Community Contribution

Karma Policy & Guidelines

Karma is how DeKarma keeps generosity moving. It's community credit — not money. Here's everything you need to know.

What is Karma?

Karma is DeKarma's way of recognising community contribution. When you help a neighbour, you earn Karma. When you need help, you can use Karma. It keeps the cycle of help fair and sustainable — without involving money.

Important Karma is not money, currency, cryptocurrency, or an investment. It cannot be withdrawn as cash, traded on any exchange, or converted to any form of payment. Karma has no monetary value outside of the DeKarma community.

The simple idea

Help someone → earn Karma Complete a help request for a neighbour, and Karma is credited to your account as recognition of your time and effort.
Need help → use Karma When you post a request for help, Karma is set aside to acknowledge the helper who responds. The more you've contributed, the more support is available to you.

How Karma Flows

The community help cycle
1. Help Someone Lend a hand nearby
2. Earn Karma Your contribution recognised
3. Need Help Later Post your request
4. Use Karma The cycle continues

How Karma works in practice

1

Starting balance

Every new member receives a starting Karma balance so you can post your first help request right away, even before you've helped anyone.

2

Earning Karma

When you complete a help request for a neighbour and both sides confirm, Karma is transferred to your account. Different tasks may have different Karma values based on effort involved.

3

Using Karma

When you post a request, you set a Karma value to acknowledge the helper's effort. This amount is held securely until the help is completed and confirmed by both sides.

4

Karma protection

Karma is held in escrow during an active exchange. It only transfers when both the requester and helper confirm the task was completed. If a task is cancelled, Karma is returned.

5

Volunteer mode

Not everything needs Karma. You can post zero-Karma requests for purely voluntary help, and helpers can choose to volunteer without expecting Karma in return.

6

Reputation building

Your total Karma earned, completed help count, and community ratings all contribute to your reputation. The more you contribute, the more trust you build in your neighbourhood.

Karma guidelines

Simple rules to keep the community fair and sustainable.

What Karma is

  • Community credit that recognises your contribution
  • Earned by completing real help exchanges
  • Used to acknowledge helpers when you need assistance
  • A measure of how much you've contributed to your community
  • Protected by escrow during active exchanges

What Karma is not

  • Not money, cash, or legal tender
  • Not cryptocurrency or any form of digital currency
  • Not an investment or financial instrument
  • Not withdrawable or convertible to any payment
  • Not purchasable — Karma is only earned through helping
  • Not transferable between users outside of completed help exchanges

Fair use expectations

  • Set fair Karma values that reflect the effort involved in a task
  • Don't create fake requests or completions to artificially inflate Karma
  • Don't use multiple accounts to manipulate Karma balances
  • Report any suspicious activity that seems designed to game the system
  • Disputes are reviewed by the DeKarma team and resolved fairly

Common questions about Karma

No. Karma cannot be purchased. It is earned only by completing genuine help exchanges with your neighbours. This ensures Karma reflects real community contribution.

No. Karma has no monetary value and cannot be withdrawn, transferred outside the platform, or converted to cash. It exists solely as community recognition within DeKarma.

If a task is cancelled before completion, the Karma that was set aside is returned to the requester. Karma only transfers when both sides confirm that the help was actually completed.

Set a Karma value that feels fair for the time and effort involved. As a community guideline, 20 Karma credits represents approximately 1 hour of neighborly help. Quick errands might be 10–20 Karma, while tasks requiring more time or skill might be 25–50 Karma. There's no fixed formula — use your best judgement.

If your Karma balance is low, you can earn more by helping other people with their requests. You can also post zero-Karma requests for purely voluntary help, though helpers may prioritise requests that include Karma.

No. Karma can only be transferred through completed help exchanges. This ensures every Karma transfer is tied to a real act of help and prevents misuse.

Start earning Karma by helping your neighbours.

Join DeKarma, help someone nearby, and build your community reputation.

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