Creative and responsive facilitation
grounded in relationships, disciplined preparation, and a desire to see social movements and organizations thrive
Our Approach
We are relational and strategic. We see people and organizations in their full complexity.
With joyful curiosity, we work with you to understand your strengths, idiosyncrasies, and challenges to shape facilitation services that align with your specific needs.
We carry a race, gender, and class analysis to understand named and unnamed power dynamics and to uplift less heard voices.
We swiftly establish trust and get to the heart of the matter.
Stemming from our experience with emergent facilitation, Theater of the Oppressed, consensus decision making, Sociocracy, and anti-oppression facilitation, we employ exercises and games to disrupt old patterns and create new possibilities. The strongest outcomes emerge when everyone participates fully and creatively.
We honor your time and are outcome-oriented.
We prepare diligently, working with you to identify your goals and pitfalls and to best structure our time together.
Our Services
We begin with a no-cost 40-minute introductory call to assess the fit, goals, and capacity for working together. Then, we craft a detailed proposal, review it with you, and integrate your feedback.
Progressive Nonprofits
Facilitating strategic retreats
Developing campaign and long-term strategic plans
Evaluating and improving internal decision making structures and processes to help organizations and staff thrive
*We have particular expertise with Climate and Environmental Justice Organizations but facilitate across a variety of progressive nonprofits
Philanthropic Institutions
Developing grant-making strategies
Improving grantee relationships
Creating spend-down plans
Aligning endowment investments with philanthropic goals
*We have particular expertise with Family Foundations but facilitate across a variety of philanthropic institutions
Please reach out if what you’re looking for doesn’t fit within one of these categories. We are interested in thinking creatively with our clients to address a diversity of needs.
Testimonials
"Xaver and Naomi are experts in synthesizing an overload of information, and staying sensitive to the time constraints we have. They kept us on track and guided us through the flow of planning the retreat while keeping us honest to the project at hand and the values of org— and still managed to build in time for connection and fun!
Priya Mulgaonkar, former Board Chair at BK ROT
"Naomi and Xaver's dynamic facilitation enables joyful participation to bring out the best leadership in everyone around them. Their facilitation builds bridges, helps teams find healthy dynamics, and sets them up to tackle complex issues. They support groups to uncover their most pressing questions, and pull the group's collective wisdom together to find lasting solutions. Any organization would benefit from time spent with these two talented minds!"
Cody Edgerly, Brick by Brick Program Director, JLF
"The thoughtful preparation, attention to detail, and play/joyful execution made the experience of working with Confluence really impactful.”
Nora Tjossem, Co Executive Director at BK ROT
"Xaver’s ability to keep the conversation organized, structured, and equitable is rare to see and is so deeply helpful in reaching the goals we set out to achieve. Xaver has led me and other community partners through difficult, but necessary, conversations, and made sure nobody felt unheard. His kindness and genuine spirit radiates and creates a friendly environment you actively want to participate in. I highly recommend hiring Xaver and Confluence for any facilitation needs– Xaver has proven himself time and time again he's the best person for the job."
Shiv Soin, Co-Executive Director, TREEage
"The legacy that Naomi left around feedback and candor is very evident, in particular in the way our senior staff is now more willing to discuss uncomfortable topics or conflicts as a group. Our work as a coalition is so much better and more meaningful for it. I continue to be grateful to Naomi for imparting that wisdom and nudging us all on that journey (which has also been so illuminating in my life outside of work)."
Haley H, Policy Counsel