A Common Currency: Using Time Dollars to Engage and

Support Communities

Scottye J. Cash, Ph.D., Dawn Anderson-Butcher, Ph.D., & Rebecca Wade-Mdivanian, MSW

With Hilary Drew, Annahita Ball, Michelle Patak, Karen Keane, Emily Moore, and AidynIachini

The Ohio State University, College of Social Work

Maslow’s Hierarchy

Time Dollars Impact2

Recipe for a Healthy Community• Ingredients:

– People - any number, any size, any shape, any age– Time - best quality, only small quantities required– Reciprocity - full flavor, traditional variety– Fun - a generous helping

• Method:– Take as many fresh people as can be found locally– Sift out their spare time and individual talents– Blend and mix thoroughly– Season with a healthy sprinkling of reciprocity– Add a hefty heaping of fun– Leave to prove in a warm environment to allow trust to

permeate

http://www.timebanks.org/neighbor-to-neighbor.htm 3

Time Banks/Time Dollars Assets Clients become valued as assets. Their contributions are valued and rewarded as real work. Definition of work/participation is driven by individual

Reciprocity Occurs between clients and professionals

leads to mutually rewarding support and stronger outcomes all around.

Clients and service providers all contribute in ways that build a web of mutual support.

Respect There is respect for each other and what each brings to the table.

Mutual Inputs School/agency must invest in building social capital. It isn’t just the

parents who work.

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Me

• Respite Provider

• Child Care

• Transportation

Time Bank

Me

• Respite Provider

• Child Care

• Transportation

You

• Dog Sitting

• Dog Walking

• Child CareNeighbor

• Car work

• Plumbing

• Household Tasks

5

Community Bank List:•Child Care•Plumbing•Dog sitting•Dog Walking•Household tasks•Transportation•Mow lawns

My Need:

Child care Your Need:

TransportationNeighbor’s Need:

Mow their lawn

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7

Engagement

•Teachers

•Parents

•Community Partners

Coordination

•Inputs

•Infrastructure

•Social Capital

•Volunteer Activities

•Goal Attainment

Buy-In

• Advertise

• Recruit

Implement

• Orientation

• Get Started

Measure

• Feedback

• Inputs/Outputs

• Short term goals

• Long term goals

Revise and Continue

Time Dollar Program Design

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Time DollarInfrastructure

Time DollarCoordinator

Parent Leadership Teamled byParent

Consultants

Donors & Sponsors(Local Businesses)

School Personnel

Principal, After-school

Coordinator, School Social Work,

Guidance Counselor, Teachers

CommunityPartners

P-12 Committee,Communities in

Schools, Boys & Girls

Club

ParentVolunteers

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• Parent Goals:– Increase awareness about school involvement– Increase positive engagement in school– Receive material resources they need (via Time Dollar

Exchange)– Increase connectedness with school and community– Increase feelings of empowerment– Increase parent/teacher collaboration– Increase marketable skills through their involvement

• Parents learn new skills (database management, leadership, organization, etc.)

Example of a Time Dollar Program in an Inner City School

Note: these were mutually decided with the parents 10

Example of a Time Dollar Program in an Inner City School

• Youth Goals (via Increased Parent Participation):

– Improve student attendance

– Improve academic achievement

– Increase motivation

– Improve performance on proficiency tests

– Improve graduation rates

– Improve social skills

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Time Dollar Bank

Teacher Assistance

Office help

Lunchroom help

Parent ParticipationActivity Examples

1 hour of volunteering=

1 time dollar 12

Toiletries38%

Laundry12%

Cleaning24%

Personal Care16%

Household10%

Percent of Items* bought with Time Dollars

*Time Dollar Stores stock usable, culturally sensitive and appropriate items thatmarginalized families are unable or can’t afford to purchase with food stamps. 13

102

31

64

44

27

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Toiletries Laundry Cleaning Personal Care Household

Total Number of Supplies Bought with Time Dollars

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Lessons Learned: Benefits• Parents reported:

– Received items from Time Dollar Store– Getting to know the students– Formed relationships with teachers– Child’s grades increased– Child’s behavior improved

• Teachers reported:– Parents became involved in school– Helped them with their tasks and contributed overall to

school– Parents were able to see what their child did during school– Better school environment– Possible improvement in student grades and student

behaviors.15

Lessons Learned: Improvements• Parents

– Provide transportation– Provide child care– Have opportunities available on evenings and weekends– Make more parents aware of program– Get ongoing feedback– Continue family fun events.

• Teachers– Provide more information– Start program at the beginning of school year– Communicate with teachers throughout year– Reward students for getting their parents involved.– Get ongoing feedback.– Continue family fun events. 16

Key Values

• “Retain and to rebuild the Core Economy of family, extended family, and neighborhoods in order to enhance self-sufficiency”

• “Provide compensation that enables families to rebuild the Core Economy”

• “Time dollars convert personal time into purchasing power!”

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Acknowledgements

• We would like to thank the following for their support and contributions to the success of this program:

– The Ohio State University P-12 Program

• http://p12.osu.edu/

– The parents, teachers, and administrators at Indianola Middle School

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Contact Information

• Scottye J. Cash, Ph.D.

– Cash.33@osu.edu

• Dawn Anderson-Butcher, Ph.D.

– Anderson-Butcher.1@osu.edu

• Rebecca Wade-Mdivanian, MSW

– rmdivanian@yahoo.com

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