om-what?

(/ˈämˌbədz)

Your community has the answer.

We help you find it and bring it to life.

We help place-based partners turn insight into action through planning, research, and community engagement. We create projects and systems that work for real people, building trust along the way.

As for our name? ‘Ombuds’ comes from the Swedish ombudsman, meaning “representative of the people.” That’s who we strive to be.

planning

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research

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engagement

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evaluation

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coalition building

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facilitation

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planning + research + engagement + evaluation + coalition building + facilitation +

hi! we’re ombuds.

Ombuds ensures local voices are heard early and clearly. We help shape your projects and initiatives to reflect shared values, so that your community is your coalition.

Whether building on an existing idea or crafting something new, we thrive in collaborative spaces, bringing a fresh perspective to pull it all together.

We partner with organizations, design teams, and institutions to develop projects that respond to unique community issues.

Need a few focused hours of support, an out-of-house team, or a full project partner? We’re built to flex.

who we work with