We would like to help similar communities get started in other cities and rural locations. Obviously, we are just getting started ourselves, so at this point it would be a joint learning experience. We can make loans to help associated communities get started. By having a network of communities, we hope to provide support for each other in several ways.

One way we could be of help is by helping you with the technicalities of setting up IRS 501(d) status. Another is that, if we have individuals from your area who would like to join us but are unable to move here, we could direct them to your new community. Yet another is simply sharing what each of us finds effective at helping our communities prosper both financially and in terms of new members and children. Perhaps someone from your community would like to attend our university or marry one of our members and join our community. If you needed lodging while giving or attending a symposium in our town or wanted a vacation away from your community, we might be an option. If we are successful, at some future date we would have the financial resources to make loans, e.g. for mortgages, to other sister communities.

We may be launching a second community in the near future in Anchorage, Alaska.

Judging from the 25 small Twelve Tribe communities (see "Today's Communes) and the history of the kibbutz movement, there may be a real possibility of mutual support and growth. Of course, the Tribes and the kibbutzim may not be good examples since both have large established church communities that help cultivate future members. Only time will tell.

We would certainly welcome visitors who want to start Children for the Future communities in their own area.

The choice of an urban or rural location is interesting. Almost all intentional communities have situated themselves in rural locations. Whether an urban location is too disruptive for an intentional community is unclear. However, at least one, Ganas, is in a large city, i.e., New York City. While we are at least initially committed to our university community since this is where we own our home, we support the idea of developing a rural location or locations. Obviously, if we have a wider range of location types to choose from, we are more likely to appeal to a wider range of new potential members.

Financially, in modern times an agriculturally based community is much harder to make successful. The financial investment is huge and the very low price of agricultural products means that the profit margins are often very slim or negative. However, some rural intentional communities have been successful developing cottage industries of various types. If we are successful in having and raising intelligent children and in keeping them with us, perhaps some of our cottage industries will entail providing professional services to the areas in which we live.

In part because we speak several languages besides English and have lived several years in other countries, we would also be very interested in having individuals from others countries coming to join us or starting associated communities in their countries. You can write us in French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, or Italian, as well as English.