What is Fortitude Community?
We now offer Fortitude Community to help private survival communities operate successfully.
Voluntary survival communities usually fall apart
There are too many difficult decisions to make, disputes or problems, people not paying their dues, lack of skills or volunteers, lack of knowledge. Fortitude Ranch has over a decade of operating experience, with 8 locations and thousands of members—we’ve solved these problems in practice.
Run your survival community like a business, not a hobby
Fortitude Ranch offers training, membership agreements, operating manual, on-going consulting to help you manage your private Fortitude Community. We can screen members, collect dues, enforce rules, kick people out on behalf of the Fortitude Community manager—handle the vital but often unpleasant billing and administrative tasks.
What if our group falls apart before or during a collapse?
You can also affiliate with a nearby Fortitude Ranch, paying to use their firing range, conduct training there, and even purchase a “Plan B” group membership with stockpiled food and building materials in case your Fortitude Community wants/needs to bug out to a safer/bigger Fortitude Ranch location.
17 major reasons voluntary survival communities fail .... and how Fortitude Community can help
THE PROBLEM
1. Lack of Trust
Preppers are suspicious by default, do not trust that government will protect them, and understand the first rule of prepping “Don’t tell anyone you’re a prepper”—concern that if they know you have supplies, you’ll be targeted. Gaining trust in a survival community is a big challenge.
2. Disputes over who should be in charge
A volunteer, private survival community usually starts with a founder setting it up, serving as leader. But over time as the group grows, members often believe they should vote to choose the leader. Arguments over the process of selecting a leader can generate strife and often lead to breakup.
3. Disagreements on Decisions
There are thousands of decisions to be made in how you defend your community, what equipment you prioritize buying, what resources you stockpile, endless day to day operating decisions. The odds of everyone– or even a majority– agreeing on choices is extremely low.
4. Alpha Male Power Struggles and Leadership Dysfunction
Prepper discussion forums and articles on survival communities report frequent alpha-male head butting, even power struggles that lead to group breakup. One forum contributor noted that prepper groups tend to become “12 generals and no infantry.”
5. Financial Problems / Nonpayment of Dues
Prepping on your own is horrendously expensive. A survival community that shares equipment and facilities saves a lot of money—but still requires collection of dues. When someone fails to pay, bugging them to pay generates stress on the financially troubled member, the person tasked with collection, and the group.
6. Debt Default
Banks don’t lend to businesses or groups—just people. Fortitude Ranch has had many former survival community members email asking us to buy their survival facility. The group fell apart, and the member who signed the mortgage for a property or equipment loan was stuck with the bill and is desperate to sell.
7. The Meet-Up Problem
If not a neighborhood based survival community, but a group that will meet up and head to a bug out location, communicating and coordinating the rendezvous can be difficult.
8. Dealing with Neighbors Who Refuse to Join
Neighborhood survival communities have problems when some neighbors refuse to cooperate, undermining defense plans.
9. HOA, Zoning, and Building Code Constraints
Homeowner Association and government rules can be major barriers and problems.
10. Difficulties and Costs of Adapting Existing Buildings
Lots of labor and money can be wasted adapting resources you’ve got to make them useful in a collapse survival situation.
11. Misaligned Expectations and Lack of Focus
Voluntary survival communities without formal policies, briefings, and procedures often pursue measures that interest the leader, but are not a wise investment of resources; leading to complaints.
12. Political Conflicts
Many prepper groups fall apart because people get into contentious discussions and arguments over politics, religion, social and personal practices.
13. Pursuing Irrelevant "Bushcraft" Skills
Lots of preppers stress outdoor woodsman survival skills that are largely irrelevant to a survival community protecting a neighborhood or a bug out location. This emphasis can waste time and resources, and turn off members who recognize this as a waste.
14. Over-Promising and Inadequate Follow-Through
To start a survival community, big promises are made and lofty goals are set that are often not readily achievable, leading to arguments, disillusionment, people dropping out.
15. Lack of People Skills in Leadership
Someone with great survival skills may have poor people skills. Survival communities without a well-rounded leader, and a staff person who is a strong “people person” who can stay calm, resolve tensions, and help keep members happy and together are likely to fail.
16. The Independence Paradox
Many people are drawn to prepping because they like self-reliance, do not want to be dependent on government or others. Survival communities do require cooperation and trust, learning how to work as a team on many tasks.
17. Burnout and "Prepper Fatigue"
Many people are drawn to prepping because they like self-reliance, do not want to be dependent on government or others. Survival communities do require cooperation and trust, learning how to work as a team on many tasks.
THE FIX
1. Professional management with a proven system
We train and help you establish a professional operating system—running like a business, not a hobby or someone’s private group.
2. Written policies with trained leadership requirements
Prospective members are briefed on governance policies, including requirements for trained leaders, delineation of responsibilities, and the decision-making process.
3. Recommended practices and written decision-authority policies
Operating manuals, training programs, and proven processes that let you run and present your community as a professional, reliable organization.
4. Leadership development program and formal selection process
Leadership coaching and ongoing mentoring; the Pre-Membership Agreement includes acceptance of the leader selection process before anyone joins.
5. Outsourced invoicing and collections
Fortitude Ranch invoices and collects dues on your behalf, removing this contentious task from community leadership entirely.
6. Financial management framework
Financial planning guidance, cost-effective operating practices, and clear guidelines for avoiding personal debt obligations.
7. Established rendezvous protocols and rehearsal drills
Operating manuals, training programs, and proven processes that let you run and present your community as a professional, reliable organization.
8. Neighbor relations protocols
Proven recommendations for managing non-member neighbor situations, covered in staff training and ongoing consultation.
9. Site selection guidance and regulatory compliance strategies
Techniques for selecting compliant locations, navigating regulatory requirements, and avoiding common legal pitfalls.
10. Cost-effective facility adaptation methods
Proven techniques for dual-purposing buildings and equipment, concealing preparedness measures, and sourcing cost-effective materials.
11. Formal vetting and Pre-Membership Agreements
Clear communication of member obligations, realistic goals, acknowledgment of challenges, and a signed member pledge of cooperation.
12. Code of Conduct and member behavioral agreements
Staff training on dispute prevention, plus a member Code of Conduct template covering respect for differing views and avoidance of contentious topics
13. Prioritized skills curriculum
Task-based training schedule focused on community-relevant skills, with clear guidance on avoiding commonly pursued but unnecessary topics.
14. Expectation-setting framework
Member onboarding briefings covering current capabilities, known shortcomings, and a realistic plan of work.
15. Member management training program
Multi-module staff training on community member management and common interpersonal challenges, plus ongoing consultation for issues as they arise.
16. Build community identity beyond crisis preparation
Guidance and materials for adding camaraderie and positive engagement to training sessions and meetings, making participation rewarding in its own.
17. Structured onboarding and morale management
Member assessment checklists and staff training on coaching members, sustaining motivation, and improving long-term retention.
Pricing Information
Survival Community Setup
- Inital assessment and consulation
- Manager training
- Member agreements
- Site evaluation, security and set up
- Operating manual
- Add on: Member screenings and background checks
Ongoing Operational Support
- Monthly calls to ask questions and discuss issues/problems
- Ongoing buying/stockpiling consult
- Add on: Member billing and collections
- Add on: Dispute resolution
- Add on: Other services like member recruiting and site audits
Network Affliation
- Affiliation with your local Fortitude Ranch
- Use of firing range
- Attend Fortitude Ranch member training sessions at Ranch
- Add on: Use of Ranch facilities
- Add on: Stockpile food and building materials (Plan B)
* For full pricing information, request our briefling slides below.