Engaging the public for public good.

Our Story

The 2019 Civility Awards at Grand Street Cafe

A Passion For Thoughtful Public Engagement Drives Consensus

Since 1984, Consensus KC has given people a voice in decisions that affect their lives. From working on the bi-state cultural tax that restored Union Station to planning for community response to pandemic flu to Creating Community Solutions KC (a national effort to bring mental illness out of the shadows and develop innovative, community-based solutions), Consensus KC knows how to design and deliver deliberative processes that engage the community. We build the civic muscle of Kansas City and beyond to create a stronger, more engaged community.

Consensus KC understands public policy issues and we know how to engage members of the public in ways that bring out their best.

Over the past 36 years, we have proved that people will learn, make hard choices, and seek common ground. Some of the power of our work comes from bringing diverse groups together, people who might not meet otherwise. Society is becoming more fragmented and less civil. Bridging the gaps that divide us is more important than ever.

We have worked with national leaders on award-winning civic engagement projects. We have produced new community leaders with a regional perspective. We have helped people wrestle with hard choices. We have promoted civility in public engagement.

Consensus is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Approximately 50% of our income comes from consulting work. Contact us for more information on how we can help you create more effective civic engagement, or for information on civility trainings.

We Take the Pulse of the Public on Issues that Matter

Consensus KC is a regional nonprofit that often works on national projects. We are a partner in the national Weaving Community campaign, a Kettering Foundation Initiative for Democratic Practices, and part of the #ListenFirst coalition.

Currently, we are coordinating the Wyandotte County Safe and Affordable Housing Committee (part of the Community Health Improvement Plan), and offering our services to the Kansas Civility Project (a bipartisan group working to promote civility in the Kansas Legislature.)

To learn how to engage us for your public engagement project or to partner, please contact us.

Civility – A Problem of Process, Not People

Consensus launched The Civility Project after the disastrous health care town hall meetings of 2009. We held focus groups with hundreds of residents. We learned how they want to engage in public issues, and created “Six Simple Changes” for elected officials based on the results. We work with elected officials, city employees, and leaders of organizations to move beyond the public meeting.

If you are struggling to make your public meetings more productive or want to move beyond the public meeting to engage with your community in more thoughtful ways, contact Consensus for custom solutions.

Public Policy in Action

We have convened citizens to study 16 public policy issues. Our work has resulted in new laws and policies, new and improved programs and has received national attention. For example, a task force recommended a bi-state tax to fund arts and culture. Then our volunteers worked for a decade to pass identical legislation in Kansas and Missouri. The cultural tax was used to renovate Union Station.

The restoration of Union Station took a unified Kansas City - and Consensus KC was a major part of the effort.

A Generation in Kansas City

office-1

1984

Civic activists formed Kansas City Consensus in 1984 after voters defeated two ballot measures that had the support of business groups and elected officials. Citizens, they felt, had only enough power to say “No.” They identified the need for an organization that could give citizens a voice in public policy, to make it truly public.

office-1

1980’s

Kansas City Consensus studied a wide range of issues, among them bi-state funding for culture and recreation, child care, minority business development, solid waste management, school district governance, downtown redevelopment and, most recently, library structure and funding. This work resulted in legislation at the state and city level, and in new or improved programs.

office-1

1996

After a decade of work by Kansas City Consensus and other partners, the bi-state ⅛ cent sales tax passed in an effort to save Union Station (the first in the area). The sales tax generated $118 million of the $260 million needed for renovations.

office-1

2002

Kansas City Consensus began working with the Kauffman Foundation on KC Forums, a project intended to promote deliberative democracy in metro Kansas City.

office-1

2003

Consensus becomes a “virtual” organization and begins offering consulting services on civic engagement and public policy to government, business and nonprofit groups to clients nationwide. Jennifer Wilding is hired as Executive Director.

office-1

2010

Launch of The Civility Project. Consensus held 20 focus groups with citizens in metro Kansas City and used the findings as the basis of a one-day class on how to build more civility into how the public is engaged in public policy issues.

office-1

2012

Consensus launched “The Civility Awards,” recognizing people, organizations, and businesses bringing civility to public life.

office-1

2013

Consensus was responsible for Kansas City being named a lead city in the national dialogue on mental health called Creating Community Solutions, and serves as the project director. In September of 2013, we held one of the largest deliberative public engagements ever in this region, with 310 participants and dozens of volunteers, resulting in a community action plan for mental health.

office-1

2014

The Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City hired Consensus to hold a similar large event, this time with people who were underserved and uninsured. We had 270 participants and dozens of volunteers at that event, and HCF and the United Way have used the results in their planning.

office-1

2018

Consensus engaged Kansas Citians online and in person during the National Week of Conversation, with a pledge to listen first, free discussion guides, social media topics, and two public events with the Kansas City Public Library.

office-1

2018

Just Vote

Raise your voice!

Consensus partnered with Livable Neighborhoods to pioneer the text based voter engagement platform in Wyandotte County. The project was supported by the Kansas Health Foundation.

office-1

2018

Consensus awarded the Community Partnership Award by the Missouri Library Association for our work with the Kansas City Public Library.

office-1

2018

Heidi Holliday hired as Executive Director.

office-1

2019

Consensus partners with the Kansas City Public Library and Charlotte Street Foundation for a documentary screening and discussion during the National Week of Conversation.

office-1

2019

Consensus was hired to coordinate the efforts of the Safe and Affordable Housing Task force of the UG Community Health Improvement Plan.

office-1

2020

Consensus offered pro-bono technical and facilitation support to The Kansas Civility Project, a group of Kansas legislators promoting civility in state government. The project included a training by the National Institute for Civil Discourse.

office-1

2020

Consensus launches weekly “Weaving Community” Zoom chats in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

office-1

2020

Consensus rebrands as “Consensus KC,” and launches new website.

© Consensus KC 2024 | Web presence by Stanford Web Solutions