A structured 90-day initiative connecting neighbors across difference — through shared meals, civic listening, and collaborative action — to build the relational infrastructure democracy requires.
The Common Ground Project is BDUSA's flagship community engagement program. It doesn't ask people to debate their differences — it invites them to build something together despite them.
Over 90 days, a cohort of 12–18 community members — drawn from different faiths, political backgrounds, ethnicities, and life experiences — gather three times to listen, design, and act. The result is a tangible community artifact: a neighborhood project, a shared public commitment, or a local partnership that outlasts the program itself.
Explore the CARE Framework →Every arc opens with a shared meal. Structured conversation guides move neighbors from strangers to listeners in a single evening.
Facilitated by a certified Bridge Builder using the CARE protocol to surface shared values and map the divides that matter most.
Cross-difference teams tackle a concrete local challenge — producing a real artifact together in just two weeks.
Cohorts present their work to the broader community — modeling civic collaboration and inviting neighbors into the next arc.
Three phases. Three sessions. One cohort. One community artifact.
"They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated." — Isaiah 61:4
Each Common Ground cohort is intentionally cross-sectional — designed to include these roles.
A pastor, rabbi, imam, or spiritual leader whose moral authority creates psychological safety for honest conversation.
ConvenerAn elected official or civic leader who can translate community insights into policy or resource alignment.
Systems BridgeA teacher or youth worker who brings intergenerational perspective and ensures young voices are centered in the design process.
IntergenerationalA business owner whose investment in community stability translates goodwill into economic commitment.
Resource HolderA community member whose lived experience represents a perspective often absent from civic planning tables.
Lived ExperienceAn activist or organizer whose urgency keeps the cohort honest about what change actually requires.
AccountabilityBDUSA is actively partnering with communities across America. We provide the facilitation training, curriculum, and measurement tools. You provide the community.
Tell us about your community, the divides you're navigating, and what you hope to build.
A 30-minute conversation to assess fit, define cohort composition, and set your 90-day timeline.
BDUSA assigns or trains a certified Bridge Builder in your community to lead all three sessions.
Your 90-day arc begins. BDUSA provides ongoing support and connection to the national network.
What BDUSA Provides
Rural, urban, suburban — wherever neighbors live in proximity but not in relationship, there is work to do.