Get Involved at LongHouse

LongHouse is a working civic body — a research library, a community-financing vehicle, and a regular gathering space. Here's how to contribute, participate, or access what we're building.

What LongHouse actually does: maintains a civic library (primary-source legal and governance research, published for free), runs a community-financing ring (transparent lending among members), hosts Wednesday meetings tied to the lunar cycle, and supports small family farming and land-stewardship operations with application-prep help for USDA, state, and private programs.

We aren't a church, a political org, a credential body, or a business. Operators are paid fairly. Decisions are made at meetings. Finances are published quarterly.

Shiny Pennies
Representation, open finance, meeting guidance

Public-facing officers of LongHouse. Run meetings cleanly, keep the books open, and represent the organization at public hearings, partner conversations, and on the public record.

Open-Book Treasurer

Custodian of the monthly P&L for any LongHouse-financed project. Publish where money goes so contributors can see the work.

Time: 5–10 hrs/month

Volunteer role. No compensation at this stage.

Where to start: First treasurer needed for the Q3 community-farm financing round.
I'm interested →

Meeting Facilitator

Run the monthly civic meeting. Keep agendas moving, time-bounded, and accessible. Make sure quiet voices get heard.

Time: 3–6 hrs/month

Volunteer role. No compensation at this stage.

Where to start: Rotation starting Wed May 6.
I'm interested →

Public Representative

Speak on behalf of LongHouse at city council, county supervisors, school board, or partner-org meetings. Stays accurate on the public record.

Time: 3–8 hrs/month, variable

Volunteer role. No compensation at this stage.

Where to start: Phoenix-area rep needed for May–June meeting calendar.
I'm interested →
Rusty Pennies
Constitutional rights, safety, and security training

The volunteers who train the rest of us. Constitutional rights, de-escalation, safety, security best practices for a small public-facing civic organization.

Constitutional Rights Educator

Run short workshops on the Bill of Rights, due process basics, free speech limits, what to do when stopped or questioned. Plain-language, primary-source-based.

Time: 4–10 hrs/month

Volunteer role. No compensation at this stage.

Where to start: First workshop needed: Know-Your-Rights at Public Comment, June.
I'm interested →

Safety + De-escalation Trainer

Teach basic first aid, conflict de-escalation, situational awareness for canvassers and event hosts. Build the curriculum others can run.

Time: 5–10 hrs/month, variable

Volunteer role. No compensation at this stage.

Where to start: Trainer with prior Red Cross / civilian-de-escalation experience preferred.
I'm interested →

Security Best-Practices Trainer

Cover digital + physical security for meetings, contact lists, event check-in, and protecting attendee data. Light, practical, repeatable.

Time: 3–6 hrs/month

Volunteer role. No compensation at this stage.

Where to start: First session needed: contact-list hygiene + meeting check-in privacy.
I'm interested →
PennyWells
Long-term information, sensitive topics, remembrance

Volunteers who hold the long work. Steward the information layer, run the seven-year projects, and care for the stories that need slow, patient diligence.

Long-Mission Lead

Champion a seven-year civic project per the published methodology. Annual reviews, year-seven decision: renew, hand off, or end.

Time: Variable; long-arc commitment

Volunteer role. No compensation at this stage.

Where to start: Lead sought for the AZ water-rights long arc.
I'm interested →

Sensitive-Topic Researcher

Work carefully on civil-rights cases, missing-persons files, historical injustice, and stories that require primary-source diligence before publication. Slow on purpose.

Time: 5–15 hrs/month, remote-friendly

Volunteer role. No compensation at this stage.

Where to start: First researcher needed for the AZ missing-and-unidentified review.
I'm interested →

Civic Archivist / Story-Keeper

Capture community memory before it disappears (recordings, transcripts, signed releases). Preserve court-watch logs, oral histories, primary documents.

Time: 4–10 hrs/month

Volunteer role. No compensation at this stage.

Where to start: Oral-history archivist for the founding cohort interviews, summer 2026.
I'm interested →

How civic work works here

Part-time, civilian, revolving. Nobody is expected to make a career of this. Hours are small and flexible. Roles rotate.

Volunteer. All chapter roles are voluntary at this stage. LongHouse does not have budget for paid positions right now. If and when the operating budget supports paid work, the policy will be transparent and any compensation will be published in the quarterly governance record.

Transparent. All decisions and any future paid hours are logged and published quarterly. Financial decisions are discussed openly at meetings.

Consensus-led. Proposals are brought at Pre-Full-Moon meetings, decisions made at Post-Full-Moon meetings. Simple majority if consensus fails. No single person has unilateral decision power over member-affecting choices.

Transparency commitments

Volunteer-only at this stage. No paid roles in any chapter.

Any future change to paid roles will be ratified at a public meeting and published in the quarterly governance record before it takes effect.

Community financing ring (when launched): all loans published with terms, amounts, and repayment status (borrowers consent at time of participation).

Not legal or financial advice. We help members find and prepare applications for real programs — we are not a certified lender, advisor, or fiscal sponsor.

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