Ballona LETS How it Works

Our introductory page is here

Ballona LETS serves people and businesses in Westchester (90045), Playa del Rey (90293), and Inglewood (90301, 90320), but we'll also include Marina del Rey (90292), Ladera (90056) and Playa Vista (90094).

People at the northern portion of this area may find that they have the option of participating in several local exchange systems currently being set up. If you are from another area, please see our list of other community-based finance systems around the greater L.A. area.

Why this insistence on local geography? Please see 10+ Reasons Why We Need a LETSystem.

There are two parts to the membership process:

(1) PERSONAL MEETING. In the interest of building our community, we want to meet you! Thus we ask that you attend one of our local events and simply introduce yourself. You might ...

* attend a Ballona LETS potluck or orientation meeting, or

* attend a meeting of the Environmental Change-Makers, or

* stop by our "work together days" at the Community Garden, or

* drop in to the office of Holy Nativity Church any Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat, or Sunday, and ask to see Peter.

(2) EDUCATION. Because our system is somewhat sophisticated, we want to make sure you understand how it works, what you can get, and how you can contribute. Thus we ask that you ...

* attend a Ballona LETS orientation meeting, or

* view the Central Coast (Australia) LETS video (4:14 min) and the Asheville NC LETS orientation video (8:32 min)

Examples: You could attend a Ballona LETS orientation meeting and handle both the personal meeting and the education requirements. Alternatively, you could watch the videos at home to handle the education requirement, and then attend any session of the Environmental Change-Makers and sign up for the Ballona LETS.

As part of the registration process, you will be asked for your personal contact information (name, email, phone, neighborhood/zip, etc.), which is how other Ballona LETS members will find you to arrange trades. This information is confidential within our system and is only revealed to other members.

You will also be asked what goods or services you might offer in trade. Initially, we prompt people to think of perhaps 3 things they might list in the offerings. You can add plenty more later. Remember, Ballona LETS only works when we USE it!

Yes. You can transfer Ballona bullion using a paper form that looks like a check. Come to a Ballona LETS potluck to discuss how the Ballona LETSystem could work for you.

We're not going to block you from joining. However if you live and work far from our local radius, people are more likely to choose closer neighbors with whom to trade.

There are many similar networks opening throughout the greater L.A. basin, and it is probably more appropriate for you to join one in your local geography. See our list to find them.

Why this insistence on local geography? Please see 10+ Reasons Why We Need a LETSystem.

Please read our guidelines and rules here.

You might also refer to our philosophy page.

Please view this online video created for software very much like ours. click here. (4:49 min.)

That’s the beauty of a LETS system: you get to decide. Simplistically you could say that one unit of Ballona bullion is worth the equivalent of “one hour of your time.” If you are trading a bag of homegrown tangerines it will be up to you and your trading partner to decide how much bullion to exchange.
However ... and this is the big “however” ... if the U.S. economic values go crazy with inflation or deflation, the Ballona bullion system will maintain a nice, stable, independent internal valuation. Within our local trading community, we will still be able to afford to trade with neighbors for the things we need to live.

For starters, you might try to estimate how many hours it will take you to perform the service, and value it at 1 Ballona LETS credit per hour.

After you have used the Ballona LETSystem for a while (and after we all have used it for a while) you'll get a better sense of how much things are "worth" within this favor exchange network. This will become more significant as we begin to trade goods, not just services.

How to enter it into the computer? The computer software will allow you to enter a listing with no information in the "amount" field. We strongly recommend that if you don't complete the amount field, you include amount information in the description field.
Example for services: "Amount = 1 LETS credit per hour, estimate it will take 3-4 hours"

uh ... because you haven't fixed it!

The Ballona LETSystem is designed to run on "do-it-yourself" as much as possible. Updating your list of goods & services offered and requested is your responsibility. We also ask that you maintain updated contact information so that other members can find you to arrange trades.

In special circumstances, Ballona LETS coordinators might update listings on a member's behalf but we're going to limit this practice to people who are truly unable to do it themselves.

Definitely.
We can think of a few situations in which it would be desirable to do this (you'll probably think of more).

1. Transfers between family members, for instance between spouses. A younger relative might also wish to transfer LETS credits to an elderly family member for the elder's care.

2. Donations to nonprofits and faith communities. Even in times when cash flow is tight, charities need your donations in order to keep providing services. You can still donate -- in LETS credits! Your favorite local nonprofit, church, temple, mosque, etc. can use your donated LETS credits to trade for goods and services to meet some of their needs.

Our introductory page is here

With respect to U.S. Dollars, participation in the Ballona LETSystem is free.

A small monthly account-keeping fee in Ballona LETS credits will be assessed each month. [initially .5B assessed on the first of each month]

You can easily earn these credits back through volunteering:
* by attending a Ballona LETS potluck,
* by doing business development for Ballona LETS, or
* by exchanging with members.
Learn more at "How can I support Ballona LETS?"

How do we keep it free? We are using open-source software, on a donated server, with volunteer administrators who will be "thanked" with LETS credits.

As a volunteer-run community organization, Ballona LETS is always looking for assistance with a variety of tasks. There are many ways that you can contribute to the expansion and improvement of our LETS. Please consider one or more of the following:

* First and foremost, Use the Ballona LETSystem! Our LETS only works in building an interconnected local community when people are actively trading with each other.

* Fulfill a specific need – See the WANTED listings under member name BALLONA LETS to learn what our LETS organization currently needs. These might range from running an errand for the LETS to doing some computer data entry.

* Outreach -- Tell your neighbors about Ballona LETS and invite them to join. Ask your favorite local businesses to join, and increase the diversity of our offerings.

* Leadership -- Join the Ballona LETS Coordinating Group, and help with policies and organizing people. Even if you don't have time to join the Coordinating Group, maybe you can be "on call" to organize one of our regular Ballona LETS potluck events.

Ballona = By-oh´-nah, just like the creek, our local watershed. And bullion (gold) has traditionally been been considered a good hedge against inflation. Ballona LETS credits are designated with a "B" symbol.

Members of the Environmental Change-Makers community group initially set up the Ballona LETS program. Although the LETS software resides on server space donated by Holy Nativity Parish, the Ballona LETSystem is not a "church thing" and is open to the entire community.

The Ballona LETS is currently run by a small "Coordinating team" of volunteers. Your volunteer hours are welcomed, and are in fact compensated in Ballona LETS credits.

Please see "How can I support Ballona LETS" to learn more.

To contact the Ballona LETS coordinators, you may use the "contact us" link in the left sidebar.

download our brochure

jump to 10+ Reasons page

coming soon

The Coordinators group has a private discussion loop, Ballona LETS Coord at YahooGroups, where they discuss details of the software programming and other admin details.

For Ballona LETS members who don't have a computer -- or for occasions where you must have a paper document for your transaction -- we [will be offering] a document that looks like a check.

Download pdf [coming soon]

Ballona LETS checks can be snail-mailed or hand-delivered to our office: Ballona LETS, 6700 West 83rd, Westchester, CA 90045.

Please allow for extra processing time because a Coordinating Team volunteer will have to input the paper-based transaction into the computer system.

at Google Calendar