We have spent the last 15 years building and participating in communities and found tremendous joy in them. Based on our own experience and with the generous help of leading community builders, we have developed a framework that helps build stronger communities and make our society a bit more connected: the Community Canvas.
Since publishing the Canvas in 2017 we have learned so much about community and want to continue supporting community builders. However during that journey we also realized that we felt called to pursue different directions and have launched separate projects going forward. Find out more about where these new projects are headed at Together Institute and Close Knit.
While this project has come to a close, this website, the framework and the guidebooks below will continue to stay accessible and we hope it will provide joy and meaning to you and your groups.
For each of the 17 themes, we have identified a set of questions that will help find the right answers for your own community. We provide worksheets to make the questions actionable.
While the Canvas doesn't give answers, we provide further background for each of the 17 themes, based on our observations and feedback from leading community builders. In future versions we're going to include case studies for each theme.
All Community Canvas documents are released under Creative Commons license BY-NC-SA 4.0. More about that here.
The 3 Sections and each of the 17 Themes covered in detail with key questions, further background and observations.
Download PDF, 61 pages
We created a Minimum Viable Community template, choosing the most crucial 9 questions to start with.
Answer the questions of the Canvas for your own community.
The Visual Summary has all themes and one key question on one page. PDF.
The comprehensive Google Doc lists each of the 17 themes with all questions, ideal for choosing what is relevant to your needs and creating your own community strategy.
Open Google Doc
Download PDF, 28 Pages
We've been working with a wonderful team of volunteer translators to localize the Community Canvas.
A big thank you to all of them: Alberto Puliafito, Amir Noureddini, André de Menezes Lara Resende, Bruno Evangelista, Chi-Hsun Tsai, Eder Delgado, Evgeny Reznitsky, Flavia Vivacqua, Gabriel Holmes, Hermano Reis, Jakub Pacanda, João Bernardo Casali, Julie Petignat, Luciana C M Costa, Maria Polyak, Nikita Savostikov, Piritta Syrjälä, Rei Dishon, Rogerio Melfi, Tanja Laub, Tomas Burian,
Since publishing the Canvas in 2017 we’ve grown and learned so much and feel called to pursue different directions. Find out more about Fabian’s project Together Institute and Sascha’s Close Knit that will continue the work with and for community builders.
Fabian Pfortmüller is a Swiss community builder. He is co-founder of the Together Institute, an organization dedicated to building caring, engaged & healthy relationships in communities, networks, neighborhoods, organizations and society at large. Fabian is also an Innovator in Residence for the Kauffman Foundation. He co-founded Sandbox, a global community for young change makers and Holstee, an organization providing tools for a meaningful life. Fabian regularly writes about community building topics at www.together.is
Nico Luchsinger is a Zurich-based entrepreneur and journalist. He co-founded Sandbox with Fabian, and led the organization until 2013. Currently, he is the Co-Executive Director at Asia Society Switzerland, a think-tank focused on exploring Asia’s role in the world.
nico.luchsinger@gmail.com | @halbluchs | medium.com/@halbluchs
Sascha Mombartz is an artist, designer and community builder based in New York. Sascha works at the intersection of systems thinking, communication and user experience design to unravel complex relationships and create meaningful interactions and frameworks that help organizations and individuals build belonging, trust and resilience. He previously worked at the New York Times, Google's Creative Lab and has consulted with startups and nonprofits for the last 10 years. His work and thoughts on community can be found on Close Knit.
The Community Canvas project would never have been possible without the generous support of many community builders across the globe.
Everyone who worked on the Community Canvas 2.0 team: Chris Chavez, Daniel Brooks, Erin Dixon, Michel Bachmann, Sita Magnusson.
Christine Lai, Casper ter Kuile, Angie Thurston, David Spinks, Alex Simon, Daniel Ospina, Mathias Jakobsen, Scott Shigeoka, Anton Chernikov, Ryan Fix, Michel Bachmann, Nettra Pan, James McBennett, Konstantina Zoehrer, Omri Baumer, Kasper Hulthin and all participants of the Community Canvas workshops for helping us develop version 1.
Everyone who helped translate the Canvas: Tomas Burian, Jakub Pacanda, Amir Noureddini, Piritta Syrjälä, Julie Petignat, Tanja Laub, Rei Dishon, Alberto Puliafito, Flavia Vivacqua, Bruno Evangelista, Luciana C M Costa, Gabriel Holmes, Rogerio Melfi, Hermano Reis, João Bernardo Casali, Maria Polyak, Nikita Savostikov, Evgeniy Reznitskiy, Eder Delgado.
The team at Kauffman Foundation for their support and guidance, especially Lauren Higgins, Mark Beam, Andy Stoll and Victor Hwang.
Everyone who was a Steward for Community Canvas 2.0 and provided feedback and guidance: Aaron Kahlow, Adam Yukelson, Adrienne Haynes, Aida Murad, Al Jeffrey, Alberto Pulifato, Alden Bevington, Alex Budak, Alex Simon, Alexa Clay, Allie Mahler, Alnoor Ladha, Andrea Fernández, Andy Stoll, Ankit Shah, Annalyn Lavey, Anne Merkle, Anton Chernikov, Ants Cabraal, Anurag Gupta, Asia Lindsay, Audrey Low, Avary Kent, Axel Magnuson, Ben Bechar, Ben Sahlmüller, Betsy Ribble Pine, Bill Issacs, Brian Kurtz, Brooke Brosolino, Carlos Saba, Caroline Mehl, Casey Rosengren, Casper ter Kuile, Cesar Salazar, Charles Michel, Charles Vogl, Charlotte Terrien, Chelsea Robinson, Christian Vanizette, Christian Busch, Christine Lai, Claire Wathen, Cynthia Boedihardjo, Damian Madray, Darin Petersen, Dave Lim, David Spinks, Deborah Chang, Dedo Baranshamaje, Dee Hamill, Deepti Doshi, Dharmishta Rood, Donald MacLean, Dorian Baroni, Eder Delgado, Elan Babchuck, Eli Malinsky, Elizabeth McWhorter, Enoch Elwell, Erica Dorn, Erik Martinez Resly, Erin Frey, Ernesto van Peborgh, Ethan Lipsitz, Evan Absher, Farah Assir, Francesca Pick, Gail Taylor, Gameli Adzaho, Hinnerk Hansen, Ines Silva, Ishan Shapiro, Ismail Chaib, Jaime Arredondo, James Hanusa, Jameson Dempsey, Jeff Shiau, Jen Silverstein, Jen Bailey, Jen Sandler, Jenn Sander, Jerone Hsu, Jerri Chou, Jerry Michalski, Jess Rimington, Jesse Israel, Jessica von Farkas, Joe Grant, Jonah Brotman, Jonathan Olinger, Jonathan Imme, Josh Stearns, Kalsoom Lakhani, Kanan Dhru, Kate Beecroft, Katie Baker, Kevin Huynh, Kiran Reddy, Konstantina Zoehrer, Kristoffer Tjalve, Krystle Starvis, Lana Jelenjev, Lauren Higgins, Leen Sadder, Lennon Flowers, Lucian Tarnovski, Lynn Zebeda, Maggie de Pree, Marga Biller, Mari Camardelli, Mariana Santos, Marion Cortina, Mark Beam, Marsha Dunn, Mary Galeti, Matilda Sundaker, Megha Desai, Melinda Varfi, Melissa Wong, Michael Mayernick, Michael Cox, Michele Steckler, Michelle Lim, Mike Fleisch, Mikey Muhanna, Misraim Macias, Nan Braun, Natalie Self, Nettra Pan, Nick McGirl, Nico Luchsinger, Nicole Okumu, Niels Rot, Nora Bateson, Olivier Taieb, Omri Baumer, Oscar Cerezales, Patricia Shaw, Peter Powell, Rabbi Sara Luria, Rachel Happe, Rachel Gerrol, Ragnar Behncke, Rhea Mehta, Rodrigo Cunha, Romain Vakilitabar, Ronan Harrington, Roy Munin, Ruhi Sharmim, Ryan Fix, Sanderson Jones, Sandra Ortiz Diaz, Sarah Judd Welch, Scott Shigeoka, Sebastian Lindstroem, Sherman Whites, Shira Abramowitz, Steve Tam, Sue Borchardt, Sunnie Tölle, Sylvia Vriesendorp, Tamas Hovanyecz, Teju Ravilochan, Tibet Sprague, Tim Weiss, Ting Kelly, Tony Bacigalupo, Travis King, Vanessa Wai, Victoria Stoyanova, Virginia Alonso Navarro, Zach Anderson, Zach Bell, Zaina Kanaan.
