Additional Resources

National Advocacy (USA)

 

National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) is the only national membership association of cooperative businesses across all sectors.

US Federation of Worker Co-ops is the national membership organization for worker cooperatives.

Platform Co-op Consortium is a community focused on advancing cooperative tech platforms owned by their users and workers.

The Cooperative Resource Ecosystem (U of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives) is a map of national, and regional cooperative development organizations, cooperative associations, and co-op friendly capital.

Global Advocacy

 

CLUSA is the global development arm of NCBA, providing cooperative development work and “technical assistance” in multiple countries.

International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) is the global co-op membership association representing co-op associations and developers in every sector, across countries.

National Co-op Development and Technical Assistance

 

Cooperation Works Network is a network of cooperative developers. If you are looking to get started, look to see if you have a cooperative developer near you (search under start ups).

Democracy At Work Institute (DAWI) is a national organization dedicated to advancing worker cooperatives. DAWI provides consulting, research, and training, check out their resources page.

Columinate is a worker owned consulting group that offer co-ops, and co-ops in planning, skills, consulting and expertise on a variety of topics

The ICA Group is a consulting and research non-profit that offers technical assistance, business planning and feasibility studies.

Food Co-op Initiative is only for food co-op development but they do a great job.

Project Equity is a non profit focused on helping convert existing businesses to worker ownership.

USFWC Startup Clinics and Guides offer worker co-ops free videos and mini guides on startup topics plus pay-for-service technical assistance.

Guide to Indigenous Community Cooperative Development from Cooperative Development Services and Minnesota Indigenous Business Alliance.

Financing

 

Equitable Economy Fund is an equity fund designed to provide capital that can accelerate cooperatively-owned and shared ownership companies, while also providing a financial return to investors.

Shared Capital is a national CDFI loan fund, and cooperative itself, that provides financing for cooperatives across a wide variety of sectors.

Local Enterprise Assistance Fund (LEAF) is a loan fund that provides financing with a primary focus on food, housing and worker ownership.

Working World is a loan fund that provides financing primarily to worker owned and employee focused cooperatives.

Seed Commons is a national network of geographically focused loan funds (including the Working World) mostly focused on worker ownership.

Cooperative Fund of the Northeast is a CDFI loan fund that provides financing for many cooperatives across the New England states.

Momentus Capital is a large business lender, equity fund, and impact fund with over 3 billion in combined assets that provides financial services to underserved markets in the United States.