Governance + Group Dynamics


The Virtue of Sharing

Posted on July 11, 2018 by

How Important is Sharing to the Future? This ‘Future Tense’ podcast ‘The Virtue of Sharing‘ covered the remarkable nature of sharing, and it’s critical importance to a thriving human culture,… Read More


Want to Connect with the Next Generation?

Posted on April 27, 2018 by

Are you an elder seeking to team with youth in community? A young adult looking for community? The FIC is proud to co-sponsor NEXTGEN North America’s Ecovillage Pathways gathering for deep… Read More


Combating Racism, One Community at a Time

Posted on March 26, 2018 by
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Catholic Worker communities throughout the Midwest examine themselves, make changes, and reach out in an effort to overcome the insidious influences of white supremacy.


Class, Race, and Privilege in Intentional Community

Posted on March 24, 2018 by

A co-owner of Heart-Culture Farm Community explores ways to use her privilege to help create a society where people are truly equal.


I’m Not a Racist, But Racism Is In Me—and in My Community

Posted on March 22, 2018 by

Predominantly white communities are going to stay that way until they acknowledge and address racism. Here is some guidance for doing that.


Reflections on Class from a Newbie at Rocky Hill Cohousing

Posted on March 20, 2018 by
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A cohousing project’s budget can help address class and classism—but the community also needs to articulate and explore its culture’s underlying or hidden rules.


White Bias, Black Lives: When Unconscious Bias Affects Your Community

Posted on March 18, 2018 by

Members of Sunward Cohousing recognize and attempt to transform their community’s differential treatment of white-skinned and dark-skinned neighborhood children.


Moving Beyond Diversity Towards Collective Liberation: Weaving the Communities Movement into Intersectional Justice Struggles

Posted on March 8, 2018 by

The co-organizer of the People of Color Sustainable Housing Network shares strategies for deepening your community’s work on issues of race, class, and privilege.


Consensus: Learning to think and act cooperatively – The Community Builders Forum – Webinar #2

Posted on September 13, 2017 by
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In the second addition of The Community Builders Forum, the FIC’s new webinar series for members, Laird Schaub takes us through what makes consensus work. Members can participate in these… Read More


Participatory Budgeting in an Income-Sharing Community

Posted on June 11, 2017 by
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How does one share income and expenses among a hundred people? Twin Oaks discovers how to supplant apathy with widespread engagement.


This Novel Explores A Tuscon Community’s Response To Climate Change

Posted on April 10, 2017 by

A new novel by Susan Feathers, called Threshold, explores one community’s response to climate change. Inspired by her experiences with the Building Resilient Neighborhoods program in Tuscon, Arizona, Threshold combines… Read More


Race, Class, Gender and Climate Change: An Excerpt From Together Resilient by Ma’ikwe Ludwig

Posted on March 6, 2017 by

This post is an excerpt from Together Resilient: Building Community in the Age of Climate Disruption by Ma’ikwe Ludwig, published by The Foundation for Intentional Community. **** Climate change is deeply intertwined with race,… Read More


The Cool Block Program Helps Neighbors Work Together to Fight Climate Change

Posted on February 16, 2017 by

When we hear the words “intentional community,” we may think of residential communities like back-to-the-land communes and urban housing co-ops. But you don’t have to live in the same house to… Read More


An App Called Teem Helps You Delegate Tasks Within Your Community

Posted on January 30, 2017 by

One of the challenges of living in a community with lots of new residents or guests is getting everyone oriented to the tasks and projects at hand. When I lived… Read More


Public vs. Private: Group Dilemma Laid Bare!

Posted on January 11, 2017 by
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For some neighbors, the logical leap from “glimpse of skin” to “nudist colony” is a surprisingly short one to make.


Five Tools to Help Groups Thrive

Posted on December 21, 2016 by

A clearly articulated evolutionary purpose, a welcoming of the whole self, and governance through self-management are keys to collective success.


Digital Security For Your Intentional Community

Posted on December 19, 2016 by

For some high-profile communities, visibility is a good thing. The Dancing Rabbit ecovillage in Rutledge, Missouri, depends on workshops and other business endeavors to support itself. Many communities maintain a social media… Read More


This Year, We’ll Need Community More Than Ever

Posted on December 15, 2016 by

I woke up on Election Day ready to get the whole thing over with. My life was already in a state of transition: the eco-village I’d lived in for two… Read More


How Homeowners Can Be More Intentional Landlords

Posted on December 5, 2016 by

Next month, I’ll be moving into a house owned by a “community landlord.” Rather than simply renting out rooms in the house, the homeowner (who no longer lives on the property),… Read More


The Class Cultures Toolkit Can Help You Host More Inclusive Meetings and Events

Posted on December 1, 2016 by

Talking about class can be difficult – especially in intentional communities that include people from a variety of backgrounds. It can be a challenge to balance the needs of members… Read More


How Does Your Community Create Space for Romantic Partnerships?

Posted on October 31, 2016 by
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In the popular imagination, intentional communities have a reputation for being free-for-alls when it comes to love and relationships. But in reality, that’s rarely the case, and many communities have guiding… Read More


These Tools Can Help Your Community Make Better Decisions

Posted on October 6, 2016 by
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One of the biggest hurdles an intentional community can face is figuring out how to make decisions. There are dozens of decision-making strategies to choose from, from consensus to sociocracy. But in… Read More


A New Game Called “Rise Up” Explores Cooperative Social Movements

Posted on September 26, 2016 by

The Toolbox for Education and Social Action (TESA) is launching a Kickstarter for a new board game on September 27th. Called “Rise Up: The Game of People and Power,” the game… Read More


This Women-Only Village In Kenya Is Challenging Traditional Gender Roles

Posted on September 22, 2016 by

For over 20 years, a small community in Kenya has been embarking on a rare experiment: a community without men, where women are the homeowners and breadwinners. Around 50 women… Read More


This Alaska Community Took Its Own Approach To Treating Mental Illness

Posted on August 15, 2016 by
3 Comments

The philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti once said, “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” It’s a quote often repeated by alternative healers and… Read More


A New Movie Tells The Story of A Danish Couple As They Start An Intentional Community

Posted on July 28, 2016 by

A new movie called “The Commune” follows Erik and Anna, a Danish couple living in Copenhagen in the 1970s, as they invite an assortment of friends and acquaintances to move… Read More


How This French Philosopher Inspired An Early Version of Cohousing

Posted on July 23, 2016 by
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Although not as famous as some of his contemporaries, the French thinker Charles Fourier was one of the early visionaries of the intentional community movement. A utopian socialist, he proposed… Read More


Case Study: How One Community Handles Maintenance Expenses

Posted on July 14, 2016 by

Here at Foster Village, my community in SE Portland, we share access to three houses on adjoining plots of land. Although we have plans for collective ownership, for now the… Read More


Moving Through Times of Transition

Posted on May 23, 2016 by

What is it that keeps a community’s identity consistent over time? Is it the people? The place? The culture? Here at Foster Village in Portland, OR, we’ve had around a… Read More


Common Fire’s Top Ten Hard-Earned Tips for Community Success

Posted on April 11, 2016 by
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The sometimes triumphant, sometimes traumatic experiences of the three Common Fire communities yield wisdom relevant to anyone working to create a community.