Mutual Aid Network

What Mutual Aid Network does

Mutual Aid Network operates as the Wisconsin Mutual Aid Network Cooperative, doing business as HUMANs (Humans United in Mutual Aid Networks). It is a small, member-owned cooperative headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, with six employees and no external investor backing. The organization originated from the Dane County TimeBank (founded 2003) and formalized its current form with the adoption of the 12 MAN Core Principles in May 2015. Its mission is to provide infrastructure for mutual aid, timebanking, and complementary/local economic activity, serving both individual members and "sister sites" that replicate the model internationally.

The core product is HOME, an open-source platform that bundles a marketplace, calendar, Poshterity budgeting tool, common fund, timebanking module, price-based mutual credit system, and learning materials into a single stack. Sister sites in the UK (Hull/HUMANE), Canada, Slovenia, France, Kenya, and Costa Rica run localized instances of this stack. The ecosystem is reinforced by partnerships with Bonfire (federated platforms), meet.coop, RSF Social Finance, TimeBanks USA, the Foundation for Peer-to-Peer Alternatives, the Democracy Collaborative, and the Living Economies Educational Trust (New Zealand).

The business model is a sliding-scale membership cooperative: members pay a minimum of $3/month or $10/year, with the option to pay through time contributions rather than cash. Higher tiers (such as "Dreamer" and Sister Site) exist for institutional and partner-site support. There is no disclosed external funding, no M&A activity, and no enterprise sales motion; revenue is dues-based and intentionally low-friction to maximize accessibility. Strategic positioning is anchored by a high-profile advisory board (Edgar Cahn, Charles Eisenstein, Vicki Robin, Gar Alperovitz, Michel Bauwens, Bayo Akomolafe, John Bloom) and an operating working board led by President Stephanie Rearick.

Name

Mutual Aid Network

Legal name

Wisconsin Mutual Aid Network Cooperative

Website

https://mutualaidnetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mutual Aid Network is a Wisconsin member-owned cooperative (DBA HUMANs) that operates the open-source HOME platform for timebanking, mutual credit, and community mutual aid, serving individual members and international sister sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooperative Exchange Platform

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Federations/Centrals & Cooperative Banking Networks (2nd-Tier Co-ops) (FSABAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Federated Giving Organizations (e.g., United Way-type) (BPAGAKAG)

Keywords

• Mutual aid network
• Timebanking exchange
• Cooperative exchange platform
• Mutual credit system
• Community organizing tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Sliding scale annual and monthly membership dues. Yearly contribution $10+, Monthly contribution $3+. Dreamer level membership includes monthly time and money contributions. Fee-based model with ability to pay through time contributions if money is a barrier.
2. HUMAN Hours System: Time-based exchange currency where members earn hours by providing services and spend hours to receive services. One hour equals one HUMAN Hour. Not redeemable for cash. No credit or debit limits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Mutual Aid Network operates the HUMANs global umbrella cooperative, providing an open-source software platform (HOME) and economic tools (timebanking, mutual credit, common funds, budgeting worksheets) that enable members to exchange services, organize projects, and support one another outside the traditional monetary economy. Members join via sliding-scale dues and access an online marketplace, shared calendar, and community events to participate in peer-driven mutual aid exchanges across a global cooperative network.

Product overview

Mutual Aid Network operates as a cooperative network ecosystem centered on the HUMANs (Humans United in Mutual Aid Networks) global cooperative. The core offering consists of the HOME (HomeOstatic Mutual Environment) open source tech platform which provides exchange, knowledge-sharing, organizing, and communications software. Members access the network through the HUMANs Marketplace for posting offers/requests, and a shared Calendar for events. The economic tools include Timebanking (using HUMAN Hours as time-based currency), Price-Based Mutual Credit (national currency-denominated), Sharing mechanisms, and Common Fund for pooled community investment. Social tools include Poshterity Budgeting worksheets for reducing monetary dependence, Project Facilitation Assistance, and learning games. The network is designed to enable peer support for building a mutual aid economy where members discover and succeed in work they want to do, supported by their community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HOME (HomeOstatic Mutual Environment): Open source exchange, knowledge-sharing, organizing, and communications software platform for the mutual aid network.
• HUMAN Hours

Products and services

• HUMANs (Humans United in Mutual Aid Networks) Cooperative Membership A global cooperative membership providing peer support for building and living a mutual aid economy. Members share knowledge, material support, and tools including open source software for organizing, exchanging, and project management. Available in small, medium, and large membership tiers via sliding-scale dues.
• HOME (HomeOstatic Mutual Environment) Software Platform Open source exchange, knowledge-sharing, organizing, and communications software used by HUMANs for mutual aid organizing across countries and continents. Members can track offers and requests, manage businesses, facilitate projects, build websites, and communicate across the network.
• HUMANs Marketplace Online marketplace platform where members post offers and requests for goods, services, and skills within the mutual aid network. Accessible globally through the web browser at marketplace.at-home.coop.
• Timebanking (HUMAN Hours) A method for exchanging services using time as currency instead of money. One hour of service always earns one HUMAN Hour, and one HUMAN Hour always buys one hour of service, enabling skills and services not valued by the market economy to be valued equally. Not redeemable for cash. No credit or debit limits.
• Price-Based Mutual Credit Mutual credit system denominated in national currency, taxable for businesses, goods, and professional services, allowing everyone to contribute to the community economy using a price-based credit framework.
• Common Fund Mechanism for pooling money (savings, earnings, grants, gifts) and making it available to members as no-interest loans or collectively-decided gifts, enabling community investment and wealth redistribution.
• Poshterity Budgeting Tools Budgeting worksheets to help individuals and communities explore and design compensation options that reduce monetary need through timebanking and mutual credit strategies.
• Learning Materials and Games Educational resources including The Timebanking Yarn Game, Mutual Aid Dreamtime Visioning Game, and Build a Better World Game for group facilitation learning about mutual aid tools and concepts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2800+ members in single timebank (Dane County TimeBank)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• TimeBanks USAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnected to TimeBanks USA, the organization founded by Dr. Edgar Cahn, father of modern-form timebanking. Edgar Cahn served on the Advisory Board. TimeBanks USA is one of the 3 largest and most successful international networks of timebanking.
• RSF Social FinancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohn Bloom, Senior Director of RSF Social Finance, serves on the Advisory Board. RSF seeks to revolutionize how people relate to money and envisions an economy based on generosity and interconnectedness. Originally inspired by Rudolph Steiner's work.
• meet.coopcoreTechnology or IntegrationCooperative platform used for HUMANs web meetings. The organization is 'happy to be part of a cooperative platform' for virtual meetings.
• Foundation for Peer-to-Peer AlternativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichel Bauwens, founder of the Foundation for Peer-to-Peer Alternatives, serves on the Advisory Board. Works with global researchers exploring peer production, governance, and property.
• Living Economies Educational Trust (New Zealand)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Living Economies Educational Trust, a registered charity in New Zealand focused on alternative economic solutions. Phil Stevens serves as chair and contributed to Savings Pools workshops.
• Democracy CollaborativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGar Alperovitz, Co-founder of the Democracy Collaborative (research institution developing paths toward ecologically sustainable, community-oriented change), serves on Advisory Board.
• Willy Street CoopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuper-supportive partner for Allied Coop, helping establish buying club and work toward grocery store. Incorporated at same address as Main MAN, DCTB, and Madison Hours.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MutualAidNet
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBmSlCSPu-cs3GCAkzIe6dA
• Facebookfacebook.com/MutualAidNetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mutual-aid-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mutual Aid Network