Local Currencies In-Planning and Retired

Programs In-Planning
Retired Programs
Contacts for Communities Exploring Local Currencies

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Programs In-Planning

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Baroon Dollars
Australian Institute for Community Currencies
PO Box 165 Maleny Qld Australia
http://www.baroondollar.org
Outreach: Australia is to develop it's first dollar-backed complementary currency! We are planning to launch the new community currency, the Baroon Dollar mid year 2009. The project, an initiative of Sustainable Maleny http://www.sustainablemaleny.org and the newly formed Australian Institute for Community Currencies Inc.

Mendocino Moola
Local Smart Money
http://mendomoola.wordpress.com/

Michiana Community Currency
P.O. Box 114
Notre Dame, IN 46556
michianacurrency@sbcglobal.net
http://www.michianacurrency.org/
First Issue: TBA
Outreach: Residents of the South Bend area are working to revitalize the downtown areas in South Bend and nearby towns and to enrich community life in our region by developing a “community currency” to serve this region. By placing value on local goods and services, community currencies can give our cities more control over our choices of jobs and the quality of life in our community. Contact us to find out how you can help make this initiative work in our region.

Ozark Hours
Fayetteville, AR
goodhelp@cybermesa.com
http://www.ozarkia.net/money/index.html
First Issue: TBA
Outreach: We are people living in and around Fayetteville attempting to set up a local currency system. Working names are Ozark Hours, Ozark Bucks, or Hill Bills.

PDX Hours
Tim Sexton
2250 NW Kearney Suite 409
Portland, OR 97210
tim@pdxhours.org
http://www.pdxhours.org/emails/070410.html
1st Issue: September 2007
Participation: There are currently 3 active board members, a mailing list of approx 50 interested individuals, and ongoing solicitation of local merchants.
Outreach: PDX Hours was founded to rejuvenate the role of local currency within the highly progressive atmosphere of Portland, Oregon.
History: Founded in 2007, PDX Hours is now building the structure of the member-drive, local currency program. Community outreach has included exposure through publication in two local non-daily papers and a sponsoring role in the upcoming presentation and panel discussion of The Money Fix (Alan Rosenblith) on June 21 in Portland.
Updated May 4, 2007

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Retired Local Currency Programs
The following groups are, to our knowledge, no longer active.

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NEW YORK

Common Cents Community Currency
Bobbi Chase
c/o Natural Food and More
107 Union Street
Cobleskill, NY 12043
518-234-8421
no current web address
 shelaria@juno.com
1st issue:   July 1, 2004
Currency:  1 hour, 1/2 hour, and 1/10 hour denominations
Participation: Twenty-five individuals and businesses including a natural foods store, a printing and copyingstore, and herbs.
Outreach:  Outreach has included a public meeting, a newspaper story, advertisements in local Times Journal, and canvassing ofbusinesses.  Person-to-person outreach also plays a large role.
Background: Started June 2003 by interested parties.

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VERMONT

Buffalo Mountain Hours
Barbara Conn
P.O. Box 24
Hardwick, VT 05826
(802)472-8566
rooster@vtlink.net
1st Issue: January 1996
Currency: One Buffalo Mountain Hour equals $10. The currency is printed in three denominations; 1/4, 1/2, 1 Hour. To date approximately 525 Hours have been issued.
Participation: 100 members
Outreach: 3300 newsletters distributed to members and public, winter Hour fair, summer junk/garage Hour swap meet
Background: Run by group of individuals, funded by small grant
Information last updated 7/01

Burlington Currency Project (Burlington Bread)
Cara Taussig
P.O. Box 8472
Burlington, VT 05402
(802)434-8103
No current website
1st Issue: May 1998
Currency:  Denominations of the currency come in 1, 5, 10, and 20, featuring artwork by local artists depicting scenes in and around Burlington, Vermont.  Circulation is approximately $15,000. 
Participation: The Burlington Currency Project had a membership overhaul in 2004 to update the directory.  Current participation is approximately 75-100 people.  Of those 75-100 people, around 50 are members.  Membership is roughly 50% businesses and 50% individuals. 
Outreach: The Burlington Currency Project re-launched its currency in summer 2004. In conjunction with a sustainable cities conference held in Burlington, the BCP issued its new colorized currency to all conference participants to spend at area businesses, many of which were participating for the first time, including the local food co-op.  Outreach continues in the form of meetings and presentations with community groups and city leaders, as well as monthly gatherings at a local cafe.
Background: Burlington Bread started as a grassroots effort in 1998.  A group of local citizens wanted to model a local currency after Ithaca Hours, and to provide a useful tool to community members and the local economy. BCP received its initial start-up grant from Ben & Jerry's, an operations grant from the Green Mountain Fund in May 2000, and a project grant from Burlington's Community and Economic Development Office in June 2001. Membership fees are based on a sliding scale. The group progressed slowly, with just a handful of local businesses, and membership never topped 100. In the fall of 2003, a local currency course taught at the University of Vermont set off a series of events.  Organizers of the BCP participated in the course, and together with students and professors, publicly presented recommendations on improving and expanding Burlington Bread.  Over the next six months, the BCP's Board of Directors expanded from five to seventeen people, a community competition set off a reprinting of the currency along with a new twenty-note, and plans were underway for involvement in a city-wide conference where the currency was to be officially re-launched.  Currently, and for the first time, Burlington Bread is operating with a small work staff. 
Information last updated 11/05

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VIRGINIA

Floyd Hours, Inc.
Dawn Shiner
P.O. Box 552
Floyd, VA 24091
(540)745-5994
shihyl@swva.net
1st issue: October 16, 2001
Currency:  Floyd HOURS (or Floydian Scrip) come in 1 HOUR and ¼ HOUR denominations.  All HOURS render Buffalo Mountain on one side in recognition of a local and most sacred landmark.  On the other side, the ¼ HOUR denomination has a drawing of the Blue Ridge Parkway (another historical landmark), and the 1 HOUR note has a rendering of Floyd’s first local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).  Artwork was created by local residents, with two people collaborating on the CSA note. While the organization is currently inactive, the exchange scrip still exists.  
Participation:  Participants included one Main Street store featuring many talented local crafters (Floyd HOURS lost two Main Street restaurants because of a change in ownership), many self-employed small business people and many with home businesses, including a bakery.  The Floyd area of Virginia has an incredible barter network (without the local currency), since local people in this area have been indigenously bartering for many years.  Bartering is actually preferred by those into alternative economic exchanges in the area.  Members paid dues that were kept in a Community Fund which could be used for micro-loans or emergency gifts.
Outreach:  Outreach included a directory (ranging from three times to once/year) with two to three articles that informed readers on subjects from economics (including reading lists) to non-violent communication.  Private donations and ad sales paid for its printing.  Most outreach has been through talking with people, and has also included an outreach sheet that contains general information regarding Floyd Hours.  There have also held potlucks and “Show and Tell” events.  Most get-togethers involve lots of music, ranging from individual and group performers to acoustic jams. The organization has considered selling a directory for $1 (aiming for the spring, summer, and fall seasons, and vacationers) and making the message of value.
Background:  Dawn Shiner, for Dancing Green, Inc., presented and facilitated a Local Currency Potluck Forum on March 27, 2000 which generated a study group that met for one and one-half years before incorporating and issuing printed currency. The group is currently inactive, but "the embers are well banked and exchange script exists."
Infomation last updated 11/05

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