People in conversation

Custom Collaborations

We believe that every community is the expert in what matters most to their community.

That's why Essential Partners customizes the design of projects in collaboration with our partners. This maximizes the impact we can have and transforms the way a community, campus, congregation, or company approaches conflict.

We don't just parachute into a community with all the answers in hand.

Photo: EP Dialogue

What does a collaboration with Essential Partners look like?

Essential Partners works with communities and institutions around the globe. Our expert associates will travel to your location to lead trainings, conduct interviews, and support program design.

Over a free phone consultation, a member of our program team will talk with you about the tensions at hand, your community's character, and the local capacities. If a collaboration makes sense, we'll embark on a collaborative mapping process to better understand the context, identify the key stakeholders, and draft timelines.

There is no typical Essential Partners project. However, one possible outline could look like this:

  • A community member reaches out to Essential Partners for help
  • EP and the local partner co-create a scope and timelines
  • One or more EP associates travel to train local community members
  • EP associates co-design and co-lead the first dialogues
  • Local partners are coached through the next engagement
  • An EP engagement deepens the partners' skills and capacities
  • Local partners use their new skills in the community as needed
  • EP serves as a lifelong resource for our partners

Building local capacity leads to meaningful, lasting, large-scale change. Our goal, in almost every case, is to equip local partners to hold vital, contentious public conversations with minimal support from Essential Partners.

We also support our partners through membership in EP's global Community of Practice. This includes consultation and coaching, continued learning opportunities, in-person peer gatherings, and access to exclusive resources.

We believe in you. Let's get started.