Monthly gatherings · Local leaders · Real conversations

Start a civic revolution from your living room.

Salonette helps friends and neighbors gather regularly to understand local issues, hear directly from the people closest to them, and build the relationships communities need to act.

See how it works
Start a Salonette

A FAMILIAR RECIPE

Civic life that fits into real life.

People want to understand and shape the places they live. They just need a way in that feels human, useful, and worth making time for. Think of it like a book club, without a book.

01 · GATHER

People you know

A consistent group of friends and neighbors meets in a living room, around a kitchen table, or wherever feels comfortable.

02 · LEARN

Issues close to home

The group explores a local question and often invites a public official, practitioner, journalist, or community leader.

03 · CONNECT

Knowledge that travels

Members leave more informed, more connected, and more confident about sharing that information and participating more actively in local civic life.

THE THEORY OF CHANGE

From informed to involved.

Salonette is designed to help people understand their community, exercise the muscle of political conversation, and engage when it matters.

Understand your town

Learn how local decisions are actually made. Hear perspectives that do not fit into a social-media post.

Build strong relationships within your community

Get to know neighbors and local leaders through regular, thoughtful conversation.

Mobilize effectively

Recognize when—and how—to take constructive action. Connect with other salonettes in town or across towns that share your concern. Learn from, partner with, or simply support each other.

PROOF POINT · MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY

Salonette revolutionizes civic engagement.

Source: Salonette Member Survey, November 2025.

100%

talked to a friend or neighbor about a local issue

94%

cast an informed vote in a local election

76%

reached out to a public official

35%

volunteered or ran for local office or a board

FIND YOUR WAY IN

Help us expand and strengthen the Salonette network.

Host a Salonette

Gather 8-12 people and start a civic revolution in your community.

Explore hosting →

Bring it to your town

Libraries and local organizations can help identify hosts and anchor a community launch.

Partner with us →

Share what you know

Public officials and community leaders can join a candid, off-the-record conversation.

Speak to a group →

  • “I started coming mostly to see my friends. Over time, I developed a desire to understand how things work—and to really listen and take in new perspectives.”

    Consuelo R., Salonette Member

  • “I spend so much time reading national news, but, before joining my salonette, I didn’t appreciate how much of my life is affected by local decisions — what to spend local taxes on, how much money to pay teachers, how to utilize tax breaks to incentivize businesses I want to see in town. And, more amazingly, I didn’t appreciate how much power I have to influence those decisions.”

    Jen L., Salonette Member

  • “Before our salonette, I learned about what was happening in town through social media. As a result, I was basing my opinion on a few hot takes posted by people I didn’t really know, let alone trust. Now, I develop my opinions after speaking directly with the people involved."

    Cate G., Salonette Member

IN THE PRESS

People are noticing what can happen in a living room.

ASPEN INSTITUTE

The neighbors hosting politicians in their living rooms

Read the story ↗

MONTCLAIR LOCAL

A Salonette: bringing local politicians to your living room

Read the story ↗