Like many community services, Access SF, San Francisco public access station might close its doors because of a $500K budget cut.
I think Community Way might be a good model for them to raise these $500K. Here is how it would work:
- Access SF issues Access SF dollars.we could also call them vouchers or coupons
- Access SF negotiates with local businesses to get Access SF dollars accepted as payment for part of what is owned by customers. For instance: a local restaurant would accept 10% payment of the bill in Access SF dollars. Access SF explains that they will advertise Access SF dollars benefit on their channel and Web site, which will attract new business.
- Access SF sells Access SF dollars to SF residents on their Web site and at their office. These US dollars are used to fund the $500K.
Local businesses get advertising. Local residents get to support a community service without losing purchasing power. The community service gets its real dollars.
If Access SF sells $50 worth of Access SF dollars on average to 10,000 local residents, they’d get their $500K.
This use case about Access TV stations is a real practical case about how micro-currencies could play a decisive role to support social services and local economies in troubled times.
Good call Guillaume, this is all very practical, and can be even more so as other issuers join in. As a solo issue in its own interest, this isn't strictly speaking a community way instance – it's more like the “deli $” described by the Schumacher Society. However, taking Pierre's point, and generalising the project to support a portfolio of causes, projects, ventures etc both makes the new cc$ more wide ranging and thus more attractive to the general public, and also adds to the loyalty benefits for additional supporting businesses. It also increases the likelihood that the new cc$ will persist, rather than quietly dissolve at redemption.
Good call Guillaume, this is all very practical, and can be even more so as other issuers join in. As a solo issue in its own interest, this isn't strictly speaking a community way instance – it's more like the “deli $” described by the Schumacher Society. However, taking Pierre's point, and generalising the project to support a portfolio of causes, projects, ventures etc both makes the new cc$ more wide ranging and thus more attractive to the general public, and also adds to the loyalty benefits for additional supporting businesses. It also increases the likelihood that the new cc$ will persist, rather than quietly dissolve at redemption.