Our list of independent consultants represents a wide variety of skills needed by residential intentional communities. While the DIY ethic is admirable, there’s a lot to be said for getting some expert guidance to jumpstart your project. Many founders’ groups hire a consultant to teach them skills that they can gain proficiency at, then utilize themselves. The following are some of the most in-demand consultant services.
Independent IC consultants: On this page, ICmatch lists affiliated independent consultants for each of the categories below, as well as linking to other general IC consultant directories.
Getting Along as a Group
Online workshops, seminars, and consulting: a searchable directory, organized by state/province, specializing in or relevant to intentional communities
In-person workshops, seminars, and gatherings: a searchable directory, organized by state/province, specializing in or relevant to intentional communities
Group mentor
Group mentors develop familiarity with your group members over time. They may not have specific certifications but are wise and experienced. The understanding they develop about your particular group is a key component to their assistance.
CCDA Mentoring Program: The Christian Community Development Association’s list
Consensus facilitator
These professionals specialize in guiding groups in coming to difficult decisions using consensus-based decision-making.
The Foundation for Intentional Communities offers an excellent online course on consensus processes in intentional community.
Group facilitator
These professionals have a variety of specialized skills listed in their profile descriptions. As generalists, they may guide groups in coming to difficult decisions using a variety of methods an IC or founding group has chosen. This category is intended as a catch-all for group processes other than consensus decision-making. Follow this link to a further description of group facilitators, along with tips for groups in a DIY phase to take turns as facilitators.
The Foundation for Intentional Communities offers an excellent online course on group facilitation in intentional community. Topics covered include how to work with content, emotions, and how to delegate effectively.
Mediator or conflict resolution facilitator
A single legal consultant, acting as an impartial intermediary, can often facilitate agreements more efficiently and cost-effectively than having separate representatives for each party. For relatively minor concerns, consider engaging a group facilitator trained in conflict resolution. Many facilitators can provide effective support at a lower expense to your group than a legal professional.
Regardless of who facilitates the discussion, it is crucial to recap and document any agreement promptly, ideally before the meeting concludes. This ensures a shared understanding and consistent memory of the terms. Finally, have all parties sign the finalized agreement and provide each member with a signed copy. This practice eliminates future questions about unauthorized changes and provides clear documentation for everyone.
Leadership
These professionals have skills in sociocracy, holocracy, business or non-profit, or general community leadership experience.
The Foundation for Intentional Communities offers an excellent online course on diversity in intentional community.
Team building (recreational)
You might find these consultants helpful to add in the mix for retreats or for getting to know prospective members during visitor sessions.
Membership consultant
These consultants can help you design processes for recruiting, onboarding, and maintaining members who are a good fit for your intentional community. No IC can meet the needs of all people, so it is important to get clear on what characteristics you will prioritize.
Laird Schaub teaches an excellent online course on membership thru the Foundation for Intentional Communities. This is a great place to start. As you get more clear on all aspects of your needs and plans, a consultant can help you refine your processes further according to your specific needs and intentions.
Diversity consultant (as a subset of membership consultants)
These consultants can also help members understand and work thru challenges in understanding others and cooperating, as members from diverse cultures and backgrounds work together. For example, intentional communities often have difficulty recruiting and retaining ethnically diverse members. Many intentional communities want to attract members who differ from the local norm in race, gender, sexuality, education, socioeconomic status, or disability. Hiring a diversity consultant can help you better understand the barriers to inclusive community-building, and provide solutions moving forward.
The Foundation for Intentional Communities offers an excellent online course on diversity in intentional community.
Bringing in Income and Resources
Youth education programs
These professionals have a variety of specialized skills listed in their profile descriptions. Some have experience with charter school setup and alternative education styles such as Montessori and Waldorf.
Self-employment
Often remote communities are interested in ensuring that their residents have viable livelihoods. This could include a business that several or most members are engaged in, or individual businesses.
Business management
These professionals have experience with the business and non-profit aspect of ICs. This is more than just book keeping and property management. Look for consultants who run a similar type of operation to your IC or planned IC. If part of your business is to offer space for or to coordinate retreats, hire our listed consultants as presenters. In addition, the consultants listed for team building have skills and recreational activities to delight guests as well as your own IC members.
Marketing or website expert
These professionals have in-depth experience with ICs and know how to increase your visibility. Follow this link for a further description of how marketing experts can benefit your IC.
Grant writer
Our listed grant writers may be able to direct you to relevant funding sources even if you are not a certified non-profit organization. Professional grant writers may also be willing to train one of your members to do the bulk of the grant searches and research. Nonprofits such as Open Collective may be able to act as an umbrella organization to support your funding of a project that meets their guidelines.
Financial and Legal Setup of ICs
Network Directory by Neighborworks America: These consultants help with real-estate related work, including creating co-operative legal structures and creating affordable housing
Lawyer
Even with the best intentions, written agreements are crucial for any collaborative venture. While you may trust your partners implicitly, these documents ensure your arrangements will hold up in court if ever challenged. Consider, for instance, the complexities that could arise if an inheritor of a partner’s assets doesn’t share the same understanding or goodwill.
Beyond legal protection, clearly outlining everyone’s commitments provides a solid framework for thorough discussions about potential challenges, actively preventing misunderstandings and disputes. For all financial interactions, agreements should always be in writing, signed, and dated. While most people will honor their commitments, an unexpected death or normal failures of memory could lead to uncertainty regarding contributions. Signed records are vital to protect your investments, so don’t postpone this critical step.
Given that each state has unique housing laws and jurisdictional requirements, it’s essential to consult with a lawyer for advice tailored to your specific situation. Our listed consultants allow you to filter your search by area to find local expertise. Often, a legal aide can assist with drafting agreements at a lower cost, after which you should seek a final review from a lawyer and officially file the document with the appropriate governing body.
Listings for Legal Representatives and Consultants
Land Trust Alliance: A DC-based resource assisting land trusts with info on creating conservation easements in the U.S.
Alliance of Canadian Land Trusts: (BC, Ontario, and Quebec): aims to “support the use of best practices for governance and operation, and to ensure Canadian land trusts achieve long-lasting conservation solutions”
National Association of Housing Cooperatives: See their listing of institutions and consultants offering legal services.
Sustainable Economies Law Center: Find templates for worker cooperatives, worker self-directed nonprofits, land return, cooperative housing, and community land trusts. This California-based organization offers free legal advice thru online “Legal Cafe” meetings.
- Bell Alliance (Richard Bell and Ryan Griffin) in BC: law firm recommended for smaller partnership agreements
- Richard Ledding Law Corporation in BC: for more complex agreements such as ICs with more than six owners
A cautionary tale: This idealistic founder was blocked from her vision of a loving community providing food security for the neighboring community because she (a) possibly didn’t understand the legal restrictions on the land and (b) did not gain support from the locals. Legal advice could have made all the difference.
Realtor
Our listed realtors specialize in multiple-party purchases or are actively upgrading their understanding of location-specific legal options for joint ownership.
Finance advisor
Our finance advisors specialize in community-related contexts.
Financial institution or lender
These are funding or lending institutions that are willing to work with unconventional loan structures or mixed mortgages.
National Association of Housing Cooperatives: See their listing of institutions and consultants offering financial services.
“Mixer” mortgages for multiple buyers: from Vancity Credit Union in Canada
Financial institutions: see our page on financing for intentional communities
Land & Property Development
Permaculture-focused listing: access lists of permaculture practitioners and consultants working worldwide
Participatory design & architecture
This category may include individual architects. These consultants may be groups with multiple specialists to help founders to develop new cohousing projects. They can guide you in establishing time-tested procedures related to facilities management, rentals, and hospitality services. In addition to those in our listing, the lists linked at the end of the consultants page would include this type of specialist.
Sanitation & water systems
It’s best to find these professionals local to you, familiar with specific offices and regulations.
Renewable power & electrical
It isn’t necessary for these professionals to specialize in intentional community contexts. It may be easy to find this expertise local to you. However, an IC-aware specialist may be adept at navigating communal decision-making and facilitating discussions among diverse stakeholders with potentially varying levels of technical understanding. In addition, they can help establish clear protocols for system maintenance, monitoring, and repair that fit the community’s operational style.
Zoning & compliance specialist
It’s best to find these professionals as local to you as possible. Even when distant, they can guide you in working with local municipalities to change or adapt regulations. If they aren’t familiar with your area, they can at least help you know what questions to ask.
Natural builder
It’s best to find these professionals local to you. Locals will be familiar with the best green building materials for your climate and familiar with local regulations.
Plant Crops / Garden / greenhouse
It’s advisable to find these specialized professionals locally, as they will be familiar with your region’s specific climate, soil conditions, and native plant life. The ideal time to engage their services is after you’ve purchased the property but before you finalize the layout of your community. This strategic timing will help you prevent costly mistakes and leverage the natural assets of your land.
For ongoing, day-to-day horticultural advice on more common issues, many state universities offer invaluable resources. Their master gardener programs often provide free consultations, offering expert regional knowledge to help diagnose plant diseases and manage pests. Simply search for “extension service” along with your state’s name to find these resources.
Animal husbandry specialist
If you can’t find these professionals local to you, or willing to travel, you might find local farmers or community garden coordinators willing to act as consultants.