4.2.4 Social commitment pooling

Helpful prior knowledge and learning objectives

Helpful prior learning:


Learning objectives:

In the early 2000s, an informal, volunteer-run web service began, enabling millions of people to find a place to stay with strangers in more than 200 000 cities and towns globally. Long before apps like Airbnb, the couch-surfing movement was thriving on a simple idea: people travelling on a budget could find a couch to sleep on in exchange for stories, friendship, and sometimes a meal. No money is exchanged—it’s about sharing what you have and building a global community based on trust and mutual goodwill.

A man sleeping on a sofa with a stuffed animal

Figure 1. Couch surfing is a popular way to share accommodation and meet new people

(Credit: Yakobchuk Olena, Adobe with licence)

A graphic of an outline of a blood drop and the caption "World Blood Donor Day"

Figure 2. Millions of people every year donate blood to help others in need

(Credit: Olesia_g, Adobe Stock licence)

Millions of people also voluntarily give their blood every year, knowing it could save a life. These donors aren’t paid. They do it because they understand the value of pooling this critical resource for people who need it. A single donation might help multiple patients, showing how one person's effort can ripple out to support many others.

In Kenya, the Mwerya system has existed for generations. It’s a type of rotational mutual labour, where neighbours help each other with farming tasks like planting,  harvesting and building homes and other forms of shared wealth. Again, no money changes hands. Instead, when you help someone today, they’ll help you tomorrow. This reciprocal system ensures that no one gets left behind during the busiest farming seasons, and it strengthens social bonds through cooperation.

A photograph of people helping each other build a house

Figure 3. Community members in Kinango, Kenya supporting each other through a system of rotational mutual service called Mwerya 

(Credit: Grassroots Economics, used with permission)

What is social commitment pooling?

These three stories above are examples of social commitment pooling, systems where people contribute their time, effort, skills or other resources to a group and can count on others to do the same when needed. These systems aren’t driven by money, but by mutual support, trust, and shared effort. Depending on the context, social commitment pooling can look very different.

The short video below can help you visualise the general concept of social commitment pooling.

Mutual aid

Mutual aid is when people voluntarily support each other in times of need. Everyone can contribute something—time, skills, or resources. This practice builds solidarity and collective care, ensuring that both contributors and beneficiaries are supported.

There are two main forms of mutual aid: spontaneous mutual aid and rotational mutual aid. Spontaneous mutual aid arises during sudden crises, such as natural disasters or economic emergencies. For example, after a hurricane, people often organise quickly, often with the help of the state or nonprofit organisations, to provide food, shelter, or other help. These efforts may dissolve once the immediate need is met. 

In contrast, rotational mutual aid is structured and long-term. It involves organised systems where members take turns offering and receiving support. For instance, Kenya’s Mwerya system, mentioned earlier, ensures everyone gets help when needed and fosters trust over time. Unlike spontaneous mutual aid, rotational systems are planned and built into daily life.

Photograph of destroyed homes after super typhoon Yagi in Myanmar in 2024.

Figure 4. Spontaneous mutual aid is in response to urgent needs, as was the case with super typhoon Yagi in Myanmar in 2024.

(Credit: IFRC)

Gift economies

In gift economies, goods and services are given freely without expecting anything in return. Examples include blood donations, sharing tools with neighbors, or helping in artistic collectives. Gifts circulate within the community, creating stronger social bonds based on trust and goodwill.

In these economies, often found in already tight-knit communities, people don’t track debts or repayments. Givers do not usually receive an immediate or guaranteed benefit. But eventually givers will become receivers, although the time, form and source of the gift is unknown. Whether sharing food at a gathering or offering childcare, acts of generosity strengthen community ties. The more people give, the stronger the social cohesion becomes.

Figure 5. In gift economies, people give things or help to others with no expectation that the person will return the favour directly.

(Credit: Nestor Omarx Santos, Pexels licence)

How can we support social commitment pooling?

In small, close-knit communities, informal trust-based systems often work well. In communities using mutual aid, leaders and the wider community have a memory of givers and receivers. However, larger or less connected groups of people often need more structured ways to track contributions and exchanges.

Two tools for managing social commitment pooling are time banks and local currencies.

Timebanks

Time banks let people exchange services based on time rather than money. For example, in the UK’s Fair Shares time bank, helping a neighbor for an hour earns one time credit, which can then be "spent" on receiving help from someone else.

Time banks value everyone’s time equally, encouraging participation regardless of financial and social status. Whether fixing bikes, babysitting, or tutoring, an hour of service is worth the same. This builds trust and fosters a sense of belonging contributing to healthier communities.

However, time banks also have challenges. They depend on active participation, and a lack of members or services can cause the system to fail. Coordination is crucial to match skills with needs and keep the network running smoothly.

Local currencies

Alternative local currencies, also called community currencies, help communities trade goods and services with each other without relying on national money. They are particularly useful in times of economic hardship, such as high unemployment or inflation. The money does not flow outside of a region to pay off investors and lenders. By keeping wealth within the community, local currencies support local businesses and encourage relocalisation (Section 4.2.3)

Local currencies, called Notgeld or “emergency money” were used widely in Germany between World War I and World War II, when the economy was unstable and the national currency was scarce (Figure 6). 

Figure 6. Examples of German Notgeld, or “emergency money” used during economic crises to help people continue exchange goods and services even when the national currency was scarce.

(Credit: Takk, CC BY-SA 3.0)

A modern example is Bangla-Pesa in Mombasa, Kenya. This mutual credit system enables small businesses to trade without cash. For instance, a shopkeeper might accept Bangla-Pesa for food and spend it on clothing repairs. This keeps local trade active while saving the Kenyan state-backed shilling currency for outside expenses.

However, local currencies face obstacles. They require strong local networks and broad acceptance in the community to succeed. Without enough participation, they struggle to grow. Governments may also resist them, even declaring them illegal in some cases.

Local currencies will be explored again in Topic 6: Money and Finance. A short animation below explains how Bangla-Pesa works.

Activity 4.2.4

Concept: Regeneration

Skills: Social skills, Thinking skills (transfer)

Time: varies, depending on the option

Type: Individual, pairs, or group


Option 1: Why social commitment pooling?

Time: 25 minutes

Economists used to focusing on market-based exchanges might have a hard time understanding why social commitment pooling is useful. They might ask, what’s the point? Why not just use money and markets as we currently have them set up?


In a small group, consider what you have learned so far about commoning, and social commitment pooling in particular. Using what you know, how could you respond to those challenges?


Write ideas in words, sketch illustrations, or audio record your ideas.


Option 2: Could social commitment pooling work in your school?

Time: 30 minutes

In a small group, discuss whether social commitment pooling would be useful in your school and if so, how could you go about setting it up? What might you have to do or organise to try it out?

Note: this could be the beginning of a larger project. See Subtopic 4.5 Taking action.


Option 3: Thinking about the norms of giving in your community

Time: 25-30 min

Cultures have different social norms and expectations about giving, which have an impact on how social commitment pooling might work. Think about the culture in the place where you live, or the culture that you feel closest to. First individually and then in pairs, small or larger groups, consider the following questions:


Ideas for longer activities and projects are listed in Subtopic 4.5 Taking action

Checking for understanding

Further exploration

Sources

Bollier, D. (2024). “5. Many Galaxies of Commons.” Think Like a Commoner, 2nd edition. Gabriola Island: New Society Publishers. https://www.thinklikeacommoner.com/

Chibwara, W. (2023, July 31). The Mwerya Tradition Returns to Kinango. Grassroots Economics. https://www.grassrootseconomics.org/mwerya-jubilee

Ruddick, W. (2024, February 19). “Commitment Pooling.” Grassroots Economics. https://grassecon.org/commitment-pooling

TimeBanks USA. (n.d.). How it works. https://www.timebanks.org/how-it-works

Terminology (in order of appearance)

Link to Quizlet interactive flashcards and terminology games for Section 4.2.4 Social commitment pooling


couch-surfing: when someone stays temporarily in a series of other people's homes, typically by sleeping on their sofas

rotational mutual labour: where neighbours help each other in turn with farming tasks like planting, harvesting and building homes and other forms of shared wealth

wealth: the total value (stock) of someone’s assets such as money, house, or investments

reciprocity: exchanging things and favours with others for mutual benefit

social commitment pooling a system where people contribute their time, effort, skills or other resources to a group and can count on others to do the same when needed

mutual aid: when people in an area, or a community, come together to support one another, collectively meeting each other’s needs without the help of official bodies like the state or NGOs

solidarity: unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common interest

care: the act of providing what is necessary for the health, welfare, upkeep, and protection of someone or something

spontaneous mutual aid: when people voluntarily support each other in times of crisis

rotational mutual aid: organised systems where members take turns offering and receiving support that is planned and long-term

state: a system that provides essential public services, and also governs and regulates other economic institutions

nonprofit organisation: an organisation operated for a collective, public or social benefit where surpluses must be used to increase impact

gift economy: when goods and services are given freely without expecting anything in return

time bank: when people exchange services based on time rather than money

local currency: a currency that circulates at a local level and may be different from a national currency

community currency: a type of money that is created and adopted by individual communities to meet their own needs for cooperation and exchange within a locality

unemployment: when someone is willing and able to work but does not have a paid job

inflation: a rise in the general price levels of an economy over time

investor: an individual that puts money into an entity such as a business for a financial return

relocalisation: the process of shifting economic activities closer to where people live

scarcity: when there is not enough of something