Timebanks Frankfurt is an innovative project that establishes an alternative currency based on person-hours, aiming to enhance social cohesion and welfare among local citizens. Participants volunteer an hour of service for a time credit, which can be exchanged for assistance, facilitated through a blockchain-based platform. The initiative tackles community engagement and sustainability challenges while competing with traditional matchmaking services in Frankfurt.

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TIMEBANKS
FRANKFURT
Timebanks Frankfurt is an alternative
currency where the unit of value is the
person-hour.
The project vision is to improve the
common welfare and social cohesion of
the citizens in Frankfurt.
PROJECT PROPOSAL

2. #SocialTech 2
It’s like bitcoins for common welfare:
we just replace money with time to
create shared values.
TIMEBANKS FRANKFURT
The goal of the project is to establish an alternative
currency in Frankfurt where the unit of value is the
person-hour. One person volunteers to work for an hour
for another person; thus, they are credited with one hour,
which they can redeem for an hour of service from
another volunteer. This exchange of social value will
happen on a block-chain based platform to ensure trust
within the community.
The project vision is to improve the common welfare
and social cohesion of the citizens in Frankfurt.

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“Happiness
doesn’t result
from what we get,
but from what we
give.”

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CUSTOMER FRICTION
S I T U A T I O N
The quality of the common good is
shaped by the feelings of the
individual.
When citizens feel responsible for
their neighborhood, they are willing
to give back and help others in their
community.
N E E D
To ensure a sustainable willingness of
giving back to the community, givers
need a feasible outcome for their
“investment.”
On the other hand, people in the
community who may need help from
others don’t want to feel guilty for
receiving help.
F R I C T I O N
The matchmaking between offers and
demands in a local community is not
coordinated.
Sometimes citizen want to give
where no help is needed and
sometimes it is reverse.

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“Technology
shapes society and
society shapes
technology.”

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CORE CONCEPT
T A R G E T G R O U P
We are targeting local citizens who
are open minded and feel responsible
for their neighbourhood, who want to
exchange knowledge, and who want
to meet other citizens.
We see this service well-matched to
people who enjoy giving.
C O N C E P T
Timebanks Frankfurt is based on the
concept of timebanks.org. Timebanks
USA was formed in 1995 by Dr. Edgar
S. Cahn to expand the knowledge and
field of timebanking and its impact on
individuals, youth, families,
communities, the environment, and
the world.
It is an alternative currency. Users
give one hour of service to another,
and receive one hour of time credit,
which other members provide.
N O V E L T Y
Timebanks Frankfurt is a pilot project
of SocialTech nonprofit association,,
combining modern technology with a
social need.
It’s an open source project linking the
skills and ideas of the local tech-
community with the needs of the
neighbourhood communities in
Frankfurt.

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USER JOURNEY
SOCIAL IMPACT
VOLUNTEERING
16%
3%
40%
19%
TIMEBANKS
58%
20%
72%
42%
VS
Lowimcome
households
Disabledor
longtermillness
Not informal
employment
retired
people

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CUSTOMER BENEFITS
S E L L I N G P O I N T
Timebanks Frankfurt provides
individuals with services that they
might not otherwise be able to
access.
• It recognizes and promotes the value of
work for public engagement and fosters
reciprocity.
• It can provide savings to sponsor
organizations like local action groups.
• It builds social capital through
relationships, trust, and support
networks.
C O M P E T I T I O N
There is no centralized service
available in Frankfurt that matches
social demand and offers.
Citizens use local supermarkets &
university blackboards, eBay
classifieds, Facebook Groups, and
niche solutions for matchmaking.
timebanks.org is not available as a
mobile service and focuses mainly on
the US. Similar platforms don’t exist
in Europe or Germany.
P O S I T I O N I N G
Timebanks Frankfurt is an open
exchange platform for the sharing of
social hours and supporting of the
well-being of fellow citizens.
We offer an infrastructure of verified
users for free to the community,
without monetarizing the interaction
data. Timebanks Frankfurt is
operated as a social business paid by
corporate sponsorship and research
funds.

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ROADMAP
F E A S I B I L I T Y
Timebank Frankfurt is a digital
matchmaking platform, accessible via
desktop & mobile devices with
verified users. Demand and offer of
social service is organized in a broad
set of categories, similar to classified
advertisement sites like Craigslist or
eBay Kleinanzeigen. Regular offline
meetings across the different
neighborhoods of Frankfurt ensure
sustainable growth of the community.
P O T E N T I A L P A R T E R S
• Technology
• IT Infrastructure & Platform
• Blockchain Development
• Mobile Development
• Communication
• Community Management
• Marketing & PR
• Politics
• Local Authorities
• NGOs & Foundations
• IT & Social Associations
N E X T S T E P S
Speak to potential corporations,
communities, and startups to join the
project.
Develop a minimum viable product
during with a local IT partner.
Do a closed product acceptance test
with the local community or NGO
partner.

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
W H Y P R O C E E D ?
Timebanks Frankfurt uses the
coolness of modern technology to
create something meaningful.
It is the perfect platform for economic
and social research within a well-
defined local ecosystem.
It can foster a discussion about the
connection between social and
economic values.
U N C E R T A I N T I E S
• Not reaching the critical mass of
users needed to run the platform.
• A mismatch between user
demand and offer.
• Growing to fast/slow (user
discontent, technical weaknesses)
• Existing regulations & laws (self-
reliance, liability)
N E X T S T E P S
• Build an agile project roadmap
• Further research on existing time-
sharing communities
• Onboarding of potential partners
for the feasibility test
• Legal check and corporate
building (Genossenschaft)

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SOCIAL BUSINESS MODEL
Sample Project

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Get in Touch
T I ME B ANK S F RANK F U RT
C / O W O L F G A N G W E I C H T
hello@timebanks.de
timebanks.de
timebanksfrankfurt
S U P P O R T E D B Y
M A D E W I T H ❤ I N F F M / J U N . 2 0 1 8