Piñon Ecovillage - Membership

Piñon Ecovillage
Membership Options

NOTE: There is no buy-in fee or joining fee of any kind at Piñon Ecovillage.

Piñon Ecovillage offer 4 types of membership:

Full egalitarian - shared housing, labor and resources
Associate rental houses on Piñon Ecovillage's land
Intern labor exchange for lodging, meals & learning
Friend non-resident supporters

Full members live together in one large house (Aspenwood House) and work together on community projects and businesses, sharing the products of their labor. Piñon Ecovillage currently has openings for Full members.

Associate membership is similar to cohousing in that members have their own private houses and share the grounds and common house facilities with other members. However, at Piñon, Associate members rent rather than own their houses, and there is no buy-in fee, making it more financially accessible.

Interns live in Aspenwood House and work on community projects in exchange for lodging, meals and learning. For more info on internships, click here.

Friends support Piñon Ecovillage with donations of labor and/or resources while living elsewhere.

Piñon Ecovillage
Membership Process

Our membership process usually takes at least 2 weeks, often longer for Full member applicants. If you are interested in pursuing Full or Associate membership at Piñon Ecovillage, follow these steps:

1. Read Piñon Ecovillage's web site.

2. Send/email us a Letter of Introduction, telling us about yourself. For groups/families, please send a separate letter from each person. Please include all of the following information:

how you heard about Piñon Ecovillage
mailing address, phone number, email address, and any other contact info
values, interests and skills
current work and living situations
what interests you about community living
what drew you to Piñon Ecovillage in particular
which type of membership you are interested in (Full or Associate)
any previous experience with living in community (not required), including what you liked about it and what didn't work for you
any questions you have about the Ecological Covenants, Full or Associate Membership Agreement, and/or Piñon Ecovillage in general
proposed beginning and ending dates for your visit (please plan ahead, as we are often booked with visitors several weeks in advance)

Note: Full member applicants should schedule a 1-week visit. Associate member applicants should schedule at least a 2-hour tour, and are welcome to visit for up to 1 week.

3. After your visit, if you are interested in joining, send us a signed and dated copy of the Ecological Covenants and the appropriate membership agreement (Full or Associate), along with the names and phone numbers of three (3) personal references. Please let your references know to expect a call from someone at Piñon Ecovillage.

4. We will contact your references, and then notify you of our decision. Once approved, Associate members are eligible for residence in one of Piñon Ecovillage's rental houses, provided there is one available. Full member applicants, once approved, become Trial members, and have all the same benefits, rights and responsibilities as Full members, except that Trial members may not block consensus. Once you've been here at least 6 months, you'll be reviewed for Full member status.