It’s the time you give and receive
The fundamental principle of TimeBanking is that everyone’s time is valued equally.
It’s the time you give and receive
The fundamental principle of TimeBanking is that everyone’s time is valued equally.
Our Story: Building Community Through Time
Our goal is simple: ensure that communities have the tools they need so they can focus on what matters most — connection, trust, and care.
A Legacy Rooted in Justice and Human Value
TimeBanks.Org began with a transformative insight from Dr. Edgar S. Cahn: communities become stronger when we recognize that every person has value and every hour of help matters. In 1995, he founded the Time Dollar Institute, the original home of what would later grow into TimeBanks.Org. His vision invited people to measure what they give and receive not in money, but in time.
A Legacy Rooted in Justice and Human Value
TimeBanks.Org began with a transformative insight from Dr. Edgar S. Cahn: communities become stronger when we recognize that every person has value and every hour of help matters. In 1995, he founded the Time Dollar Institute, the original home of what would later grow into TimeBanks.Org. His vision invited people to measure what they give and receive not in money, but in time.
The Heart of TimeBanking
TimeBanking is both practical and profound.
When you give an hour of your time to help someone, you earn an hour of time credit to receive help from someone else.
Every hour counts. Every person counts.
Caregiving, tutoring, rides, repairs, conversation, cooking — the everyday acts that build community are honored and shared. From the beginning, Dr. Cahn understood that TimeBanking was not just a new kind of exchange. It was a philosophy grounded in equality, reciprocity, and connection.
Growing a Movement of Connection and Collaboration
As the idea spread, local timebanks began taking root across cities, towns, neighborhoods, and rural communities. Each exchange deepened trust and reduced isolation. Elders shared wisdom. Young people offered digital skills. Newcomers found a place to belong.
Across these relationships, something larger emerged:
a shared culture of caring, support, and mutual aid.
A Community That Learns and Grows Together
Through our programs, gatherings, and communities of practice, we create a space where timebanks can share their needs, challenges, and successes openly.
Together, we explore solutions, strengthen leadership, and co‑create new approaches rooted in community experience.
This collaborative network ensures that no timebank stands alone. What one learns, all can benefit from.
Tools and Support for Thriving TimeBanks
Healthy timebanks need both heart and infrastructure.
TimeBanks.Org provides:
-
welcoming, accessible software
-
onboarding materials and guides
-
training and mentorship
-
community circles for coordinators
-
spaces for peer learning and collaboration
Our goal is simple: ensure that communities have the tools they need so they can focus on what matters most — connection, trust, and care.
A Cultural Shift Toward Human Value
TimeBanking invites us to reimagine what counts as real work.
Checking on a neighbor, translating at a clinic, teaching a recipe, reading with a child — these acts sustain community life. By valuing them, we build a more inclusive and equitable future.
When someone offers sewing help for an hour, earns a credit, uses that credit for a ride, which then becomes a garden bed built by someone else — a chain of collaboration unfolds. One hour becomes three acts of kindness, and the circle keeps expanding.
Honoring Dr. Cahn’s Vision
The legacy of Dr. Cahn lives in every exchange, every connection, every new timebank.
His belief that dignity, justice, and community grow when we uplift one another continues to guide our work today.
It shows up in:
-
our commitment to equity and respect
-
shared leadership and collaborative governance
-
the patient work of building trust, one relationship at a time
Carrying the Movement Forward
TimeBanks.Org continues to support the creation and growth of local timebanks across the world. We provide the tools, training, mentorship, and community networks that help people build meaningful, lasting connections.
But most of all, we carry forward a simple invitation:
Join a timebank. Or start one. Offer what you love. Ask for what you need.
Watch your community grow stronger, hour by hour.
From our beginnings as the Time Dollar Institute to the vibrant global network that exists today, TimeBanks.Org remains dedicated to building community through time, one hour at a time — together.
We transforms time into valuable connections, enabling individuals to support one another and empowering communities to thrive and prosper around the world.
What We Offer
TimeBanks.Org is offering to set your TimeBank in motion with software options, materials, and training you need to meet the vision for your community.
Our goal is simple: ensure that communities have the tools they need so they can focus on what matters most — connection, trust, and care.
A Legacy Rooted in Justice and Human Value
TimeBanks.Org began with a transformative insight from Dr. Edgar S. Cahn: communities become stronger when we recognize that every person has value and every hour of help matters. In 1995, he founded the Time Dollar Institute, the original home of what would later grow into TimeBanks.Org. His vision invited people to measure what they give and receive not in money, but in time.
Growing a Movement of Connection and Collaboration
As the idea spread, local timebanks began taking root across cities, towns, neighborhoods, and rural communities. Each exchange deepened trust and reduced isolation. Elders shared wisdom. Young people offered digital skills. Newcomers found a place to belong.
Across these relationships, something larger emerged: a shared culture of caring, support, and mutual aid.
A Cultural Shift Toward Human Value
TimeBanking invites us to reimagine what counts as real work.
Checking on a neighbor, translating at a clinic, teaching a recipe, reading with a child — these acts sustain community life. By valuing them, we build a more inclusive and equitable future.
When someone offers sewing help for an hour, earns a credit, uses that credit for a ride, which then becomes a garden bed built by someone else — a chain of collaboration unfolds. One hour becomes three acts of kindness, and the circle keeps expanding.
The TimeBanking Community That Learns and Grows Together
Through our programs, gatherings, and communities of practice, we create a space where timebanks can share their needs, challenges, and successes openly.
Together, we explore solutions, strengthen leadership, and co‑create new approaches rooted in community experience.
This collaborative network ensures that no timebank stands alone. What one learns, all can benefit from.
Tools and Support for Thriving TimeBanks
Healthy timebanks need both heart and infrastructure. TimeBanks.Org is offering to set your TimeBank in motion with software options, materials, and training you need to meet the vision for your community.
TimeBanks.Org provides:
-
sharing types of software to meet your needs
-
onboarding materials and guides
-
training and mentorship
-
community circles for coordinators
-
spaces for peer learning and collaboration
What We Offer
TimeBanks.Org is offering to set your TimeBank in motion with software options, materials, and training you need to meet the vision for your community.
Carrying the Movement Forward
TimeBanks.Org continues to support the creation and growth of local timebanks across the world. We provide the tools, training, mentorship, and community networks that help people build meaningful, lasting connections.
But most of all, we carry forward a simple invitation:
Join a timebank. Or start one. Offer what you love. Ask for what you need.
Watch your community grow stronger, hour by hour.
From our beginnings as the Time Dollar Institute to the vibrant global network that exists today, TimeBanks.Org remains dedicated to building community through time, one hour at a time — together.
Honoring Dr. Cahn’s Vision
The legacy of Dr. Cahn lives in every exchange, every connection, every new timebank.
His belief that dignity, justice, and community grow when we uplift one another continues to guide our work today.
It shows up in:
-
our commitment to equity and respect
-
shared leadership and collaborative governance
-
the patient work of building trust, one relationship at a time
The Heart of TimeBanking
TimeBanking is both practical and profound.
When you give an hour of your time to help someone, you earn an hour of time credit to receive help from someone else.
Every hour counts. Every person counts.
Caregiving, tutoring, rides, repairs, conversation, cooking — the everyday acts that build community are honored and shared. From the beginning, Dr. Cahn understood that TimeBanking was not just a new kind of exchange. It was a philosophy grounded in equality, reciprocity, and connection.
What We Offer
TimeBanks.Org is offering to set your TimeBank in motion with software options, materials, and training you need to meet the vision for your community.
History
For over 30 years, TimeBanks.Org has redefined how communities connect through time banking—a system pioneered by Dr. Edgar Cahn, a visionary dedicated to social justice and equality. His innovative approach values everyone’s time and skills equally, fostering a culture of trust, reciprocity, and mutual aid. Through this groundbreaking system, we have empowered individuals, strengthened social bonds, and built resilient, inclusive communities around the globe.
Check out our timeline to explore how Dr. Cahn’s inspiring vision has evolved and touched countless lives over the decades.
1980
1995
2000
2020
Now
Future
