Starting · 2 min read
The stages of starting a community
From one person's idea to a group living together — the stages, the checklist, and what each stage needs.
Starting a community is a long project with a predictable shape. Knowing the stages helps you focus on what matters now, and stops enthusiasm from turning into an open-ended commitment.
The stages
- Idea. One or two people write a short description of what they want to create.
- Core group. Find four to ten committed people. Meet regularly for at least several months.
- Vision and values. Write a shared vision statement and agreed values. See Writing a shared vision.
- Agreements. How you decide, how you handle money, how people join and leave the group.
- Feasibility. Region, size, budget, how members will afford it, and how they will earn a living.
- Site search. See Choosing a place.
- Design and build — or renovate. Ideally with residents involved in the design.
- Move in. Expect the first years to be a learning period.
- Grow and renew. Welcome new members and revise your agreements as you learn.
Groups often report several years from first meeting to moving in for a new build; joining or converting an existing building can be faster.
Founding group checklist
- A shared vision statement (one page)
- A values list — five to eight values, each with an example of what it looks like in practice
- An agreed decision-making method
- A meeting schedule and rotating facilitation
- Roles: coordinator, treasurer, note-taker, outreach
- A group bank account or clear treasury rules
- How costs during the founding phase are shared
- How new founders join, and how people leave the group
- A conflict process
- A decision log
Decision gates
Before moving to the next stage, ask: what must be true before we go on?
| Gate | What you should have |
|---|---|
| Explore → Commit | A vision the whole group has agreed, and an honest picture of each person’s time and money |
| Commit → Search | Written agreements on decisions, money and leaving |
| Search → Buy | Professional checks on the site, and confirmed funding |
| Buy → Build | Approved design, budget and responsibilities |
Also agree stop conditions: events that would justify pausing or ending the project. It feels pessimistic, but it protects friendships.
Tools to use
Kibutz’s group workspace gives you the alignment check, a vision builder, a decision log and a shared budget — free, private to your group.