Founding Cohort · 3 Slots Available
We're not launching with a press release. We're launching with three real organizations running real elections on things that actually matter to their people. Applications are open now.
Each slot is different because each represents a different use case, a different community, a different set of stakes. Together they prove FOLKMOOT works across contexts.
High-stakes votes where management interference is a documented concern. You need results your members can independently verify. You understand adversarial conditions.
Communities with members who can't easily access official elections — unstable addresses, no government ID, history of voter roll removal. FOLKMOOT was built for exactly this.
Direct democracy at the block level. Diverse ages, languages, tech literacy levels. This slot proves FOLKMOOT works for everyone — not just people who are comfortable with technology.
We configure FOLKMOOT for your organization, walk your tech contact through the setup, and run a test election before the real one. You won't be doing this alone.
A dedicated Matrix channel with the FOLKMOOT development team. Real people who will respond. Not a ticketing system.
Printable member guides in English and Spanish. A short explainer video tailored for your organization type. QR codes. Everything you need to get your members registered.
We walk your chosen trustees through the threshold key ceremony — how to hold and use their decryption key shares. This is the most important part and we do it with you live.
After your election, we walk you and any interested members through the independent verification process — showing exactly how to confirm the results are correct.
Founding pilots get direct input into what gets built next. Your organization's experience shapes FOLKMOOT for every community that comes after you.
We configure your FOLKMOOT instance, create your election namespace, set up your admin credentials through Authentik SSO, and walk through the trustee key ceremony with your 3–5 designated trustees. Your tech contact gets a guided tour of the admin dashboard.
You distribute the FOLKMOOT registration QR codes and member guides to your community. We recommend doing this at an existing meeting so you can explain the vouching process in person. Target: get at least 80% of your eligible voters registered before the first election opens.
Run a low-stakes test election before the real one. A fun, inconsequential vote — best pizza topping, next meeting time, whatever. This surfaces any technical issues and gets your members comfortable with the interface before the vote that matters.
Your real decision goes to a vote. We are on standby during the voting window. After the election closes, your trustees run the threshold decryption ceremony together. Results post to the public bulletin board. We walk your members through verification.
A structured conversation with your leadership about what worked, what was confusing, what broke, and what you wish existed. This feedback directly shapes the platform before public launch. With your permission, we document your story for the public launch.
We read every application personally. There is no algorithm deciding this. Tell us who you are and what you're trying to decide.