In the Summer of 2006, Hour Exchange Portland along with long Service Exchange member Ed Collom, a professor at USM, conducted a comprehensive membership survey on individual members of HEP.
The survey was divided into six sections: motivations, engagement, outcomes, satisfaction, community experience, and demographics. As Ed Collom states, “As far as I know, it is the most comprehensive survey ever fielded to local currency participants. Of the 505 members surveyed, 232 members completed the survey for a respectable response rate of 45.9%, exceeding most of the research conducted on community currencies to date.”
See the Demographics.
The survey paints a picture of a highly effective, healthy and successful organization. The membership is much
larger than most local currency systems, and PTB’s ten-year existence exceeds that of most community currencies,
who stop operating after several years. There is an extremely high level of satisfaction among HEP members. Respondents are
most satisfied with the range and the quality of the goods and services offered. Moreover, there is tremendous organizational
commitment among Hour Exchange Members.
