Start a Buy Nothing Private Group
This is a road map that will guide you through the process of creating your own local private Buy Nothing group. By "private group," we mean an online group that's maintained by an individual. In Facebook-speak, this person is called an Admin.
While we're building your group, please read the Buy Nothing Admin Agreement that explains our mutual responsibilities. When you join the group we create for you, you'll become a party to this agreement, so please read it carefully.
Your First Step:
Click or tap here to complete the New Buy Nothing Private Group form so we have the information we need to start your group!
Here's What We Do For You:
The Buy Nothing Project Volunteer Team will create a group for you. Here's what this includes:
- We create a Buy Nothing Project private group for you on Facebook
- We set up your membership screening questions
- We set up your group rules and group description
- We upload the official BN banner
- We adjust the settings to ensure your group's privacy and your admin status
- We share a welcome post to your group's feed, with helpful information about how Buy Nothing works
- We add your new BN group to our worldwide list of official Buy Nothing private groups
- Once everything is ready, we'll invite to join and upgrade you to admin status so you can take the lead.
- We set groups up this way to maintain the integrity of the Buy Nothing Project and to make it easier for everyone to get started with everything they need
- We provide ongoing support and resources you can use via our app and this website
Here's Your Second Step:
- Click or tap here to make a $10 tax-deductible donation to the Buy Nothing Project. This donation is part of the process to cover the operating costs that we can't afford to cover on our own. We are volunteers just like you, and we need your help to cover the monthly costs that come with hosting resources, keeping information secure, and communicating with all of the Buy Nothing communities around the world via our Help Center that serves you as an admin as well as each of your group's members.
- Your donation will be made to our fiscal sponsor, Angels for Angels. The donation form auto-populates with a $25 donation, but you can edit this by typing into the box with the dollar sign ($). You'll be able to make either an anonymous donation or a donation in your own name. If you choose to make an anonymous donation, we will not receive information from Angels for Angels about your donation that will allow us to identify you for at least 1 month. This means there will be at least a one month delay before we can set your group up. If you donate in your own name, we will be able to see your name within a day and will be able to start building your group right away.
Here Are Your Next Steps:
- Join your group! Watch your email for your invitation, and check your spam folder/filter to make sure you haven't missed it. When you join the group we've set up for you, you agree to respect and adhere to our Buy Nothing Admin Agreement.
- Invite people to join your group! You're ready to start the Give-Ask-Gratitude Buy Nothing cycle!
- Visit our Build Buy Nothing page for tips and resources that will help your community grow.
- Connect with us regularly in the BN app. We provide ongoing, regular support to all BN Admins and Community Builders via the app, where you'll find shareable posts to help you guide your group. We have a whole category of public posts called "Tips" that explain Buy Nothing culture and how-tos.
- Lead by example! Start posting your own Gives, Asks and Gratitudes to your group. Your lived example will inspire others to join you - Someone needs to break the ice and show people how it's done, and you're the perfect ice breaker. Using what you've learned from the Buy Nothing Academy, post as many Gives and Asks as you can, and add at least one Gratitude, each week.
- Visit our Help Center if you have any questions that our BN Volunteer Team can help with.