Eight short steps, a human review, and your community appears on the map. This page tells you what the form asks, what NWC looks for, and what happens after you press submit — so you can arrive at the wizard prepared rather than guessing.
None of these are ranking criteria — there is no score. They are the minimum that lets us honestly publish you next to the seed cohort. Everything else is your voice.
A practice that has been held for at least a year.
Communities less than a year old can submit but are marked as "seeded" rather than "established". Aspirants read the stage.
At least one steward living on the land.
We look for grounded stewardship, not remote management. A steward who visits quarterly is a landowner, not a community.
An honest relationship with the exchange layer.
Buy-in, monthly, or work-exchange terms — whatever they are — stated clearly. Vague financials are the most common reason a listing is sent back for revision.
Resonance with the Living Code, not assimilation to it.
We do not expect you to adopt our seven principles or seven tenets as your own. We do expect your practice to be legible against them — which layers of the Living Code you touch, and how.
The eight steps
What the wizard asks.
The form is a single page that steps through eight short sections. Your drafts save to your browser as you type, so you can leave and return. No account required to start.
Stewards only — no intermediaries.
Who is holding this?
We ask who is actually responsible for the land and the practice. Not a PR person, not an investor, not a future-tense "we will have". If the community has multiple stewards, name the one applying first; others can sign events from their own keys later.
What it looks like
·Your name and how long you have held this practice.
·A brief note on prior communities you have been part of.
·A yes/no on whether you currently live on the land.
Name, region, type, stage — four answers.
The basics.
Four short answers that place your community on the map. Stage matters more than people assume — aspirants read stage carefully to know whether to visit, apply, or fund.
What it looks like
·Community name exactly as you want it to read.
·Region down to country / province / nearest town.
·Type: eco-village, land-based cooperative, spiritual community, intentional neighborhood, etc.
The way you would describe your place to a visitor in the first fifteen minutes — origin, intention, what you are here to practice. Honest over polished. If this is hard to write, that usually means the practice has not named itself yet; apply when it has.
What it looks like
·Origin: how the community began and who it began with.
·Current intention: what the practice is actually pointed at right now.
·What a visitor would notice in the first hour on the land.
The texture of ordinary life. Aspirants are looking for rhythm fit, not a brochure. Say the things that make your place particular — even the ones that might reduce inbound interest.
What it looks like
·Governance model: consensus, sociocracy, steward-call, quorum, etc.
·Food practices: shared meals, dietary range, what the land produces.
·Spiritual practice (if any): daily, weekly, seasonal, none.
·Whether children are part of the community.
·Internet and phone norms.
Area, shared spaces, energy, water.
The land.
The material substrate. Area in hectares or acres, who owns the title, what is shared versus private, how you make electricity and water. Most aspirants have never lived off a spring or a solar array — write for them.
What it looks like
·Total area and how much is under active practice.
How money and labour actually move. Be specific — a vague "reasonable contribution" costs you trust. If you accept Bitcoin or Lightning, say so. If you offer work-exchange slots, name the terms.
What it looks like
·Buy-in if any, and what it entitles.
·Monthly or quarterly contribution, in local currency and BTC equivalents if applicable.
·Work-exchange: hours per week, duration window, what the visitor receives.
·Whether you accept Bitcoin / Lightning for any of the above.
What the land is asking for, and what it gives.
Needs and offers.
The most useful field on the form. Aspirants match on needs and offers — not on vibe. If you need a permaculture designer, say that. If you have a seed library others could draw from, say that too.
What it looks like
·3–5 concrete needs, each with the skill or role named.
·3–5 offers: skills, resources, teachings, rhythms visitors can join.
·Duration windows for each need (ongoing, this season, one-time).
Website, socials, photo link.
Where to look.
Places someone can verify this community exists outside NWC. A website helps. A shared photo album helps more. Instagram is fine but tell the story in the caption, not the filter.
What it looks like
·Website or primary URL (optional but recommended).
·One or two social links (optional).
·Public photo album URL (strongly recommended).
·Any testimonial or external reference you want linked.
After you submit
Four stages between submit and live on the map.
1. Pending review
Your submission lands in the founder review queue. You will see a confirmation on screen and — if you gave an email — a copy in your inbox. Nothing is public yet.
2. Human review
A founder reads the submission within a few days. Expect one of three outcomes: questions back to you, a request for revision, or approval. Revisions are edits, not restarts — we never ask you to re-enter the whole form.
3. Claim the profile
Once approved, we send you a claim link. Attaching a Nostr key turns the staged listing into a signed community profile (NIP-99 kind 30402). From that moment on, you — not NWC — control the listing. If NWC ever vanishes, the signed event persists on open relays.
4. Live on the map
Your pin appears on the community map, your profile page goes public, and aspirants can start seeing you in their matches. Every future edit is a re-signing of the same addressable event — the history remains visible.
Before you start
The wizard saves drafts to your browser, so you can leave and return. A good session takes 20–40 minutes if you have the answers ready. If you do not have a photo album or a rough land acreage, that is fine — you can submit and add links later.