Welcome to the Time Bank!
Through time banking, we are creating a network where individuals can take care of themselves, and where we can count on one another.
Guidelines for Successful Time Bank Interactions
The first part is responding in a timely manner when someone communicates with you about an offer or responds to an offer that you have made. By default, your notification settings will be set to have any communications with you on the IKMAN platform forwarded to your email. Notifications can also be set to forward to your device (web push). Web push notifications can be set up on your device(s)—e.g., phone, laptop--with assistance from the IKMAN time bank administrator.
Please respond to other communications from other time bank members as soon as you can—preferably within 48 hours. Keep in mind, you do not have to respond to a request for help with “yes.” It’s okay to say “no,” and “maybe later” is fine too. Just letting people know where you are with things will suffice. Then, they will know if they need or want to explore other options for meeting their need. For example, “I'm full up and can't do that right now”, “I'm so overwhelmed—I can't even think about this for a week”, or “I'm out of town for a weeks and I'll communicate with you when I get back” are all totally acceptable responses. The only thing that is not okay is not responding at all.
Once you are considering responding to a request or an offer, first just take a moment and make sure this is something you want to commit to. If what you’re feeling is not a wholehearted “yes,” then maybe “no” is the right response for you at this time. Once you have said “yes” to give your time and skill, please follow through to the best of your ability, and if it something gets in the way of following through, please communicate with the receiver as soon and as clearly as possible. In short, be considerate of others time and feelings. “A “no” response will not weaken the time bank, but ghosting or lack of follow through will undermine our community.
If you follow the above guidelines most of your IKMAN interactions will be rewarding, but we wanted to talk how to avoid the few that don't. Clear communication is a key. When you are finalizing an interaction, either as the giver or receiver, please be clear about exactly what you want done, and how long it will take. In some cases you may want to know what the giver’s level of expertise is—e.g., whether they are a master of this skill, or just experimenting and learning.
Also, you’ll need clear, up front agreements about pass through costs if there are any, and any other related issues. If this interaction involves lending something and you are the lender, please let the borrower know your expectations about how your item must be cared for. If there is any disagreement or bad feeling about how an interaction goes down, please begin by talking to each other, and see if you can reach a satisfactory result. If you can't, please reach out to IKMAN staff and let us know, and we'll see if we can help. Ultimately, the responsibility for the success of the interaction rests with the two parties.
What Can I Ask For?
You can ask for services that you currently pay for. Every dollar I save means a dollar I don't have to make at work--that can eventually free me from having to do as much "work" that is not my highest vision and fulfillment.
You can ask to borrow tools or other items that you use infrequently rather than buy them. For example, the average personal use electric drill gets used 20 minutes a year!!
We may enjoy the process of purchasing some of the services in our lives. We don't need to replace these. (This is all about making our lives feel really good.) But there are probably some services that would feel better if you received them from members of your community. Dropping off your kids off at day care might not feel as good as leaving them at the house of a community member who may well become a friend. There might be a really good feeling from getting a massage from someone whose friend's gutters you fixed two weeks ago. Same with getting your car fixed by a friend of someone who's garage you de-cluttered.
There is a feeling of reciprocity that just feels good as we receive from folks in our community.
On the other hand, if you are one of the many people who feel like they do not have enough time in their lives, you can get help from your community.
What are things that take your time, but give you no fulfillment? It can be as simple as cleaning, transporting, shopping, handy chores, etc. Ask for that from your IKMAN community members.
What do you dread doing, or are really bad at? - Our modern life is set up so that to run a household you have to have or pay for about 75 skills, from chef to accountant, electrician to counselor. Even in a couple there are often some of those tasks you both dread, or that take forever because neither of you are very good at. (No one is good at everything, that is why we need community!)
For single people this is an even bigger issue. Stop doing those things you loathe! There is someone in your community who at least will not be bothered by those tasks, or even enjoy them.
What would really make your life feel great?! - Really think about this question. There may be services that would really enhance your life, but you have never felt like you could afford them or ask for them. Maybe use of someone's time share at the beach, singing lessons, a type of healing work you've been wanting to explore. Maybe you have a huge issue like insomnia or back pain that colors your whole life. Maybe a couple of folks with different types of skills and knowledge could work together and be your healing team. Ask for the things that would make the biggest difference in your happiness.
What Can I Offer?
**As you imagine what you want to offer others, let's start by imagining three circles that intersect in the middle. One circle is what gives you joy and fulfillment, the second one is what you are good at, and the third one is what others want and need. We are aiming to get as close to the center where all three overlap.
Here are some examples of different types of services you can offer:
Professional Skills
These are the kinds of skills you may do in the world for money. With IKMAN you will be doing these skills for people and a community you care about, free from taxes, accounting, and many governmental regulations. All you will be doing is giving your gifts to serve your community. Some of you may already be giving these gifts in a regular job. Doing more may feel like burnout. If this feels like pure drudgery, don't do it!
But there are some other options. You can place limits on how much of this skill you are willing to give. You may be a massage therapist who feels like you can only give one massage a week. Great! We encourage you to set your limits on how much you can give as you list your offerings on our site. Listen to your boundaries and never do things that feel like drudgery or burnout for you.
Interpersonal Skills
These are skills that make a difference for others that are not as easily “marketable.” Maybe you are great at negotiating the medical system and supporting others as they do the same, you might be a great organizer, of things or time, a person people can call in emergency when their car breaks down. You could even become a community “yentl”. The options are endless. What do others really want and need that you can do?
Hobbies/Personal Interests
Maybe there’s something you enjoy that you have never quite wanted to turn into a business. Creating a business structure around something you enjoy can be a lot of work. It can take the joy out of just serving others. So, why not do it for your mutual aid network?
For instance, maybe you love to cook intricate meals for others, but don't want to start a restaurant or a food cart. Every Monday you could cook a big meal for your community.
You can ask a pass through cost for the ingredients--press this link for info
on pass through costs (link) and cook a beautiful meal. Folks might have the option to eat with you or pick some up on the way home from work. They'll be getting wonderful food cooked with love. Again, this is just one example--the possibilities are endless.
Skills that Save People Time
Many people in our culture, while they may be materially well off, are experiencing time poverty. They may never feel like they have a moment to relax, and have a moment of reflection, to really sink into quality time with the people they care about. This makes us poorer as human beings. So if you have more luxury around time, do something that saves people time. You could do people's grocery shopping, provide child care, do odd jobs that people often loathe and avoid.
Goods and Resources
Material goods can earn time credits as long as the giver and receiver have agreed ahead of time on a fair time value for the goods. Maybe you are an artist, crafter, maker, or artisan and would like to offer your goods for time credits with a small pass through cost for materials. Maybe you make homemade soap, or a special natural fertilizer. The time required for things made in a batch may not be as simple, but let’s work it out together. This can include lending out anything from cars to tools to kitchen or garden equipment. Go ahead and let your imagination go wild about what you could give.
Pointers on Recording Services and/or Pass-through Costs for for Time Credits
• An hour is an hour, no matter what skills are being exchanged.
• Please enter your interactions in units of 15 minutes.
• Goods and resources can also be exchanged. However, the giver and receiver need to make an agreement on their value in time credits ahead of time.
• No money can be exchanged, except when reimbursing for pass-through costs—i.e., costs that the giver pays in the process of giving the gift. For example, if a seamstress makes a beautiful dress, and they have to purchase the material, they can pass on the material cost, but may not charge for their time and effort. It is imperative that pass through costs be agreed upon ahead of time.
• Travel cost can be considered a pass-through cost if the giver has to travel more than 15 minutes each way.
• If you receive a gift from many people at the same time (for example, a yard cleaning party) you “pay” each of them fully.
Example, If 6 people spend 2 hours helping you with spring planting, they each get 2 hours, and you “spend” 12 hours.
• If you give a gift to a number of people, you get “paid” once, and they pay fully for the time hey received. For example: If you teach a reiki class of 1-1⁄2 hours and 6 people come, they each “spend” 1-1⁄2 hours, and you receive 1-1⁄2 hours, however If there is design and prep time for the giver they can claim up to double hours for their gift (3 hours in this example).
• Don't be particularly concerned about small negative hour balances. What is important is that we are giving, receiving, and making our community stronger.
