Founding Autonomous Base Collective · Philadelphia, PA

Everything for Everyone

Autonomous is a community-led collective in Philadelphia working alongside our neighbors to replace class relations — meaning any structural difference in social, political, or economic power — with classless, self-governing communities.

Through practical mutual aid, participatory social research, situated media, and open-source software, we build the shared skills, resources, and conditions communities need for self-determination.

Reach Out or Get Involved ->
Learn About Catalysism ->
LIVE IN PHILADELPHIA · PA 501(C)(3) PUBLIC CHARITY

100% Free Public Commons · Zero Bosses or Ranks

  • 12 Core Principles: Autonomist, decentralized, non-capitalist praxis.
  • 3-Week Catalytic Cycles: Iterative action paired with Liberatory Social Accounting (LSA).
  • Three Intake Doors: Request Support, Volunteer on Projects, or Partner With Us.
EIN: 39-4044997 · PA Entity: 0014755717SLIDE 01 / 04
Sovereign Digital Infrastructure · Frappe v16.50 + Local SQLite

Software Built for Collectives, Not Bosses

Conventional enterprise software hardcodes managers, subordinates, and profit extraction directly into its database. We built the Catalytic Resource Planner (CRP) on Frappe v16.50 and offline-first SQLite to dissolve corporate gatekeeping.

CRP replaces hierarchical HR and CRM funnels with peer guidance, auditable mandates, shared tool-library ledgers, and our Chart of Liberatory Accounts.

Explore CMMNS & CRP ->
Read the Cycle 28 CRP Report ->
ACTIVE INITIATIVE · TECH & DIGITAL COMMONS

499 ERPNext DocTypes Audited & Subsumed

  • Offline-First SQLite Loop: Sub-second local checkpoints and 3-2-1 encrypted backups.
  • Convivial LSA: Tracks consolidation of Means of Liberation at the source.
  • Role-Based Privacy Masking: Protects participant data under collective custody.
KB-CRP-001 v2.1 · Open-Source CommonsSLIDE 02 / 04
Popular Education & Tactical Simulation · Forged in the Dark

Catalyst: Tabletop Ground for Liberation

How do we practice navigating supply-chain friction, zoning raids, burnout, and neighborhood defense before a crisis hits? Catalyst adapts Forged in the Dark mechanics into a materialist tabletop training ground.

Players step into the shoes of organizers building an Autonomous Base Collective in Kinship Landing — learning the 12-Action Dialectical Grid and collective resource stewardship through play.

Explore Catalyst Tabletop ->
Join a Playtest Session ->
POPULAR EDUCATION · OPEN PRINT-AND-PLAY

12 Dialectical Actions · 5 Stages of Autonomy

  • Materialist Mechanics: Models Bodily Load, Precarity Clocks, and Scope of Care.
  • Shared Vocabulary: MapsInsight, Prowess, and Resolve to real-world organizing.
  • 100% Free Print-and-Play: Open community PDF commons for study circles everywhere.
LI-EDU-01 / 02 / 03 · Philadelphia WorkshopsSLIDE 03 / 04
Theory-Informed-Practice · Practice-Informed-Theory

Open Methods, Field Reports & Material Solidarity

Every operational procedure we use — from 10-bit field camera calibration (METHOD-MEDIA-001) to participatory neighborhood research (METHOD-RES-001) — is published openly in our unified Dispatches & Methods stream.

Explore our latest dispatches, RSVP for free Philadelphia gatherings, or sustain the commons through monetary solidarity and reviewed material offerings.

Browse Dispatches & Methods ->
Make an Offering or Donate ->
UNIFIED PUBLISHING STREAM & MATERIAL COMMONS

Inverted Pyramid · Dual-Track Clarity · Subject Sovereignty

  • Praxis Key Takeaways: Every guide and report leads with the bottom line first.
  • Subject Return (METHOD-MEDIA-004): Raw footage returned to participants before editing.
  • Scope of Care Offerings: Honest 3–5 day review for tools, books, and space.
Updated Weekly · Cycle 28 ActiveSLIDE 04 / 04
Three Pathways to Connect

How Would You Like to Connect With Us?

For Neighbors

Request Community Support

For Philadelphia residents facing concrete material needs, tool repair, conflict mediation, or safety support. Mutual aid and solidarity — never charity.

Request Support ->
For Individuals

Volunteer on Our Projects

For individuals wanting to contribute practical trades, research, media, or tech skills. Volunteering on real work is how prospective members are invited.

Volunteer With Us ->
For Collectives

Partner or Co-Design a Project

For independent groups, coalitions, and community organizations proposing joint campaigns, resource sharing, or ABC fostering.

Propose a Partnership ->
Active Field Work

What We Are Building Right Now

Tech & Digital Commons

CMMNS.io & The Catalytic Resource Planner

Our custom software application built on Frappe v16.50 + native SQLite local-first development. Dissolves corporate ERP gatekeeping to give ABCs peer-to-peer resource stewardship, auditable mandates, and Liberatory Social Accounting metrics.

Explore CMMNS & CRP ->
Popular Education

Catalyst: Tabletop Ground for Liberation

A tactical operational tabletop training ground adapting Forged in the Dark for materialist organizing. Confronts the unglamorous friction of supply chains, zoning raids, and collective base building without superhero tropes.

Explore Catalyst Tabletop ->
From the Base · Cycle 28

Latest Dispatch & Next Gathering

Latest Dispatch · Publishing Stream

Field Note: Autumn Tool-Library Intake & Mobile Field Rig Test in Cedar Park

Published 2026-10-25 by

A visual-first field note (~2 min read) from our Cycle 28 workday in Cedar Park, West Philadelphia — cataloging 18 shared tools and 42 movement books into the neighborhood commons

Read Full Dispatch ->
Next Gathering · Popular Education

Gatherings & Active Theme

All Autonomous events are free and centered on open discussion. We host presentations, panels, film screenings, and mutual aid workdays in Philadelphia.

Active Quarterly Theme: Building and defending the community base. Interested in co-hosting an autonomous study circle or workday? Reach out via our collaboration form.
View Events Calendar ->