BerkShares Numbers Growing As of August 15, 2007, one million fifty-nine thousand BerkShares had been placed in circulation through participating BerkShare banks. This means that citizens have exchanged over $953,000 for BerkShares. BerkShares are returned to the banks when businesses find they have too many to use for their own purchases. A net amount continues out in circulation, keeping exchanges local and wealth in the community. This net amount has steadily grown since launch of BerkShares in September of 2006. As of August 15, 2007, the net number of BerkShares in circulation was 192,000. How does the BerkShares team track these numbers, you ask? Simple. When a new bank signs on to trade in BerkShares, BerkShares, Inc. opens an account at that bank. There are twelve bank locations-- Berkshire Bank’s offices at: Main Street, Great Barrington Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington Main Street, Sheffield Main Street, Stockbridge and West Stockbridge Lee Bank’s offices at: Main Street, Great Barrington and Church Street, Stockbridge Salisbury Bank and Trust’s offices at: Main Street, South Egremont Main Street, Sheffield Pittsfield Coop Bank’s office at: Main Street, Great Barrington And as of next week Lenox National Bank on Main Street in Lenox will join the banks exchanging BerkShares. When a Berkshire resident goes in to one of the banks and trades federal dollars for BerkShares, the federal dollars are deposited into the BerkShares account at the bank to back the BerkShares This exchange is shown as a deposit to the account. When a business returns to the bank with BerkShares to trade for federal dollars, this is shown as a withdrawal from the account. Twice a month Kristen Fix of the BerkShares team, collects the figures from each bank and tallies them. She reports these figures on a web page at www.berkshares.org/accounts.htm This system was designed with help from our banking partners. It provides an elegant way of seeing the flow of BerkShares in the community. But it is only one way of reporting on the BerkShares program. Starting next week BerkShares will be distributing questionnaires to all BerkShare businesses for input on the program. What works? What does not? How can it be better? What are your ideas for creative use of BerkShares? When you get your questionnaire, please fill it out and return it to BerkShares, Inc. A separate questionnaire is going to users of BerkShares through several distribution points. Why not just do an on-line form, you ask? Because of the extraordinary international press attention to the BerkShares program, the BerkShares web site is viewed by people around the world. On average the site receives 6,000 hits per day. When the Reuters story on BerkShares appeared on the front page of yahoo.com, the site received 118,000 hits in one day. We do not want someone in Finland sending in a questionnaire about how this community should shape its own local currency program. It is for you and other participating business owners and citizens of the region to create the future of BerkShares. So the questionnaires will be on paper to deliver or mail back. We look forward to your input. Best wishes, BerkShares Team P O Box 125 Great Barrington, MA 01230 413-528-1737 www.berkshares.org