referral gaps. However, achieving and maintaining certification demonstrates your professional commitments and validates your higher fee, even when your practice is established and thriving.
Families who use a database to reach out to doulas are probably looking for mid-priced doulas with moderate experience. When faced with a lot of choices, whether or not a doula is certified seems to matter. For doulas with moderate experience of two to seven years, 60% of all referrals went to certified doulas. Of those certified doulas, 50% were DONA certified.
Whether you’re just starting out or firmly established, achieving and maintaining certification is solid business decision that benefits not just families and our profession, but you as a doula business owner.
About the Author
Kim James has run a successful birth doula business for 16 years in Seattle, Washington. Kim’s roles in the birth community include: DONA-approved birth doula trainer at the Simkin Center for Allied Birth Vocations, childbirth and parent educator at Parent Trust for Washington Children, DONA International Washington State Representative and Lamaze International membership committee member. Kim is also the owner and operator of DoulaMatch.net
We love data. Thanks for the stats!
Thank you for this data, I needed this information. My goal has always been to certify through DONA, but recently I had heard of some other organizations that also certify. I have been looking for a solid way to make my decision, my life-long professional decision: Who do I certify with? Which organization do I want to be associated with? Which organization do expected Moms look to the most? Which organization has the kind of training that will help me become the type of Doula that I would like to be? The data that you shared answers the questions that matter most to me. The data helped make one of the biggest decisions I will ever make in my Doula career. I will be certifying through DONA. Thanks so much!
Excellent!!
Just wondering where is the best place to go for DONA Doula Training?
Hi Tiffany – you can find a training in your area by accessing the DONA website and searching for your area or skimming all the listings. Alternately, you can find a trainer here too that you are interested in and see about bringing them to you. Each trainer would have different requirements. Best wishes on your doula journey! Sharon Muza, Blog Manager.
Can you please send me information about training to be a post partum doula? Thanks!
Hi Maria – thank you for your inquiry. I would suggest starting here https://www.dona.org/become-a-doula/. From this page you can find a postpartum workshop to attend, learn about the steps to certification and more. If you have further questions after reading this info, you ca email info@dona.org. Best, Sharon
Can you be certified in both birth and postpartum? I am a mother of five and my children are grown and my passion is to do both of these jobs!
@wendy mooncotch – you sure can and many people are!
Hello Kim, thank you for your insight and your service. I am a Dona certified birth Doula, almost certified postpartum Doula, plus certified childbirth educator. I work and teach for the Doula Foundation in Springfield Missouri. The highest percent of our clientele receive our services through grants, WIC grants; so we work more like community based doulas. All of us Doulos received a scholarship at a community college and became certified community health workers in this past year. We also serve families on a sliding scale and have private pay. I am an avid spinning babies Doula, use their techniques and teach some of the techniques in my childbirth class. My private pay clientele is growing and naturally since they’re hiring me they are invested and we explore many more birth options; I find that enjoyable. I recently have been recovering from an oddity, vesicular neuritis. Temporary I had little control over my body and surroundings. Thankfully I was well cared for by my husband, family and many doulas because of this experience I am now reflecting on what I want to do next as a Doula and as an educator. Next year I am looking into becoming a spinning babies child birth educator AND exploring what it would take to become a DONA educator. I may toy with the idea of starting my own business… but boy can I talk about child birth from sunup to sundown! Do you have any words of wisdom for me? I’m reaching out to successful people like yourself that are living my dream too! Appreciate your time. Thank you, Heather Guy