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

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