BACE Timebank groups are really mini timebanks within BACE Timebank. In March 2024, BACE Timebank and one of our newest members created five new timebanks: Advocacy & Justice, Amateur Radio Operators (Hams), Building Business Communities, Pet Care, and Writers. Members first join BACE Timebank, and then they can join a mini timebank to do exchanges with members in that group. Membership in a mini timebanks doesn’t interfere with members’ use of the larger, BACE Timebank.
March, 2024:
New Member Launches Hams Timebank
Building community is one of the principles of timebanking. BACE members create community by creating mini timebanks within BACE Timebank. In March 2024, a new member of the BACE Timebank created a timebank for amateur radio operators or hams. Radio operators/hams build community every time they get on the air. Our newest member says, “They may share knowledge and skills for emergency preparedness, resiliency in business communications, and general survival skills training. If you listen to “The Morning Coffee Break net” you’ll hear ham-folks who just want to share anything useful under the sun.” He adds that they “are over 700,000+ strong hams in the United States alone, and Japan has over 1.2 million hams active on the air.”
2023 Member Survey Results
BACE Timebank leaders rely on membership surveys to make programming and outreach decisions. Here is summary of results for our 2023 BACE Membership Survey:
- 58 members responded
- 90% of members plan to timebank in 2024
- Nearly 60% of members plan to timebank in person for half of their exchanges.
- Members believe that it is at least somewhat important for people in their neighborhoods to have access to a timebank, but not as many members believe that they personally need access to a timebank.
- Members want to keep the timebank free to join and free to use
- Members want a platform that is easy to use
- Members were diverse in age, gender identity, race, and languages spoken
Findings suggest that BACE Timebank leaders needs to (1) increase outreach to younger people, BIPOC, and bi-lingual people, (2) improve messaging around mission-driven membership, (3) improve messaging for timebanking as a regular practice, (4) explore ways to improve the timebank platform
Note: Participants were not randomly selected to participate, so results of this survey may not represent the needs and interests of all members.
