Membership - Las Aguas Risas

Potential Members

A 6-month preview period is required for anyone seeking to join Las Aguas Risas on a full or part-time basis. Prior to arriving, potential members are asked to complete a questionnaire. Potential members may chose to invest in the property for future vested membership; contribute work to the community as potential working members (full or 1/2 time); or rent one of the available living spaces as potential non-working members.

After 6 month preview, community members will extend invitation for permanent membership to acceptable candidates who exemplify and share our vision and goals for the community, property and planet.

Community Members

Community members are members who have completed a 6 month preview period and been invited into the community. Community members have a voice in community matters.

Working Members (WM):

Includes: accommodation in room (based on availability), share of community fruit/veg produced at the finca, 4 loads of laundry per month & up to 4 dryer loads/month (when necessary), shared kitchen (upstairs main house), shared bath and shower (main house).

Requires: $100 security deposit*;
≥ 20 hours per week contribution to community work (weeding, grass clearing, preparing soil and planting trees, vegetable gardening, tree maintenance, cooking, cleaning, infrastructure maintenance/improvement, etc.);
$50 per person per month utilities/facilities fee.

1/2 Time Working Members (1/2 WM):

Requires: $100 security deposit*;
≥ 10 hours per week contribution to community work (weeding, grass clearing, preparing soil and planting trees, vegetable gardening, tree maintenance, cooking, cleaning, infrastructure maintenance/improvement, etc.);
$150 per person per month ($200 per couple per month) utilities/facilities fee.

Non-Working Members (N-WM):

Includes: 4 loads of laundry per month & up to 4 dryer loads/month (when necessary), shared kitchen (upstairs main house), shared bath and shower (main house). 

Requires: $100 security deposit*;
monthly rental of accommodations (based on availability) see rental schedule below;
$50 per person per month utilities/facilities fee.

Vested Members

Vested Members are community members who have completed a 6 month preview period, been invited to the community, and invested in the property through purchase** of an existing house with personal plot, or a homestead plot to farm and/or build a simple sustainable dwelling with available natural materials. Vested members have a voice in community matters as well as land use matters, and have the same rights and responsibilities as community members. While on property Vested Members contribute $50 per month toward utilities/facilities.

** Investment in the property is an investment in the community and the planet; purchase for purposes of speculation is not permitted. “Purchase” of a house or plot is equivalent to a life-time lease, title of all property will remain in the name of the foundation (to be established) in perpetuity.

Note: Non-working Members (and/or Non-Working Potential Members) are not required, but are welcome and encouraged to join us in participating and contributing to community work projects.

* A Security Deposit is required for all potential members and visiting vegan vacationers. Ideally, we all hope and expect visitors, guests and potential members to be responsible, however, occasionally things get broken or go missing. A security deposit helps prevent loss to the community. Deposits are refunded, minus costs of community belongings you personally lost or broke, or other unforeseen costs incurred by the community on your behalf. Working potential members who stay less than 1 month donate 50% of their deposit to the community, as it is difficult for us to recover costs of orientation, supervision and training.