Florence Matthews Women's CenterGreater Cleveland

Women helping women, directly

The Exchange

A place to trade what you have for what you need. Not charity — an even swap between equals. You know things and own things that would solve someone else's week, and she knows things that would solve yours.

How it works

Post what you can offer. Say what you need. We make the match.

1

Offer something

A skill, an object, an hour, a spare room, or knowing exactly how a system works because you fought through it yourself.

2

Say what you need

Be specific and be honest. Nobody here thinks less of you for needing something. Most of us are on both lists.

3

We introduce you

A navigator makes the match and the introduction, so nobody has to cold-call a stranger or negotiate on their own.

What gets traded

Five kinds of exchange

Tap a box. Below it you get real examples of what women here have offered and asked for, and the exact steps that kind of exchange follows.

Ground rules

Six rules. Not negotiable. They protect you.

An exchange between people who have just met only works if everyone trusts the rules. Every match follows all six, every time.

1
Meet at the Center first.First meetings happen here, in a public room, during open hours. Nobody will think it rude to insist.
2
No money lending, ever.The Exchange never involves cash between members. If money is the need, a navigator connects you to real help instead.
3
No selling and no recruiting.Not a marketplace, not a place to recruit for a business, a direct-sales company, a campaign or a congregation.
4
Licensed work stays licensed.Nothing requiring a licence or permit: electrical, gas, structural, roofing, medical or legal representation.
5
Your details stay yours.Posts carry a first name and how you prefer to be reached. Nothing is published publicly.
6
You can always say no.Withdraw from any match, at any point, without giving a reason.

Need money help instead? Start here →

Want to post an offer or a need?

Speak to a navigator at the Center, or bring it to the monthly Coffee & Clarity brunch. The Exchange runs on a physical board and in person while a searchable online version is built. If you are not a member yet, come anyway — see what is coming up.