About Us
We give people the means to strengthen relationships, deepen belonging, and renew hope in their communities.
Founded in 1989, Essential Partners helps people build relationships across differences to address their communities’ most pressing challenges.
EP’s proven approach helps people live and work better together. Through richer, healthier, more inclusive dialogue, people strengthen relationships while gaining new insight into themselves and each other as well as the problems they face together. The strength of relationships rooted in trust and mutual understanding empowers people to address the most pressing challenges—from partisan polarization and political dysfunction to interfaith conflicts and abortion access—without compromising their deepest values or identities.
We believe that the most urgent problems can only be addressed by people who live and work together every day. That's how we change the world: one community at a time. Our vision is a world of thriving communities strengthened by difference, connected by trust.
Essential Partners collaborates with civic groups, schools, faith communities, colleges, and organizations across the globe to build resilience, belonging, and trust across differences of values, beliefs, and identities. We do this in several ways:
- Training people in our trademark approach
- Through long-term support, coaching, and mentorship
- Initiatives to shift community or institutional cultures
- Crafting new programs and resources with our clients
- Facilitating dialogue around particularly explosive issues
- Continuous research, evaluation, and innovation
Find out more about how we work as well as who we work with, or browse our impact stories for real-world examples of our work and its outcomes.
Ready to learn more about how we can help your neighborhood, campus, faith community, or workplace? Take the first step.
Honors & Awards
Community Peacemaker Award
Community Dispute Settlement Center, 2016
D’Alemberte Raven Award
American Bar Association section of Dispute Resolution, 2016
The President’s Award
The Southern California Mediation Association, 2006
Award for Innovative Contributions to Family Therapy
The American Family Therapy Academy, 1999
Eureka Mentor Award in Recognition of Dedication, Commitment, and Community Service
Eureka Bay Area Communities, 1999
Mary Parker Follett Award for Excellence and Innovation in Dispute Resolution
The Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution, 1997
