DoulaMatch Charges Doulas Different Fees by Race. Is Race-Based Pricing Legal?

Doula directories help families find birth and postpartum support. They also charge doulas a fee to be listed. On one of the best-known directories, DoulaMatch.net, that fee depends on the doula’s race. The goal behind the policy is equity. However, race-based pricing raises serious legal questions, and it is not the only way to support doulas. Another national directory, BirthCareMatch.com, shows there is a simpler path: one price for every provider.

What DoulaMatch charges

DoulaMatch’s fee schedule lists two tiers, as of November 14, 2026:

Years listed	All doulas except Black and Indigenous	Black and Indigenous doulas
Year 1	$25 a year	$15 a year
Year 2	$25 a year	$15 a year
Year 3	$25 a year	$15 a year
Year 4 and later	$40 a year	$15 a year

In other words, a doula who has been listed for four years or more pays $40 a year or $15 a year, depending on race.

Why DoulaMatch says it does this

To be fair, the site explains its reasoning. It says it wants to stay accessible, especially for community and outreach doulas. It also states that "health inequities exist as the result of past and current racism" in perinatal care, and that it wants to honor the Black and Indigenous doulas who work to counter them.

Those inequities are real. According to the CDC, the 2024 maternal mortality rate was 44.8 deaths per 100,000 live births for Black women, compared with 14.2 for white women. That is roughly three times higher. So the concern behind the policy is well founded.

The question is whether pricing by race is a lawful way to act on it.

The legal questions around race-based pricing

This section is general information, not legal advice. No court has ruled on DoulaMatch’s policy.

A federal civil rights law covers private contracts. A law passed after the Civil War, now known as Section 1981, gives all persons "the same right" to make and enforce contracts "as is enjoyed by white citizens." Courts have long read it to bar intentional race discrimination in private contracts, not just government programs. A paid directory listing is a contract. Therefore, charging people different prices because of their race is the kind of practice this law can reach.

Good intentions have not always saved such programs. In June 2024, a federal appeals court blocked the Fearless Fund’s grant program, which was open only to Black women business owners, finding it likely violated Section 1981. The fund later settled and closed the program. That ruling was a preliminary decision in one region of the country. Still, it shows how courts may view race-based eligibility rules, even when the purpose is to close a real gap.

State laws can add more. Some states, such as California with its Unruh Civil Rights Act, also ban businesses from treating customers differently based on race.

The bottom line on legality: race-based pricing like this is legally exposed. Whether it would hold up depends on the facts, the court and whether anyone ever challenges it. A business considering anything similar should talk to a civil rights attorney first.

A different model: BirthCareMatch

BirthCareMatch.com is a national directory that helps families find a midwife, find a birth doula or find a postpartum doula in all 50 states plus D.C. It takes a different approach to pricing: every provider sees the same prices, with no tiers based on race or any other personal trait.

According to the BirthCareMatch pricing page:

• Families: always free.
• Basic provider profile: free for every midwife and doula. Providers can claim or create a profile, list their fees and services, add photos and appear in search.
• Pro: $150 a year, the same for everyone. It adds family messaging, inquiries sent to the provider’s inbox, a website link on the profile and other practice tools.
• Featured placement: an optional $30 a month add-on, shown only in rows clearly labeled "Sponsored."

BirthCareMatch also says no plan can remove reviews, raise a star rating or change a credential label. Its credential standards explain how provider credentials are labeled, and its how it works page walks families through the search.

For midwives and doulas

If you are a provider, you can add your profile or claim an existing profile on BirthCareMatch.com for free. The For Providers page explains the tools that come with Pro.

For families

Families never pay on BirthCareMatch.com. You can browse providers by city and state, filter by due month and compare midwives and doulas side by side. Wondering about cost? Read the BirthCareMatch guide to how much a doula costs.

To be clear about cost, DoulaMatch’s paid listing is cheaper than BirthCareMatch Pro. The difference is in the approach. On BirthCareMatch, any provider can be listed for free, and the same price applies to every provider who chooses to upgrade.

Supporting doulas without pricing by race

Many people want to help more doulas from underserved communities build a living. Directories and businesses can do that without race-based pricing. For example, they can:

1. Offer free basic listings so cost is never a barrier to being found, as BirthCareMatch.com does.
2. Use income-based or sliding-scale discounts open to anyone who qualifies.
3. Support Medicaid-accepting providers, who often serve families with the greatest need.
4. Help new and community-based doulas with discounts tied to experience or outreach work.
5. Let families search by language, culture and specialty, so they can find a provider who fits them.

These approaches can reach many of the same people. Yet they rest on criteria that apply equally to everyone.

The bottom line

DoulaMatch’s lower fee for Black and Indigenous doulas comes from a real concern about maternal health inequities. However, race-based pricing in private contracts sits on uncertain legal ground, especially after recent court decisions. BirthCareMatch.com takes a different path, with free basic profiles and one price for everyone who upgrades. For families, the goal is the same: find the right birth support. For providers, equal pricing means equal footing. To get started, search for a midwife or doula near you or add your provider profile today.

DoulaMatch pricing is as listed on its website on November 14, 2026. This article is for general information only and is not legal advice.