The sharing movement is hitting the road.
Come along.
This month, our team is loading up and heading out for our yearly retreat. Part road trip, part strategy session, we’ll be mapping the next chapter of the sharing movement: getting a Library of Things into neighborhoods everywhere.
We’re raising $10,000 in 10 days to keep this journey moving. Not for a flashy project — for the unglamorous, essential work that turns scattered local experiments into real community sharing infrastructure: the research, the stories, the networks, and the playbook that help every new Library of Things launch faster, cheaper, and stronger.
We’re already 62% down the road, thanks to a few early supporters — every gift between now and September 23rd keeps us moving toward the next stop: a Library of Things in every neighborhood.
Why This Matters
What if neighborhoods everywhere had a place where people could borrow a power drill, a pressure washer, or a sewing machine without owning any of it?
That’s a Library of Things — and most American tools already sit idle more than 95% of the time, while plenty of folks can’t cover a $400 surprise expense. Sharing fixes both.
And it matters most when things get hard. In 2024, when Hurricane Helene hit, the Asheville Tool Library became a central hub of the response — a trusted spot, full of tools and the know-how to use them, ready when the community needed it most. It saved lives on the worst day. It also matters on an ordinary Tuesday.
We think people should have the ability to share resources like this everywhere. Not as a nice-to-have neighborhood amenity, but as infrastructure — as normal as sidewalks and libraries. Places to share the things you need to live and thrive, right in your neighborhood. That’s what we call community sharing infrastructure.
Where We’re Headed
Right now, the sharing movement is at a mile-marker moment. These models work: we’ve seen 38 Libraries of Things launched or grown with our support, in affordable housing, on campuses, and in disaster-prone neighborhoods. The practitioners are organized. Communities are ready.
So this year, we’re changing how we travel. Instead of waiting to be asked for help, we’re drawing the map ourselves: researching what works, telling the stories, connecting the organizers, and building the playbook that makes every new Library of Things faster, cheaper, and more adaptable to launch.
That’s what this retreat is for — and it’s what your gift fuels. The next stop on this route: a sharing space every neighborhood can reach.
Here’s what people doing this work have to say:
“Shareable has been an incredibly helpful and inspiring resource. I’ve been learning so much from the LoT and Mutual Aid 101 Toolkits!”
-Alex Pink, Superior District Library (MI)
FAQ
Where does the money go? Into the work that helps Libraries of Things spread: research on what’s working, storytelling that gets the movement seen, convening and connecting organizers, hands-on coaching for communities launching new LoTs, and keeping our practitioner toolkits updated and free.
Why now? Because the movement is at a waypoint. Proven models exist, communities are asking, and the next phase — building real community sharing infrastructure across the country — starts with what we map out this week. Your gift keeps us moving.
Is my donation tax-deductible? Yes. Shareable is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Can I give monthly? Please do! Monthly donors are the steady fuel that keeps this journey going year-round.
Can I get a print copy of the toolkit? Yes — donors of $100 or more can request a print copy once it’s available. Just note it in your donation or email bobby@shareable.net.
We’re raising $10,000 by September 23rd.
We’re already 62% down the road, thanks to a few early supporters — every gift between now and September 23rd keeps us moving toward the next stop: a Library of Things in neighborhoods everywhere.
Make a Gift. Join the Journey.
Destination: a Library of Things within reach of every community. Donors like you put it on the map.