Our story
A force for good.
CirclePot is a community support platform built on a simple idea: people taking care of people, without bureaucracy, without judgment, and without shame.
Where it came from
Long before there were banks, there were circles. In West Africa, susus. In the Caribbean, partner or sol. In Latin America, tandas. In China, hui. In the Philippines, paluwagan. In the Horn of Africa, hagbad. In Somali communities, ayuuto. The names change from culture to culture, but the practice is the same: people who trust each other contribute a small amount regularly, and each cycle, one member receives the pool.
Economists call them ROSCAs, Rotating Savings and Credit Associations. Communities call them family. For generations, these circles have paid for weddings and funerals, first months of rent and first semesters of tuition. They have helped newcomers land on their feet and small businesses buy their first inventory. They have been run largely by women, often called the Banker Ladies, who carry the trust of their entire community.
This is one of the oldest and most human financial traditions in the world. It works because it is built on something no institution can manufacture: people showing up for each other. Support moves between peers, with no gatekeeper deciding who is deserving and no shame in receiving, because everyone gives.
What we built
Not a charity. Not a bank. A community.
CirclePot takes the best of these traditions and makes them accessible to anyone with internet access. Members contribute $5 USD per month. 80% of every cycle's total is pooled and distributed to a community-voted recipient. 20% keeps the platform running.
There are no applications. No one is required to prove their hardship. No gatekeepers deciding who deserves help. Every active member is a candidate. The community votes anonymously on IDs, not identities. The recipient receives the full pool, no questions asked.
A place where people quietly choose to show up for each other, every single month. Someone real. Someone in the community. Someone who could use it.
Who we are
CirclePot is operated by CirclePot Community Inc., a federally incorporated company in Ontario, Canada. We are a small team building infrastructure for community-driven financial support.
Questions, concerns, or feedback, reach us at hello@circlepot.com.
Ready to be part of it?
$5/month. One community. Every dollar accounted for.