Common Good
Common Good is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that operates a mutual credit payment system, dollar pool community fund, and democratic governance framework, serving local communities, participating SMBs, and sponsored nonprofit organizations across multiple US regions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersAshfield, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Common Good does
Common Good is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that builds and operates a mutual credit payment system combined with a democratic governance framework, enabling local communities to pool funds, issue community-backed credit, and democratically allocate capital to local projects. Its core technology stack consists of CGPay (a mobile and web payment app distributed on iOS and Android), the Dollar Pool community fund mechanism (a pooled banking structure typically holding ~$250 per member), a proprietary risk-scoring system called the Suspicious Activity Report for monitoring accounts and transactions, and Common Good Democracy™, a participatory budgeting framework. The platform integrates mutual credit with traditional bank accounts, allowing members to deposit funds, receive Common Good credit, and transact with participating businesses without credit card fees.
The organization's commercial model rests on tiered fiscal sponsorship fees (3% to 10% on donations received by sponsored projects), transaction fees (3% + $0.30) applied to non-member payments, donations, and returns from community fund investments. Core membership and payment processing for participating businesses are free. Its customer base spans three horizontal segments: local geographic communities (currently 8+ across the US including Pioneer Valley, Adirondacks, Madison, Washtenaw, and STL Mutual Aid), participating SMBs and cooperatives (e.g., Montague WebWorks, Co-op Power, Snow's Ice Cream, Baker Office Supply), and nonprofit organizations using its fiscal sponsorship (Earthseed, MAMAS, NAG, Food Fund, and the Common Good Cyber Fund with Internet Society).
Common Good firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Common Good
- Legal name
- Common Good®
- Website
- https://commongood.earth
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Common Good is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that operates a mutual credit payment system, dollar pool community fund, and democratic governance framework, serving local communities, participating SMBs, and sponsored nonprofit organizations across multiple US regions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Common Good industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Mutual Credit & Fiscal Sponsorship
- NAICS
- Credit Unions (522130), Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (5223), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)
- SIC
- Personal Credit Institutions (6141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Credit Unions (Retail/Consumer Focus) (FSABAEAA)
Keywords
Where Common Good is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ashfield
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Common Good business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Fiscal Sponsorship Fees: Common Good provides fiscal sponsorship services allowing groups to receive tax-deductible donations and grant funding without becoming a 501c3 nonprofit. Fees range from 3% to 10% of donations received, varying by organization.
- Transaction Processing Fees: When non-members or certain transactions occur through the platform, a 3% plus 30 cent transaction fee is applied to cover processing costs.
- Donations and Contributions: The organization accepts tax-deductible donations from supporters to fund operations, community projects, and platform development. Recurring donation options (weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly) are available.
- Community Fund Investment Returns: Returns from community fund investments contribute to Common Good's financial sustainability, with the total Dollar Pool holding over $1.34 million across participating communities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free membership with no credit card fees |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Per transaction | Fiscal Sponsorship with 3% fee |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Per transaction | Fiscal Sponsorship with 5% fee |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Per transaction | Fiscal Sponsorship with 10% fee |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Per transaction | Non-member transaction processing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Common Good product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Common Good operates a nonprofit mutual credit payment system in which members deposit funds into community-owned Dollar Pools and receive Common Good credit for spending at participating local businesses, with no credit card fees. The platform is delivered through the CGPay web and mobile application and is governed by the Common Good Democracy framework, which enables members to direct community investment via participatory budgeting. In parallel, Common Good provides fiscal sponsorship services that allow groups to receive tax-deductible donations and grants under its 501c3 status, plus community food access programs (Common Good Fridges/Food Fund).
Product overview
Common Good operates a mutual credit payment system with a platform-plus-services architecture. The core offering consists of CGPay (a payment card and app system) and the associated Common Good Account, which together enable community-powered transactions without credit card fees. The Dollar Pool and Community Fund serve as the financial infrastructure backing the credit system. Supporting services include Fiscal Sponsorship (allowing groups to receive tax-deductible donations) and Common Good Fridges (community food access projects). The Common Good Democracy framework provides the governance system for community decision-making about funding priorities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CGPay: Mobile payment application for the Common Good mutual credit system, allowing users to make payments and transfers within the Common Good economy
- Common Good Democracy™
- Dollar Pool
- Common Good Agreement
Products and services
- CGPay Payment Platform CGPay is a web and mobile payment application that enables Common Good members to load money from their bank accounts, receive Common Good credit, make payments at participating local businesses, transfer credit to other members, and manage their accounts — without credit card fees for either members or businesses.
- Common Good Account / Card A member account with an associated payment card allowing individuals and businesses to make and receive Common Good credit payments within the Common Good economy, supporting person-to-person and business-to-consumer transactions with no credit card fees.
- Fiscal Sponsorship Service
Quantifiable outcome
- 22 projects funded with $30,000 from Community Fund in Greenfield, MA
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Common Good
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Common Good technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature6 records
Common Good partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Internet SocietycoreInternet Society partnered with a coalition of nonprofits to launch the Common Good Cyber Fund, backed by G7 leaders, as a pooled funding mechanism to support underfunded nonprofits working on public-interest cybersecurity. The World Economic Forum article cited this as a systemic investment initiative.
- Earthseed Consulting LLCcoreEarthseed is a sponsored project of Common Good, focused on empowering communities through regenerative agriculture, sustainability education, and land-based healing practices. Common Good provides fiscal sponsorship and platform services.
- Mutual Aid Medford & Somerville (MAMAS)minorMAMAS is featured as a solidarity organization on the Common Good platform, working toward an equitable world. Participates in the Common Good ecosystem.
- NonProfit Accountability Group (NAG)minorNAG is an inclusive arts and social justice organization dedicated to grassroots movement building. Common Good provides fiscal sponsorship services.
- Co-op PowerminorCo-op Power is a member organization focused on solar installations and community solar, participating in the Common Good payment system for local economic development.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Common Good competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BerkShares: Local currency issued by a nonprofit in the Berkshire region of Massachusetts since 2006, designed to circulate spending among local businesses. Operates the closest analogous model to Common Good's mutual-credit / community-payment system in the same state.
- Bristol Pound: A community-localized digital payment currency launched in the UK that aimed to keep spend circulating in Bristol-based businesses. Same fundamental architecture as Common Good's mutual credit: community-issued means of payment accepted by local merchants.
- Grassroots Economics: A nonprofit that designs and deploys community currency systems (e.g., Sarafu in Kenya) using mutual-credit and blockchain settlement to empower marginalized communities. Closest direct international analog to Common Good's methodology.
- RSF Social Finance: A nonprofit financial services provider that lends to social enterprises and offers donor-advised funds and banking services to values-aligned organizations. Overlaps heavily with Common Good's mission of re-aligning finance with social/environmental purposes.
Broad incumbents
- Self-Help Federal Credit Union: One of the largest community development financial institutions (CDFIs) in the US, operating as a federally-chartered credit union serving underserved and low-wealth communities. Compares as the established regulated version of what Common Good aims to achieve through a nonprofit mutual-credit structure.
- Amalgamated Bank: A US chartered commercial bank historically tied to labor unions and progressive movements, focused on values-based banking and serving mission-driven organizations. Comparable as a larger-scale regulated institution serving similar activist/community-economy constituencies.
- Tides Foundation: One of the largest 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsors in the US, providing infrastructure for nonprofits and social movements to receive tax-deductible funding. Direct incumbent in Common Good's fiscal sponsorship revenue stream.
- Block (Cash App / Square): Public fintech offering Cash App (P2P payments), Square (merchant processing), and Tidal. The dominant incumbent in the fee-free / low-fee payment-processing niche Common Good targets for local SMBs.
Others
- Foundation for the Jewish Community (FJC): A 501(c)(3) public charity serving as a fiscal sponsor and pass-through vehicle for philanthropic donations and grants, including pooled funds. Comparable to Common Good's fiscal-sponsorship and pooled-funding structure.
Regional players
- Chiemgauer: A regional complementary currency in the Chiemgau region of Germany operated by a nonprofit association, used by hundreds of businesses and accepted by civil society actors. International analog to Common Good's community-issued currency model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Common Good social profiles
Digital presenceCommon Good financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Common Good leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Common Good subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Common Good funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Common Good M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Common Good
What does Common Good do?
Common Good operates a nonprofit mutual credit payment system in which members deposit funds into community-owned Dollar Pools and receive Common Good credit for spending at participating local businesses, with no credit card fees. The platform is delivered through the CGPay web and mobile application and is governed by the Common Good Democracy framework, which enables members to direct community investment via participatory budgeting. In parallel, Common Good provides fiscal sponsorship services that allow groups to receive tax-deductible donations and grants under its 501c3 status, plus community food access programs (Common Good Fridges/Food Fund).
Is Common Good a public or private company?
Common Good is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Common Good founded?
Common Good was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Common Good based?
Common Good is headquartered in Ashfield, United States, in the North America region.
How does Common Good make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Fiscal Sponsorship Fees are the primary driver. The others are transaction Processing Fees, donations and Contributions and community Fund Investment Returns.
Who are Common Good's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BerkShares, Bristol Pound, Grassroots Economics and RSF Social Finance. Broad incumbents are Self-Help Federal Credit Union, Amalgamated Bank, Tides Foundation and Block (Cash App / Square). Foundation for the Jewish Community (FJC) is listed as an others. Chiemgauer is listed as a regional player.
Does Common Good have an API?
No public API is recorded for Common Good.
What industry is Common Good in?
Common Good's product category is Community Mutual Credit & Fiscal Sponsorship. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSABAEAA, Community Credit Unions (Retail/Consumer Focus). Its NAICS code is 522130 and its SIC code is 6141.