Daniel Little graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a Minor in Architecture. With a focus on community service, Dan served a year through AmeriCorps NCCC program in Denver, Colorado. After working a year in the private sector, Dan turned his attention to the nonprofit/social economy and met with nonprofit leaders to understand the unique socioeconomic challenges facing Pittsburgh.

Project -TimeTender

TimeTender is an online application designed to help nonprofits and organizations with their missions by enabling the creation of a time-based currency to attract and reward volunteers and local businesses for the services that they provide. TimeTender enables the number of hours a volunteer or business provides a nonprofit service to be used as a currency that can be traded with other volunteers and local businesses or redeemed for education, recreation, and entertainment at larger community institutions such as universities, recreation centers, museums, theaters, sporting venues, etc.

Larger institutions support this system by utilizing underutilized resources. For instance, if a theater production at the Byham seats 50, but typically only 40 people show to a performance, theaters can offer 10 seats in exchange for hours. The theater does not lose any money, because the seats would not have been purchased otherwise. The theater benefits from the excess capacity due to increased exposure from patrons not otherwise in attendance.

How It Works:

TimeTender works in a similar way to the money you use everyday. However, this money will be based on time, rather than value. Volunteers earn TimeCredits for volunteering on community projects/missions. One hour of volunteering equals one TimeCredit. Volunteers can then spend this TimeCredit for classes, shows, sporting events, and recreation at participating local institutions. TimeTender will be an online application allowing individuals to log in, track and record their hours. Additionally, volunteers can make a profile, find volunteer opportunities, see where others are volunteering, and even track skills they develop. Organizations will be able to post ideas for projects and recruit volunteers on this platform.