Maryland Non-Profits Use SWAP Platform for Resources
The resource-sharing platform helps non-profit organizations exchange needed supplies to stretch their limited budgets.
Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Remote Work
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Launched in 2021, the SWAP platform allows Maryland non-profits to post available items and needs to be matched with other organizations. The system requires groups to provide resources before they can request them, helping underresourced entities manage limited supplies.
Why it matters
Many non-profits operate with constrained budgets and limited supplies, making resource sharing a vital strategy for organizational efficiency. By facilitating direct exchanges, the platform helps these groups stretch their assets further to continue their work.
The Baltimore Community Toolbank operates with a core staff of 3-5 members per city and has utilized the platform for items such as a 32-inch flat-screen TV.
The players
Andy Trapp
He is an engineering professor who co-built the SWAP resource-sharing platform.
Jen Pazour
She is an engineering professor who co-built the SWAP platform at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Baltimore Community Toolbank
This is a non-profit organization that leverages the SWAP platform to trade equipment and supplies.
The details
The platform was built by engineering professors Andy Trapp and Jen Pazour to address the systemic lack of resources in the non-profit sector. For instance, the Baltimore Community Toolbank utilized the network to secure used iPhones for digital signatures while simultaneously providing a 32-inch flat-screen TV to another partner organization.
Timeline
2021: The SWAP platform officially launched with a pilot program in Howard County.
Market Landscape
The expansion of the SWAP platform follows the broader non-profit supply chain resource constraint trend. This growth highlights a strategic shift toward decentralized asset-sharing models as organizations look to mitigate operational limitations in different geographic markets.
Local non-profits participating in this network can acquire necessary hardware like smartphones or televisions without capital expenditure. This exchange model directly reduces operational overhead for charitable groups, allowing them to redirect limited funds toward core services.
The takeaway
Organizations looking to optimize their inventory should consider joining resource-matching networks to trade idle assets for essential supplies. This reciprocal exchange model creates a circular supply chain that empowers smaller entities to achieve more with existing resources.
Further reading
Learn more about the digital infrastructure supporting organizational collaboration in Maryland Remote Work.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WMAR.
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