Volunteer Branded Money

Last week post about ShopSnapShot idea got more views in one week than rest of posts in couple of years. But most interesting discussion around idea happened on Facebook with ex-colleagues from Ukraine - Alexander Smirnoff and Vyacheslav Chukin. Started with solid arguments why ShopSnapShot will NOT work the discussion slowly pivoted into what my colleagues had cooking in their heads.

Most interesting was Trillint - Store Credit Marketplace for Business Communitites where loyalty to business community is rewarded with store credit that can be used in any store that belongs to community. Simple idea to grow strong communities can be now backed up with financial relationships. As discussion kept evolving around store credit I remembered quote about definition of strong community (I believe originated from Israel): "every dollar brought into community has to cycle at least 6 times within community members before may leave to community alien". Now, with Trillint this rule can be technologically supported.

But most interesting is pushing this concept even further - beyond store credit or rebate programs.
What if:

• any demand of community member can be recorded as lead 
• (via email, ShopSnapShot, ShopVoiceMemo, SMS, or even Like on Social Network) 
• then nurtured by Community Volunteers into actual sales with local business, 
• then, after sales completed, business commits 10% (Tithe rule by Old Testament) or more to community cause
• Good cause is determined by volunteers that nurtured the lead.

Now once proof-of-the-concept for Community Volunteers CrowdSelling is vital the next phase would be to organize local non-profit organization, that accumulates tithe donations for funding bigger community projects. And finally last step would be to create Community Volunteers Credit Union to provide interest free loans for local volunteers as recognition for good will they created.

Overall hours of volunteering effectively may be considered as Volunteer Branded Money. This final idea is very close derivative from TNachives program where "Students are required to complete at least eight hours of community service each semester of college.  This creates a culture of giving back and allows the students to explore potential career opportunities within their communities. "

And what better place than Knoxville, Tennessee - can be true origin for Volunteer Branded Money!

Go Vols!

best regards,
Roman Havrylyak

11/23/2013