The roots of Time Banking extend back to the creation of Time Dollars™ in 1980 when Dr. Edgar S. Cahn, co-founder of the National Legal Services Program, author of “Our Brother’s Keeper,” and founder of the Antioch School of Law, suffered a massive heart attack at the age of 46. Recuperating in the hospital and “feeling useless,” he dreamed up Time Dollars as a new currency to provide a solution to massive cuts in government spending on social welfare. If there was not going to be enough of the old money to fix all the problems facing our country and our society, Edgar reasoned, why not make a new kind of money to pay people for what needs to be done? Time Dollars value everyone’s contributions equally. One hour equals one TimeDollar. Seven years later (in 1987) at the London School of Economics, Edgar developed his theoretical explanation for why the currency should work.

TimeBanks USA has been working ever since to expand the idea of this alternative economic system, and Timebanks are now active throughout the United States and internationally as well. Every Timebank is unique, however.

HERE you can find more information about how Timebanks are creating powerful avenues for social change in the communities they serve.

TimeBank Media is a volunteer-led initiative of Transition Town Media that strives to create a community-wide circle of giving to encourage people to volunteer their talents and receive, in return, help with their unmet needs. You can become involved with TimeBank Media in many different ways: you can be a member, both on the individual or the family level, and your company/non-profit can become a “Community Partner” with TimeBank Media. You can also help us organize and run the TimeBank by volunteering your time with the Coordinators (and receiving TimeDollars in return) or becoming a Coordinator yourself. Whatever your passion is, we have a need for it in the TimeBank, on some level, somewhere.

You can contact us with specific questions at the following email addresses:

Membership Questions: membership@timebankmedia.org

Member Services: services@timebankmedia.org

Trade Transaction Questions: transactions@timebankmedia.org

Help Desk: help@timebankmedia.org

General information questions: info@timebankmedia.org

Tech Questions: tech@timebankmedia.org