Community Startup Program

Overview

Community – the deep quality that is supportive, revitalizing, and stimulating – is never guaranteed by simply bringing a group of people together. Community on this level is built through the care, attention, passion, and diligence of every member to help nurture it to life. The building itself of course plays a role; It is important to have a comfortable room to recharge, cozy shared living spaces to gather in, and a well-stocked kitchen – but there is a whole world beyond those of getting to know each other, learning to trust each other, and learning to work together for the common good that will require space, time, and energy. At OpenDoor, we support each of our communities through this process in something known as the Community Startup Program.

What is the Community Startup Program?

The Community Startup Program (CSP) is a support track that runs over the first 4-6 months of a new community. It involves several different touch-points led by OpenDoor that involve the community as whole as well as small focus groups to help folks settle into the space, get to know each other, and create systems adapted for the specific needs of the building.

What are the touch-points that I will be invited to participate in?

There are several touch-points that you as a member will participate in. They each happen on their own rhythm which have been time-tested to best support communities with just the right amount of support with the right amount of space.

Monthly event

These monthly 2-3 hours events are where you will receive the most important training that OpenDoor has to offer as to what makes a community function well. This is a space of practice, training, and connecting live with your house members on topics such as collaboration, working across differences, personal growth, and conflict resolution. Each month’s training will deepen along the same channels – so if you are joining your first or your third monthly workshop you will be receiving valuable
experience.

weekly dinner

The weekly dinners are where the simple magic happens. This is what our long-time communities refer to as what makes the difference between “a house and a home.” Weekly dinners are a ritual opportunity to welcome new members, get to know each other on a deeper level, laugh, cry, and be human. Each person will have an opportunity to contribute to the weekly dinners in a way that best fits them – from gathering to cooking to cleaning to facilitating conversation.

launch teams

It can be daunting to try and create something on your own. It can be equally overwhelming to try and create something with too many people in a room. Our launch teams are small, agile focus groups that work together to help establish the core functions & systems of the community. Every person in the community will join one of six launch teams to help establish a system for the benefit of the whole community. You can be expected to put in somewhere between 5-10 hrs/month over the launch of the home on this team. The six teams to join are as follows:

Food & Finance
Chores & Roles (Contributions)
New Member Onboarding
Governance & Agreements
Vision & Values
Community Outreach

I am busy, how will I stay on top of all of this and make the time?

Our experience is that when you don’t lean in to practice these skills and take the time to get important systems up and running that your community will take 3-5 times more energy due to community tension and conflict that inevitably arises. As the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Thus, we encourage each of you to see these touch-points as a vital investment to your own life through contributing to create a stable, nourishing, life-giving community.

Ok, so when & where do I show up?

We will communicate by email and send you reminders for all of the dates and times for where you will need to be with sufficient advance notice. We look forward to working with you! Until soon,

Thank you,

The OpenDoor Community Team