About - Hudson Valley Current

Our Mission

Hudson Valley Current works with our regional community to keep money local, strengthen Main Streets, and promote a culture of kindness.
We bend and adjust in challenging times, and then move into a future of care and support for all of our neighbors.

Our Vision

We seek to create a thriving, stable economy in the Hudson Valley based on the understanding that the more each person shares, the wealthier everyone becomes.
For us, it’s about circulation and flow, as opposed to accumulation and stagnation.

We believe there’s more than enough wealth to go around—And we're here to prove it.

We’ve all heard the story before. There just aren’t enough hours in the day. The cost of living is going up.

This story is ready for a reframe, and we’re here to help you write yours.

We believe in a new relationship to exchange, where sacred reciprocity takes precedent, and justice is built into the system. Our tenants include the following principles;

“It’s Just Money” ~ our local currency has justice built into its very structure, offering a post-capitalistic alternative to value exchange, putting the needs of our local community at the forefront.

The Hudson Valley Current is a fair currency, in so far as it solely acts as an instrument of trade and account, not an instrument of unequal power.

“Money Made by Local Trade” ~ our focus on hyper local means of strengthening our regional economy puts the power of issuance in the hands of the individuals and small businesses that make up our community here in the Hudson Valley.

Each member in the Current economy has the ability to issue money.
This gives individuals and small businesses the power of issuance, creating money by circulating money.
When one business or individual chooses to go into the negative by exchanging with another member in the economy, they are creating that amount in the positive, thus circulating

The Hudson Valley Current is a nonprofit economic development organization dedicated to illuminating the abundance that’s all around us. We seek abundance for all—our community, our businesses, and our families. We believe that we have everything we need, right here in the Hudson Valley.

That’s why we developed a community currency called the Current—an opportunity for each business or individual to share their skills and resources within the community.

Local Currencies Mean Resilient Communities

You probably already know how supporting an independent business keeps more money in your economy compared to shopping at national chains. But if not here’s a video to give you a quick overview.

This multiplier effect is magnified with a local currency!

You earn Currents by offering your services or selling inventory (often surplus).
You spend your Currents at one of hundreds of participating local businesses.
100% of this income stays in the region, and is used to support more local businesses.
Other business owners gain more income to reinvest in their companies (using local talent).
Everybody wins! Your business and your local economy grow.

About the Current

The Current is a complementary currency that’s exchanged amongst participating businesses in the mid-Hudson Valley. The Current economy is based on the tangible goods and services of our members, and thrives when individuals embody their entrepreneurial spirit. It is YOU, the member, that controls the amount of Currents earned and spent, not a bank or reserve anywhere. Within this complementary economy, the power of issuance is in our hands, and we can be our own banks! Small businesses can choose to shorten (and thus, strengthen) our supply chains, stay local and fortify our regional relationships with each other and the land. This local currency is focused on circulation, rather than accumulation. Currents are recognized by the IRS as a “trade dollar” and are taxable just like a US dollar. Our member businesses have been circulating the Current for a decade, and paying taxes on their earnings, just as they do with USD.

Do Currents take the place of USD?

Absolutely not. We understand that there are essential bills that you need to pay in US dollars. That is why the Current is meant to supplement and work alongside our national currency. Imagine using your Currents on “date night” with your sweetheart and saving those USD’s to pay off more of your mortgage. Or instead you could use your Currents to buy groceries at Tilda’s Kitchen & Market and save those USD’s towards the new car you are eyeing. In essence, you can save your USD’s and spend your Currents on the things YOU choose. The dollar travels far and wide and enriches everyone else. Meanwhile the Current travels only within the Hudson Valley and enriches our community, our main streets and our neighbors.

Why Use the Current?

Shifts the Narrative

While we have all been raised in a culture that uses dollars as the primary tool of exchange, many of us have not asked ourselves the question: “What is money?”. The Current strives to shift the narrative around our relationship with capital– in its many forms.

Hyperlocal

When you exchange Currents, you ensure that our money circulates in our community. Currents cannot be spent outside of the Hudson Valley, so our wealth remains in the hands of local businesses and individuals. This supports and uplifts our neighbors, while creating a resilient local economy.

Innovative

We can confidently say that all of our Current members are incredibly courageous and innovative. In order to shift our perception of money and embrace the ancient concept of community currency, we need to be creative, bold trailblazers.

Saves Money

A small business can have a tight profit margin, which means credit card fees can be unaffordable. Unlike traditional payment systems, the Current has no interest fees or credit card fees. That’s right: 0% interest and zero credit card transaction fees!