Kin - Financial Mutual Aid

Kin Co-operative

Kin is developing an Open Source financial mutual aid platform. Every user will be a member of the co-operative with an equal vote. The not-for-profit co-operative maintains the platform and acts as a fiscal host for the autonomous mutual aid groups. Uses include money pools or 'pardnas' (used traditionally by migrant communities); solidarity / bread funds (used by the self-employed); and collective saving towards community projects (eg. pantry, community solar and wind, food banks). Kin is also working with partner co-operatives focussed on sustainability and community empowerment to develop a new mutual aid network between co-operatives, including resource pooling and issuing shares together which will allow members to invest directly, easily and securely in co-operatives forcussed on sustainability and community-led change - true, ethical investment. We have a team of over 20 volunteers (mostly based in London, under 35 and from diverse backgrounds) and a founding team of 5, with one paid member. We have already raised over £20,000 in donation and investments but are looking for a grant specifically to hire a permanent software developer to lead the platform team over the next 6-12months through the prototype, beta and roll-out stages.