We are a community of people dedicated to creating a place where resources are shared, the Earth is respected, diversity is welcomed, children play together in safety, growth is nurtured, and living in community enriches our lives. Our core values and vision help to provide a common foundation for our decisions and our relationships with each other.
Around 95 people live at Sunward Cohousing, from infants to centenarians. We have singles and couples, families with children, empty-nesters, and shared homes. We have a diversity of backgrounds, occupations, spiritual and secular paths, and sexual orientations.
In our years together on the land since 1998, we have experienced births, deaths, weddings, partings, joys, sorrows, members joining and departing, and much more. Many of us were drawn to Sunward for the sense of community and for the opportunity to live more lightly on the land. We steward 20 beautiful acres of woods, prairie, ponds, one quarter of which contains our clustered private homes and common house.
deepeing connections, stewardship of land, creating a beautiful legacy for future generations
Read our public documents. Begin a conversation with us. Arrange a visit. Attend a Community Meeting and a Common House dinner. Meet as many Sunwardians as you can. Ask yourself how you can sustainably contribute to the shared work of running our community.
We look forward to meeting prospective members! Please contact us well in advance and please be patient and persistent. We can NOT accommodate drop-in visitors. Please read FIC’s guide to visiting communities ahead of your visit, and thank you for respecting the privacy of our home.
A few people (not elected by the broader community) make the major decisions.
More than 50% agreement needed.
Members elect leaders who make decisions within defined roles.
Consensus Oriented Decision Making with super majority decision rule. Several leadership committees for topic areas
Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.
Regular fees: Yes
Labor: Yes (2 hrs/week)
Members with pre-existing debt: allowed
Members must be able to meet financial obligations to the community, and manage a financially stable household.
Minimum contribution of 5hr/month plus preparing common meals & community meeting participation
Purchase of home or some level of rental or homesharing arrangement.
each household pay a monthly fee to community based partly on size.
Common House, Garden(s), Greenhouse(s), Vehicle Share, Library, Workshop, Large Scale Kitchen, Fire pit, Swingsets & play areas, Waterfront access, Gym or sports area, Internet
Residential areas outside city centers but within metropolitan regions.
Private homes with shared common facilities, designed for neighborly
interaction while maintaining independence.
Connecting people and communities through an intentional online marketplace
A residential project: people live here as their primary home.
An institution, business, network, or project that isn’t a residence (e.g. a learning center, farm, or network with no one living there full-time).
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We’re introducing new Plus features — including community reviews, Profile Match, and unlimited Needs & Offers posts — while keeping most of FIC free for everyone. Membership costs less than two coffees a month.
