What is Loomio?

Loomio is an app for collaborative decision-making. It empowers groups to come together, build shared understanding, and agree on a clear course of action.

People use it for all kinds of things, from approving funding applications to cooperative governance to stakeholder engagement. The case studies section shows a variety of ways groups have used Loomio.

How it works in four steps

1. Gather

A Loomio group is an online place for people to have discussions and make decisions together.

2. Discuss

Anyone in the group can start a discussion. Everyone in the group is able to participate.

3. Propose

Proposals are the defining feature of Loomio. Use a proposal to move a discussion towards conclusion. If you're wondering how to move a conversation forward, the answer is almost always start a proposal!

4. Decide & Act

While a proposal is open, everyone in the group can state their position:

• Agree if you’re happy with the proposal.
• Abstain if you’re ok for the group to decide without you.
• Disagree if you believe there might be a better alternative.
• Block if you’ve got serious objections.

When you select your position, you can also enter a short statement to explain why. This creates a succinct summary of what everything thinks.

When the proposal closes, you can post an outcome so everyone knows what the result was and the next steps.

Over time you'll build a history of decisions you can refer to.

About us

Loomio is a cooperative social enterprise. Our mission is to empower anyone, anywhere to participate in decisions that affect their lives. We're a social enterprise based in Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand. Find out more.

Keep learning

Being a Loomio group coordinator is a lot like hosting a great meeting. Read on for tips about starting a Loomio group....