Golden Hint Credits
One hour of help earns one credit.
And one credit buys one hour of help from anyone else. That's how the Exchange stays fair without anybody paying money.
They're a record of what each charity has given to the community. They have no cash value, can't be bought, sold or exchanged for money, and aren't payment for services, wages or a donation.
These rules are a draft. The Foundation's legal and tax advisers are reviewing them before membership opens.
Watch credits move between three charities
Help goes one way and a credit comes back the other. The total never changes; nobody prints credits by trading.
| Step | What happened | Animal shelter | Literacy charity | Food pantry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Each verified charity gets a welcome grant. | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 1 | The animal shelter's communications lead spends two hours on the literacy charity's social media plan. | 7 | 3 | 5 |
| 2 | The literacy charity's volunteer treasurer spends three hours setting up the food pantry's bookkeeping. | 7 | 6 | 2 |
| 3 | The food pantry's coordinator reviews the shelter's volunteer policy, priced up front at 1.5 credits. | 5.5 | 6 | 3.5 |
An illustration. Each movement is an entry in an append-only ledger, and balances are always worked out from the entries, never typed in.
Getting started
Verified charities get a welcome grant of 5 credits. Founders get 10, because at first they'll mostly be receiving help. A balance can go down to -5, so nobody has to wait to ask.
- Welcome grant
- 5
- Founders
- 10
- Lowest balance
- -5
- Fixed tasks
- 0.5–20
Ways to earn
Good citizenship earns credits, not just exchanges.
- +1/hrHelp another charity: one credit for each hour.
- +1Complete your organization's profile (once).
- +2Contribute a guide or template that our editors approve for the library.
- +1Write a forum answer that's marked as the accepted solution (up to 5 a month).
- +2/hrHost a group workshop. Attendees pay nothing.
- +1/hrMentor a new founder.
Gift credits
A well-resourced charity can gift up to 20 credits a month to a smaller one.
Sponsored pools
Funders and companies can sponsor pools of credits for a cause area. They're grants of time, not money. For funders
Questions people ask
Is an accountant's hour really worth the same as a designer's?
Yes. Every charity's expertise is treated as equally valuable, which keeps things fair and avoids awkward haggling. For fixed tasks like a document review, both sides can agree a set number of credits before work starts.
What if an exchange is cancelled?
Credits for an agreed exchange are held, not moved. If it's cancelled before the work starts, they go straight back.
What if something goes wrong?
Either side can open a dispute. The credits stay held while the Golden Hint team looks at it, and we aim to decide within 14 days.
Do credits expire?
Not while you're active. After 24 months with no activity, a balance returns to the community pool, and we'll write 60 days before.
Can we buy credits, or cash them in?
No. Credits have no cash value and can't be bought, sold, transferred for money or converted. They aren't wages, payment or a tax-deductible donation.
How do you stop people gaming it?
Organizations under common control can't trade with each other, circular trades to inflate balances aren't allowed, reviews must be honest, and the team can reverse credits earned by abuse. Every adjustment is logged with who made it and why.
Can the rules change?
Yes, with 30 days' notice. The rules live in configuration so the Foundation can adjust them as the community grows.
The full rules are in the credit rules.