Today is International Timebanking Day.
Whilst I never met Edgar Cahn, on who this day celebrates, I’ve come to understand his influence, alongside the wonderful person that is Christine Gray, whose combined contributions have helped shape and inspire timebanking communities around the world.
One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that timebanking isn’t really about time credits. It’s about relationships. Trust matters more than status, engagement matters more than features, and simplicity always wins. People don’t join a timebank to learn new tech - they come for connection, support and a sense of belonging. Technology should make things easier, not get in the way.
That’s exactly what we’ve tried to capture with Community Timebanks - a platform designed to make it easier to give, easier to ask and easier to feel part of something.
Built for small timebanks on small budgets, it supports communities in a self-contained, WhatsApp-style way (we’re also keen to offer flexible, team-friendly timebanking solutions for larger systems and hope to trial a few developments with existing clients soon).
Along the way, we’ve learned a lot from our Time4Good pilot. While T4G is more open and playful, connecting micro-volunteers with charities, Community Timebanks is deliberately more locked-down: members, activities and exchanges stay within each community, helping people feel comfortable and secure.
In practical terms, Community Timebanks gives you everything you need to run and grow a timebank. You can offer or request help, log hours, manage exchanges - the usual essentials.
But it also goes further than other software: you can offer rewards (micro-incentives), accept donations and, if you run group activities or events, log hours in bulk. No spreadsheets, no Eventbrite - just quick, simple, group logging.
At its heart, timebanking is built on the idea that everyone has something to give, and everyone should feel able to receive. What we’re trying to do differently is keep it simple, useful and accessible - something that works for a variety of communities and professional networks. Please take a few moments to check it out.