Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Including interested people in the process when they aren't ready to commit financially

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

> On Sep 30, 2017, at 11:32 AM, Debbie Fox via Cohousing-L <cohousing-l [at] 
> cohousing.org> wrote:
> 
> 
> We meet approximately once a month, mostly to discuss member recruitment.  
> Once we get to 10 members the requirement is to put in a larger amount of 
> money that will go to hiring an architect.  Then we can start the design 
> process.  

In my experience meeting once a month  isn’t enough. it takes more focus. To 
create a group you have to have a group. Unless you are already good friends 
and connect in many ways throughout the month, it will take more connection. 
Weekly meetings can be lots of things—pot lucks, field trips to look at the 
kind of sites you might want, field trips to other cohousing communities, 
invite speakers, etc. Give the people in your mailing list lots of 
opportunities.

> My question is:  How have other developing cohousing groups included 
> interested parties that are not ready to put in money?  Do you include them 
> in the monthly meetings?  Several people have asked to come to the meetings, 
> but they aren't ready to commit financially.  

Very nice that you have a plan with criterion set for moving to the next 
stage—do the same with prices for units. Plan a schedule of discounts on unit 
prices. First people in receive a larger discount when you ultimately sign 
contracts. Keep a list of who joined first so they have first choice of units 
when you get that far.

UNCOMMITTED ATTENDING MEETINGS

How could any one decide to give anyone money if they aren’t allowed to see how 
the group functions when making hard decisions? If a person who had never built 
even a dog house walked up to you and said give me $500 or $1,000, then I’ll 
let you in to see how I do this, would you? Even if you liked the person, would 
you just hand him a check?

Lots of groups do have separate meetings for the financially committed. 
Personally, I would avoid that group. On the one hand they want people to make 
a financial commitment — a big risk for many — but exclude them from the real 
meetings that might give them the confidence to take the risk. Unless you are 
building a purely social organization, potlucks won’t convince people to invest 
money. You are asking for their life savings.

I’m exaggerating but that’s one way to see how the more timid people see the 
project. One of the characteristics of entrepreneurs — those who are first in — 
is that they don’t see risk. They aren’t more willing to take risks, they don’t 
see them. They have confidence in their ability to do or learn how to do 
whatever it is they set out to do. Only 14% of Americans fit that category. And 
most of them are already up to their ears in one project or another. 

So the question becomes how are you convincing non-entrepreneurs that you can 
do it with their support and cooperation?

Many groups like developing Bay State Commons in Malden MA, have half an hour 
before business meetings to orient new people so they understand the meeting 
but they are welcome to attend the regular meeting. If you have a person who 
shows up just to be disruptive, then you have to deal with that person. In 
cohousing, those are skills you will need too.

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org