Kansas City Consensus

Consensus, a regional nonprofit with national reach, puts the “public” in public policy. We provide the research, process and safe, neutral space where people can find common ground on even high-conflict issues. At a time when public life often seems polarized, we seek solutions that incorporate a variety of points of view.

The Consensus mission is unique among metro KC nonprofits, and allows us to contribute our process expertise to a variety of issues. Consensus works on regional civic projects and for clients in metro Kansas City and around the country. Consensus currently serves as project director for Creating Community Solutions, part of the national dialogue on mental health. We also sponsor The Civility Project, which includes an annual breakfast and awards for individuals and groups that successfully work across boundaries. Consensus also holds public forums on emerging issues, often working in collaboration with KCPT Public Television. In 2014, the organization will work with a local organization on a large-scale public engagement and with a local library to hold deliberative forums on local issues, among other client-funded projects.

Consensus was founded in 1984 out of a desire to bridge the gap between citizens and civic leadership. From our initial focus on citizen-based task forces, Consensus has added new processes such as deliberative forums that allow it to engage many more citizens in finding solutions to tough public issues. We are proud to be a “center for civic life” of the National Issues Forums Institute, and have worked closely with other national groups such as MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, the National Institute for Civil Discourse, AmericaSpeaks, and the Kettering Foundation. Our local partners and clients include municipalities, nonprofits and universities.