Community Economics¶
Reference links for real-world community currency, time banking, and alternative economics programs that inform MPowerUP's token economy design and wholefolk's procurement thesis. See also Real-World Models for deeper per-model analysis.
Per the Epistemic Honesty directive: a model that worked in one context is not automatic validation for BNI's context. These references ground the thesis; whether the implementation transfers is a separate [HYPOTHESIS].
Time Banking¶
Dr. Edgar Cahn — TimeBanks USA¶
URL: https://www.timebanks.org/dr-edgar-cahn
Edgar Cahn is the founder of time banking and author of No More Throw-Away People. His co-production thesis — that service recipients are also producers, not just consumers — is the philosophical root of MPowerUP's mutual aid Circle model. TimeBanks USA runs the largest US time banking network. The "time dollar" is the canonical non-inflationary community currency: 1 hour = 1 credit, regardless of task.
Community Currency¶
Grassroots Economics¶
URL: https://docs.grassecon.org/
Grassroots Economics runs the Sarafu Network in Kenya — a community currency (CIC, Community Inclusion Currency) system with a decade of operational data and a published RCT showing measurable economic resilience impact. The most thoroughly validated community currency implementation BNI has studied. See Real-World Models → Sarafu Network for the full deep entry. [EMPIRICALLY VALIDATED] at its own context; [HYPOTHESIS] for transfer to BNI's recovery/reentry context.
Cosmo-Local Credit¶
URL: https://cosmolocal.credit/
An emerging framework for cosmo-local (globally connected, locally rooted) credit systems. Explores how community-scale credit and mutual credit can be designed to keep value circulating locally while connecting to broader networks. Early-stage reference for wholefolk's procurement thesis.
Economic Justice & Transition¶
Schumacher Center for a New Economics¶
URL: https://centerforneweconomics.org/
The Schumacher Center publishes research on community land trusts, local currencies, and place-based economics rooted in E.F. Schumacher's Small Is Beautiful. Reference for wholefolk's local supply chain and community currency design principles. Hosts the BerkShares local currency program (Berkshire region, MA) — a long-running US community currency example.
RePower Appalachia — Coalfield Development¶
URL: https://coalfield-development.org/repower-appalachia/
Coalfield Development is a Charleston, WV–based social enterprise running workforce development, housing, and renewable energy programs in Appalachian coal communities. RePower Appalachia is their clean energy workforce training track. Direct geographic overlap with Second Boot's deployment base (Charleston, WV) and relevant as a potential partner organization. [HYPOTHESIS] — no formal relationship established.
Funders¶
Open Society Foundations¶
URL: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/who-we-are
OSF is one of the largest funders of criminal justice reform, harm reduction, and economic justice in the US. Relevant to MPowerUP's grant strategy — specifically OSF's Economic Security & Civil Liberties initiative (announced May 2026) and the paused Soros Justice Fellowships. See the Grant Strategy for current OSF program analysis.