Frequently Asked Questions
The Say Yes! TimeExchange (SYTE) is a time banking service with the vision of thriving in PEACE: prosperity, equity and abundance through cooperative enterprise.
How does time exchanging work?
At it's most basic level, time exchanging is simply about people helping people, exchanging skills and talents. When you spend an hour doing something for someone in your community, you record that hour in your online SYTE account as a Say Yes! TimeCredit, sometimes referred to as a time dollar, or call your SYTE coordinator to do it for you. Then you may spend that Say Yes! TimeCredit on having someone do something for you.
What is a time bank?
A time bank is simply a system for recording time exchanges. PEACE Institute International utilizes TimeBanks USA's online Community Weaver infrastructure system to provide the Say Yes! TimeExchange (SYTE) service.
In addition to your individual time exchanges, TimeCredits can also be accrued by attending certain SYTE community gatherings, or by serving on one of the SYTE NetWork of PEACE Teams or Councils.
What are time dollars? And what is the difference between time dollars and TimeCredits?
Time dollars are the time-based currency used in a time banking system. However, dollars are not a global currency so Say Yes! TimeExchange calls its time-based currency TimeCredits. The math is always simple no matter what it is called: One hour = one TimeCredit, or one time dollar.
What if I don't have time to volunteer?
Time Exchanging is NOT volunteering! It is a time exchange. Time you invest serving others in your community will be earning you TimeCredits in the Say Yes! TimeExchange. Then you can use the TimeCredits to receive services you want from what others offer. Many of the services
people offer in SYTE are the types of things they already do
every day. For example, those with children are already cooking for
them, driving them to activities, and helping them with their schoolwork so they may offer to include other peoples children in some of these activities as their SYTE service. If you have a dog and take it for a walk every
day, why not pick up your neighbor's dog along the way? Cooking an extra
portion of food for someone who is housebound, picking
up your neighbor as you go grocery shopping, or helping the
child down the street with his homework actually frees up more of your time as you receive services from others. Plus, you have the opportunity to transform your ideas and dreams into reality by enrolling others who are inspired to support you in the time exchange!
What services can I receive with Say Yes! TimeCredits? What services can I give?
The possibilities are limitless! Walking a neighbor's dog, raking leaves, stuffing
envelopes, braiding hair, cooking meals, giving music lessons, sewing costume's for the local theater production, running
errands, lending professional advice and providing professional services, getting an oil change,
just to to name a few possibilities.
Everyone has valuable skills to share, and often priceless experiences to gain far beyond the hour of service they receive from someone else; things such as connection, purpose and meaning. Unleash your creativity and full potential. Invest in your community. Give and receive in ways you only dreamed of before as you grow and weave a new prosperity, on hour at a time.
How do I participate in The NetWork of PEACE?
Join the Say Yes! TimeExchange and offer your skills and talents, and request support!
Do I have to live in Greenville, SC to join the Say Yes! TimeExchange?
No! Say Yes! TimeExchange participants identify their neighborhood in their SYTE profile. The services available to you will vary depending on how close you are to other SYTE participants. Modern technology makes it possible to give and receive many wonderful services from wherever you are. If you do not have access to modern technology, there are other possibilities!
Do I need a car to participate?
Generally not, and it depends. Your need for a car will vary depending on how close you
are to other Say Yes! TimeExchange participants and what services you want to give and receive. There are wonderful services for you to
give and receive over the phone from wherever you are!
What if I need help before I have time to help someone else?
Just ask, and we will take it from there!
What happens if I go into debt with my Say Yes! TimeCredits?
Having a negative balance is not a
big deal in a Say Yes! TimeCredit account. After all, people have to receive in order
for others to give. Our time exchange has a limit on how far a member's
account can go into debt. When a new participant goes five Say Yes! TimeCredits into debt, he/she will get a call from their
Say Yes! TimeExchange Coordinator to discuss options for bringing their Say Yes! TimeExchange account into equitable balance.
What is Community Weaver™?
Community Weaver™ is a secure, password-protected online software
program used to keep track of Say Yes! TimeExchange participant accounts. Through Community
Weaver, partners announce their services, make service requests, get community messages, find out about community events, contact one another, and have an
account of the Say Yes! TimeCredit they have earned and spent. For a tour click Community Weaver™.
What if I don’t have email or Internet access?
For Say Yes! Time Exchange participants without access to the
Internet, their Say Yes! TimeExchange Coordinator will help set up an offline
account. You will be notified
via a predetermined pathway when there is a request for your service or an offer to help
you. As a Say Yes TimeExchange participant, you can notify your Say Yes! TimeExchange coordinator anytime to add, change or remove
offers and requests.
If you have access to the Internet but don’t have an email account, we will ask you to set up a free email account to help facilitate convenient access to the SYTE Community Weaver™ online system. If you don't know how to do this there are Say Yes! TimeExchange participants that will invest their time and help you!
How do you keep track of the exchanges?
There are two ways to keep track of
the exchanges:
Record the exchange and the number of
hours online in Say Yes! TimeExchange Community Weaver, and it will be debited from or credited to your account.
If you are an offline member, communicate with your Say Yes! TimeExchange Coordinator to organize an exchange for you, and then communicate again when the exchange is completed in order to record the TimeCredit(s) you gave or received.
Can children join the Say Yes! TimeExchange?
Yes, absolutely! With their parent or guardian’s permission, children and teenagers can participate in the Say Yes! TimeExchange. Community Weaver has a safeguard feature called the “Guardian Angel” mode, whereby transactions must go through your Say Yes! TimeExchange Coordinator before being approved. Anyone under age 18 will be in Guardian Angel mode. Participation in the Say Yes! TimeExchange can be a great way for young children and teenagers to receive tutoring, music lessons, mentoring, and job coaching, just to name a few examples. Their participation also helps foster inter-generational relationships that will nourish and enrich young and old alike, an understanding of the values of reciprocity and equity, and a thriving core economy.
What if I don't have a service or skill to offer?
Many people ask that! Everyone has gifts to share. Talk with your Say Yes! TimeExchange Coordinator; they will help you explore what you can offer.
At the core of SYTE is the belief that everyone is an asset to our community.
Think of the various tasks you do
everyday (e.g. cooking, driving, walking a dog, etc.) and your hobbies
(e.g. sewing, graphic design, using the Internet, scrap booking, playing
tennis, photography, etc.). Don’t list only what you could get paid to
do in the traditional economy. SYTE is an informal core economy, critical and vast, of people providing the types of care and services that families, friends, and neighbors
have been doing since ancient times. Thus, mentoring, braiding hair, beginning
guitar lessons and making chicken soup for a potluck are all examples of wonderful offers!
Can people who cannot earn TimeCredits still get help?
Yes, in rare cases of extenuating circumstances people can use Say Yes! TimeCredits from the Say Yes! Community Fund.
What is the Say Yes! Community Fund?
The Say Yes! Community Fund is a pool of Say Yes! TimeCredits shared by Say Yes! TimeExchange participants for those who cannot earn TimeCredits themselves due to
rare extenuating circumstances. To become a Say Yes! Community Fund Receiver, you
would meet with your Say Yes! TimeExchange Coordinator to make your request. From there, a plan of reciprocity and equity is developed.
Does the Say Yes! TimeExchange screen participants?
Participants have an opportunity to get to know one another through orientations, meetings, community gatherings, celebrations, and educational and cultural events, etc. They make their own choices about whom they wish to give services to and receive services from, or with the guidance of their parents if they are under 18.
What if a
member’s conduct is unacceptable?
We have a process for handling
complaints of any kind which is introduced during orientation meetings and which is practiced regularly at The NetWork of PEACE and Say Yes! TimeExchange community events.
What if I don't have the money to pay the Say Yes! TimeExchange Membership fee?
Keep in mind that we operate on the principles of reciprocity and equity. If you are
inspired to participate in our time exchange we can explore dynamic shift solutions together!
Also, some organizations and businesses invest in their employee or client communities by including Say Yes! TimeExchange participation as a benefit for their stakeholder communities.
Are Say Yes! TimeExchange exchanges tax-exempt?
Yes! TimeCredits are tax-exempt and completely separate from federal dollars.
TimeBanks USA, the national TimeBank organization of which we are a
part, has an IRS private letter ruling that time dollar (TimeCredit) exchanges are
tax-exempt. Time banking is different from bartering in that no dollar
amount is assigned to services. One hour of any service = one Say Yes! TimeCredit, and has no “cash value”; hence, they are free from tax implications.
Can I buy or sell things with TimeCredit?
Yes! If you charge only for the hours it takes to produce
something in Say Yes! TimeCredits, and for the cost of the materials in regular dollars. For example: If you make a scrapbook for someone, you would charge Say Yes! TimeCredits for the
number of hours it took to make it, and the SYTE Partner receiving the scrapbook
would provide the materials, or pay for the materials used with regular "money" currency. The important thing to remember,
however, is that in order to maintain the Say Yes! TimeCredit tax-exempt status, you can
never make an equivalency between a Say Yes! TimeCredit and "monetary currency".
Are there any services the Say Yes! TimeExchange cannot provide?
Yes, nothing illegal.
What if the quality of work does not meet my standards?
Often you will get professional quality work, but that is not the point. The receiver of the service should not expect professional standards; the point of Say Yes! TimeExchange participation is, first and foremost, about thriving in PEACE: prosperity, equity, and abundance through cooperative enterprise.
What is the legal structure of the Say Yes! TimeExchange?
The Say Yes! TimeExchange is a service provided by PEACE Institute International, a social business registered in South Carolina as Embrace Humanrace LLC.
Embrace Humanrace LLC founder, Laura K Greiner,
and the Embrace Humanrace family of enterprises are not
responsible, nor liable, for any practices, claims, or services rendered
by The NetWork of PEACE Alliance or Say Yes! TimeExchange participants. All
decisions made to join in cooperation and collaboration with The NetWork of PEACE Alliance and to participate in the Say Yes! TimeExchange are the individual choice of each participant who is 100% responsible for their own well-being.
Still have questions? Contact Laura: greiner.laura@gmail.com 864.380.2257 www.Peaceii.com
