CDI's Blog

New Report Highlights Role of Cooperatives Worldwide

2012-02-23T08:47:00.003-08:00

PRESS RELEASE

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Contact: Supriya Kumar, skumar@worldwatch.org, (+1) 202-452-1999, ext: 510

Membership in Co-operative Businesses Reaches 1 Billion

Co-ops offer democratic alternative to shareholder-owned businesses.

Washington, D.C.----The United Nations has designated 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives, providing a great opportunity to raise the profile of an important organizational tool for spreading human rights and equality worldwide. Membership in co-operative businesses has grown to 1 billion people across 96 countries, according to new research published by the Worldwatch Institute for its Vital Signs Online publication.

Co-operatives, or co-ops, are a type of business characterized by democratic ownership and governance. They offer an alternative to the shareholder model of business ownership. Co-ops are governed by their members, who typically invest in the co-operative and have an ownership stake in it, as well as a voice in how the firm is run. Decisions are often made on a one-member, one-vote basis, so in many societies, co-ops provide a much-needed example of democratic governance amid otherwise inequitable conditions.

Unlike more conventional businesses, many co-ops do not struggle financially, because of their emphasis on democratic governance. In 2008, the world's 300 largest co-ops generated revenues of more than US$1.6 trillion. "Co-operatives are low-profile but powerful economic actors," said report author Gary Gardner, a Worldwatch Senior Fellow. "If these businesses were a national economy, they would rank ninth in the world----ahead of the economy of Spain."

Members of co-ops can use their collective power to fight for their common economic, social, or cultural interests: for example, members of a worker co-op might set working-hour limits and wage rates, while members of a financial co-op can access savings, loans, and other financial services that commercial banks might deny them. "Co-operatives can clearly play a key role in improving the quality of life of their members, particularly in countries where official protections for workers' or consumers' rights are not enforced," said Worldwatch President Robert Engelman.

In industrialized countries, consumer co-ops vastly outnumber other types of co-ops; 92 percent of co-ops in the United States are consumer co-ops. But globally, nearly one-third (29 percent) of the largest 300 co-ops are agricultural. This could mean that farmers in a community share the use of tools and machinery to save on overhead costs, or that they use their collective strength to negotiate higher prices for their goods at market.

In the financial sector, co-op businesses are valuable because they are a major driver of rural development, providing economic opportunities to the poorest sectors of many economies.Some 45 percent of the branches of financial co-ops are located in rural areas, for example, compared with 26 percent of branches of commercial banks. A 2010 World Bank report found that credit union branches account for 23 percent of bank branches worldwide and serve 870 million people, making them the second-largest financial services network in the world.

Further highlights from the study:

An estimated 7 percent of Africans belong to a co-operative, and their numbers are growing rapidly. The number of co-ops registered in Uganda, for example, grew 13-fold between 1995 and 2008----from 554 to nearly 7,500. Savings and credit co-operatives in particular are thriving in Africa.
Co-ops can generate a meaningful share of economic output: 21 percent in Finland, 17.5 percent in New Zealand, 16.4 percent in Switzerland, and 13 percent in Sweden.

In some countries, a sizable share of the population----up to 70 percent in Ireland----belongs to a co-operative of one sort or another.

###

Notes to Journalists: For more information and for a complimentary copy of this report, please contact Supriya Kumar at skumar@worldwatch.org.

About the Worldwatch Institute:

Worldwatch is an independent research organization based in Washington, D.C. that works on energy, resource, and environmental issues. The Institute's State of the World report is published annually in more than 20 languages. For more information, visit www.worldwatch.org.

# # #

Worldwatch Institute | 1776 Massachusetts Ave NW | Washington | DC | 20036

Consumer Co-op Management Association Conf.

2012-02-22T07:59:00.000-08:00

The annual CCMA Conference will be hosted by the Weavers Way Co-op in Philadelphia June 14-16. Plan now to attend; top-notch workshops include a series for new co-ops plus excellent speakers and networking. For more information, go to: http://www.ccma.coop. The conference will be preceded by a super one-day cross-sector co-op conference by the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance; see http://www.philadelphia.coop/conference/.

Attend Farmers Market Manager Professional Development Seminar March 20th

2012-02-15T05:15:00.000-08:00

Mass Farmers Markets,

The Mass Dept. of Ag Resources and the

Cooperative Development Institute
Present:

2012 Farmers Market Managers Professional Development Seminar

Building a Strong Foundation for Success

Where:

Hoagland-Pincus Conference Center
222 Maple Ave
Shrewsbury, MA 01545

Driving Directions

When:
Tuesday March 20, 2012 from 8:15 AM to 4:15 PM EDT
Add to my calendar

It is the off season for most farmers markets, but as you know, market managers are busy preparing for the next farmers market season.

Join us on March 20th and gather with other market managers from across Massachusetts to share successes and failures, exchange ideas, fine tune your business plan and learn how to generate the much needed revenue your market needs for the many costs involved in managing a farmers market.

Click here to check out the program and have a sneak peak at the agenda for the day

If you have any questions about this seminar please contact David Webber

If you have any questions about registering for this event please contact Martha Sweet

We look forward to spending the day with you!

Mass Farmers Markets | 240 Beaver Street | Waltham | MA | 02452

An Inescapable Network of Mutuality

2012-02-14T10:08:00.000-08:00

What is the Power of Love?

Dear Co-operator,

Happy Valentine's Day, and Happy Black History Month. We hope that the power of love is at work in your heart, in your cooperative, and in your neighborhood.

We are Bound Together

Martin Luther King Jr. preached in 1960 that everybody is “tied in a single garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, where what affects one directly affects all indirectly.” And in 1967, "I have decided to love. If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love. And the beautiful thing is that we are moving against wrong when we do it."

A Salute to the Past, Present and Future

African Americans have a long history of cooperation. Here are just a few glimpses.

See this talk by Prof. Jessica Gordon Nembhard, a scholar of the history of African American co-operators
In 2011, Shirley Sherrod was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame for her work starting cooperatives among poor Black farmers in the South
The largest worker co-op in the U.S., employing over 1,700 mostly women of color, is Cooperative Home Care Associates in the South Bronx
The Ujamaa Collective in Pittsburgh brings together women of African descent to cooperatively market their work and support their micro-enterprises
New Entry Sustainable Farming project helps immigrants from all over the world, including Africa and the Caribbean, transfer their farming skills to their new Mass. home, marketing cooperatively through World PEAS.

We are proud of our colleague Omar Freilla, founder and coordinator of Green Worker Cooperatives, for being named one of the "Power 100" in Ebony's December/January issue.

Show the love! Support the four aspiring co-op groups in the GWC Co-op Academy Class of Spring 2012

A Roof over their Heads and the Land under their Homes

For those of you keeping track, our NEROC program has helped afifth group of manufactured home park residents buy their park and begin to operate it as a cooperative. So far, that's over 300 families who don't need to worry any more about rising lot rents, declining services, or the threat of eviction.

"The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace and brotherhood."

--Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love

An inspiration from MLK drives cooperation

Detroit Summer youth at work in a garden

"Rebellions tend to be negative, to denounce and expose the enemy without providing a positive vision of a new future... A revolution is not just for the purpose of correcting past injustices, a revolution involves a projection of man/woman into the future... It begins with projecting the notion of a more human human being, i.e. a human being who is more advanced in the specific qualities which only human beings have - creativity, consciousness and self-consciousness, a sense of political and social responsibility."

--Grace Lee Boggs, who has dedicated her life to helping to realize Martin Luther King's vision ofBeloved Community in her hometown of Detroit and elsewhere around the country, one grassroots project at a time.

Cooperative Development Institute

PO Box 422

Shelburne Falls, MA 01370

www.cdi.coop info@cdi.coop

877 NE COOPS (toll free) /

413-665-1271

2012 Upstate NY Cooperatives Summit

2012-02-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

The 2012 Upstate Cooperatives Summit will be in Syracuse, NY on Saturday, March 31st. The event is free or very low cost, open to the public, and is primarily being hosted by Syracuse-based Cooperative Federal Credit Union and the Onondaga Small Business Development Center. All sectors of the cooperative economy are invited, though cooperatives for job creation is probably the primary motivation of organizing the event.

If you are interested, please register or sign up on the website's mailing list for more information, and please spread the word. The event is also looking for sponsors to purchase advertising space in printed materials.

The schedule of speakers is still growing, and currently includes the following, with lunch provided and plenty of time for networking:

The Big Picture: The Cleveland Evergreen Model and Community Wealth Building
Steve Dubb, The Democracy Collaborative

The Story of Local Cooperatives
Ron Eherenreich, Cooperative Federal Credit Union
Travis Hance, Syracuse Real Foods Co-op
Naquia Edwards, Eat to Live Food Co-op

How to Legally Start a Cooperative
Deborah Kenn, Syracuse University College of Law
Jason Hirata, Syracuse University College of Law

Observations on Successful Cooperatives
Brian Henehan, Cornell Cooperative Enterprise Program

How Worker Cooperatives Work
Joe Marraffino, Democracy at Work Network

Using Media to Raise Capital
Bob Proehl, Buffalo Street Books

Rochdale Principle Six: Cooperatives Developing More Cooperatives
Howie Hawkins, South Side Community Coalition

Thanks and hope to see you there!

Winter 2012 CooperationWorks! Newsletter

2012-01-31T08:25:00.001-08:00

For news and information on co-op development centers throughout the U.S., see the Winter 2012 issue of NetWorks, the CooperationWorks! newsletter.

Cooperative Speaker Series at Southern NH University

2012-01-31T07:32:00.000-08:00

Did you know that 2012 is the International Year of Cooperatives?

Perhaps you are asking yourself what is a cooperative. Cooperatives are a form of shared ownership in which a group of members share the risks and benefits of jointly owning a business. One of the larger cooperatives in the US and worldwide is located here in Manchester, CCA Global which you would recognize as Carpet One. Manchester is also home to the first credit union which is a consumer co-op, St. Mary’s Bank.

The Center for Cooperatives & CED is sponsoring a 3 part speaker series with business leaders and cooperative developers to discuss the cooperative business model. This series is cosponsored by the Faculty Center for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching. Join us to learn more about cooperatives in New England and about the cooperative business model.

Use this link to register for one, two or all three programs: Register now!

Wednesday, February 15, 3:30-4:45, Academic Building, Room 106
The opening session will introduce the cooperative model and discuss how it can be used to preserve existing firms and develop new ones with a cooperative business model. There will be two speakers:
• Newell Lessell, executive director of the ICA Group, will discuss the merits of the co-op model in retiring owner succession planning and conversions as well as in startups of new firms.
• Jonathan Halle (SNHU ’93) is the managing member of the Cooperative and an Architect with Warrenstreet Architects in Concord NH, an employee owned cooperative.

Wednesday, March 14, 3:30-4:45, Academic Building, Room 106
This session will have two speakers from prominent New England cooperatives:
• Howard Brodsky, Co-Founder, Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of CCA Global and an SNHU trustee will discuss how he and his co-founder decided that a shared services cooperative of small business owners would be a better model than the franchise model.
• Roberta MacDonald, Sr Vice President of Marketing for Cabot Creamery will speak about Cabot’s cooperative advantage in marketing and the Cabot experience of cooperative ownership.

Wednesday, April 11, 3:30 – 4:45, Academic Building, Room 106
The final session will examine the experience of consumer ownership of cooperatives with two speakers from two of the finest national examples of consumer ownership in the US:
• Ron Covey (SNHU ’82), President and CEO of St. Mary’s Bank
• Terry Appleby, General Manager, Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society

Free NGFN Webinar Thursday: "It's Viable ... Now What? From Feasibility Study to Business Plan"

2012-01-24T06:59:00.000-08:00

National Good Food Network Webinar
It's Viable ... Now What?
From Feasibility Study to Business Plan
Thursday, January 26
3:30 - 4:45pm ET
Free! Register Now

When considering creating a business, most often the first step is to conduct a feasibility study. Designed to establish if a business opportunity exists, a completed feasibility study does not determine how you intend to exploit that opportunity. That process, and eventual document, is the domain of the business plan.

This webinar will illustrate, by examples and discussion,how to move from a positive feasibility study to a full business plan, and financing the operation. We will have a food hub example, and a food processing center example. Our panelists have many years of business experience, so expect several other mini-examples to come up.

We have designed the presentation especially for those considering creating a new business in the food value chain, or involved in counseling those who do. As always, there will be time for questions for our panel.

This is webinar is in some ways a companion to our Sept. 30, 2010 webinar. Watch the recording of that webinar.

Reserve your spot - click here

Presenter
Carol Coren
Cornerstone Ventures

Presenter
John Waite
Franklin County Community Development Corporation

Presenter
Jim Epstein
Blue Ridge Produce

Copyright © 2012 Wallace Center at Winrock International, All rights reserved.

Manos Unidas faces demolition order

2012-01-12T06:14:00.000-08:00

CDI has been working with Manos Unidas, a multi-cultural educational and social cooperative doing outreach to immigrants, youth, homeless, and others in the Pittsfield, MA area for several years. They have been struggling to raise funds to repair their beloved community center, which was damaged in a fire and condemned by the City. Now, at the last moment, they have obtained an angel investment, but the City is still planning to demolish the building on Monday, January 16.

Manos Unidas requests that people call Mayor Bianchi at 413-499-9321 or Meredith O'Leary and Dr. Phillip Adamo at 413-448-9742 to stay the demolition of their historic building. For more on the story, see this YNN, Your News Now broadcast: http://shar.es/WiVk7.

UPDATE: The City has given Manos Unidas one week to pull together the information needed. See http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_19803728.

Register now for FREE Food Co-op/Buying Club Start-up Training Webinars!

2011-12-19T13:34:00.000-08:00

Food Co-op Initiative (http://foodcoopinitiative.coop/) and CDS Consulting Co-op (http://www.cdsconsulting.coop/) are pleased to present a series of all-new webinars addressing the specific needs of new food co-op organizers!

The series of six live presentations will begin on January 10. All sessions will run from 2:00-3:00 pm EST (1:00 to 2:00 Central; 12:00-1:00 Mountain; and 11:00-12:00 Pacific).

January 10, 2012
Creating a Vision
Presented by Bill Gessner, CDS Consulting, and Stuart Reid, Food Co-op Initiative

January 17, 2012
Create Priorities and Build Alignment for Each Stage
Presented by Bill Gessner and Jeanie Wells, CDS Consulting

January 24, 2012
Co-op Technology Toolkit
Presented by Jake Schlachter, Food Co-op Initiative

January 31
Starting a New Buying Club
Presented by Stuart Reid and/or Jake Schlachter, Food Co-op Initiative

February 7, 2012
Effective Boards and Teams: Structure and Accountability
Presented by Ben Sandel and Michael Healy, CDS Consulting

February 14, 2012
Effective Boards and Teams: Team work, process and decision making
Presented by Ben Sandel and Michael Healy, with Art Sherwood, CDS Consulting

Click Here: http://www.cdsconsulting.coop/startup-webinar -- for detailed descriptions of each webinar and to register.

Note: You must register separately for each webinar you plan to attend. FCI and CDS-CC are providing these sessions at no cost to you; however, you may incur telephone or data charges to participate.

See you there!
Food Co-op Initiative

HR 3677 - It's Official!

2011-12-16T08:58:00.001-08:00

It's official,
Congressman Chaka Fattah introduced the National Cooperative Development Act - H.R. 3677 on December 15th.

"It's high time for Cooperatives -- a great idea that has emerged from and gained success in our urban neighborhoods as well as rural communities – to move onto the national radar," said Fattah. "This legislation brings federal resources and a policy priority to the effort."

Spread the good news
Tell all of your fellow cooperators about this exciting bill, forward to your email lists and press contacts, talk about it on Facebook, and on Twitter use #HR3677. Be sure to send everyone towww.campaign.coop to join the campaign!

Here's the press release from Congressman Fattah's office:
http://t.co/K6sLkp4u
You can track the bill at:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h112-3677

Co-sponsors
The bill was introduced with 3 co-sponsors - Bob Brady (PA-1), Barbara Lee (CA-9), and John Tierney (MA-6).
We definitely need more - from both urban and rural areas and from both “sides of the aisle.” We expect more to follow soon - but we need you to make sure it happens.

If you HAVE met with or contacted your Representative's office, follow up with them and make sure their expressed support becomes an actual co-sponsorship.

If you HAVE NOT arranged a visit with your Member of Congress yet, call the local office, and ask to speak with the staffperson who works on small business, and economic development issues. Tell them about the bill briefly and ask for a visit to explain further.
Find your Representative's contact info at: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
Check out the campaign website for advice on how to advocate.

Report back
Use this form to tell us about your visit. Let us know who you meet with, and their contact info so we can follow up and ensure they become a co-sponsor. You can always email or call too.

Thank you for your continued support!
Peter Frank
Cooperation Works! - Advocacy Coordinator
info@campaign.coop
www.campaign.coop
215-680-9195


Copyright © 2011 Cooperation Works!, All rights reserved.

Rep. Fattah Introduces Bill to Spur the National Cooperative Movement

2011-12-15T18:21:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 15, 2011

Contact: Ron Goldwyn 215/387.6404 Ron.Goldwyn@mail.house.gov

Rep. Fattah Introduces Bill to Spur the National Cooperative Movement

WASHINGTON D.C., Dec. 15 – Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Congressional leader for the national cooperative movement, especially urban co-ops, today introduced the National Cooperative Development Act.

“It’s high time for Cooperatives -- a great idea that has emerged from and gained success in our urban neighborhoods as well as rural communities – to move onto the national radar,” said Fattah, whose Philadelphia district includes numerous thriving co-ops. “This legislation brings federal resources and a policy priority to the effort.

“Cooperatives are a special kind of economic stimulus. Cooperatives benefit the communities they serve while building opportunities for shared wealth. Cooperatives are truly vehicles for protecting the middle class and creating economic growth,” Fattah said.

The Fattah bill, H.R. 3677, authorizes $25 million a year through 2016 to create and fund the National Cooperative Development Center.

Cooperatives are owned and controlled by the people who use the co-op’s services or buy its goods. They range in size from the local corner store to Fortune 500 companies, and can include insurance, healthcare, housing, recreation materials and equipment as well as more traditional uses such as rural electricity. Overall, U.S. cooperatives account for more than $3 trillion in assets, over $500 billion in total revenue, $25 billion in wages and benefits, and nearly 1 million jobs.

“We have food deserts in low-income urban areas where food cooperatives are often the only enterprises willing to bring food security and nutrition while anchoring the buy-local campaigns we see happening everywhere,” Fattah said. “Every new or expanded cooperative, regardless of the goods or services it provides, will be a job creator and an economic engine where it’s most needed.”

Fattah pointed out that cooperatives still face many problems, including difficulty in gaining access to capital, which can stunt the growth of even the most successful enterprises.

In addition, Fattah noted, “the unique nature of the cooperative ownership model requires that cooperative operators receive specialized training and assistance in setting up the governance, operations, and financial structures that are required to run a successful cooperative.

“Co-ops need help that the federal government will now be in a position to provide,” Fattah said. “The legislation addresses these problems by establishing the Development Center to provide capital, training, and other resources to foster cooperative development.”

The National Cooperative Development Center will:

Award grants to nonprofit organizations, colleges, and universities so that they can provide technical assistance to operating cooperatives or groups that are attempting to form cooperatives;

· Provide guidance, information on best practices and technical assistance to communities seeking to establish cooperatives;

Create a revolving loan fund to provide loans and seed capital to groups who are attempting to form cooperatives;

· Provide funding for training of providers of technical assistance and supporting existing professional development training for organizations engaged in cooperative development;

· Establish cooperative development centers in areas that currently do not have them.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA) • www.house.gov/fattah

2301 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 • 4104 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Phone: (202) 225-4001 • (215) 387-6404

By Land and By Sea: Leveraging Co-ops for Business Success--Conference in Unity, ME Jan 19

2011-12-15T09:56:00.000-08:00

Eat Maine Foods is sponsoring a one-day conference for Maine farmers & fishermen on the cooperative model of doing business. See http://www.eatmainefoods.org/events/coop-conference, and go to http://bylandandbysea.eventbrite.com/ to register.

CDI staff will be presenting a couple of workshops. One of the main organizers was CDI's board president, Erica Buswell.

More details:
Thursday, January 19, 2012 in Unity, Maine 9am to 5:30pm

Learn exactly what a cooperatively-organized business is all about. What are the advantages, what are the different types of co-ops, and why might it make sense for your business? We’ll cover the nuts and bolts of co-ops.
Connect with Experienced Co-operative Business People. What are the financing options for co-ops? What local resources are available for start-up, problem-solving and co-operative business development? Go home with connections and an action plan for moving your co-op business or idea forward.
Celebrate 2012: International Year of Co-operatives. Hear first-hand stories from other farmers and fishermen about how they have implemented a co-operative business. What worked? What obstacles did they overcome and how?

Sponsored by The Eat Local Foods Coalition of Maine and its members: Putting more Maine food on more Maine tables more often!
With support from and participation of: Lobsters on the Fly, MOFGA, Maine Department of Agriculture, Penobscot East Resource Center, Maine Farmland Trust, Cooperative Maine, Island Institute, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Local Sprouts Cooperative, Cooperative Fund of New England, The Broadreach Fund, Cooperative Development Institute and more!

Homestead Acres Vermont's newest Resident-Owned Community

2011-12-02T08:03:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the 26 residents of Homestead Acres Mobile Home Park in Swanton, VT for officially purchasing their community today! The residents' association, Homestead Acres Co-op, is the second to take ownership of a manufactured housing community or "mobile home park" in the State of Vermont in less than half a year--this after an 18 year period in which no resident owned communities were developed in the state. CDI provided the cooperative with pre-closing technical assistance and will provide ongoing support for years to come! Homestead Acres Co-op joins a nationwide network of 117 resident owned communities developed according to the ROC USA limited equity model (rocusa.org), which has ensured that nearly 7,000 units of housing will remain permanently affordable.

Many thanks to ROCUSA Capital and the Cooperative Fund of New England for providing financing! Also, stay tuned for pictures and a press release.

Co-opoly: The Game of Cooperatives, a Tool for Building a New Democratic Economy, Released

2011-11-29T06:23:00.000-08:00

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brian Van Slyke, 708-707-1784; Andrew Stachiw, 860-208-1404

info@coopolygame.com

Co-opoly: The Game of Cooperatives, a Tool for Building a New Democratic Economy, Released

What: Co-opoly, a powerful resource for cultivating democratic communities, comes at a time when people are struggling to envision a new world. This game has been hotly anticipated with pre-orders from around the globe.

Website: www.CoopolyGame.com

Released: November 28, 2011

Northampton, Massachusetts, Nov 28, 2011 – As the cooperative movement gains global traction, with 800 million co-op members and 100 million employees in 2011, the launch of The Toolbox for Education and Social Action’s (TESA) latest tool “Co-opoly: The Game of Cooperatives” marks another milestone for the cooperative movement.

Produced by TESA, a worker cooperative based in Massachusetts, Co-opoly is a new game of skill and solidarity: where everyone wins or everybody loses! While promising to keep players on their toes and in stitches of laughter, Co-opoly is much more than just a board game – it’s a tool that helps people break away from the ‘winner takes all’ mentality and discover the boundless possibilities that arise from cooperation.

Communally developed over a three-year period of playing, testing and revision, Co-opoly hits the stage not a moment too soon. From the Arab Spring to the Occupy movement in the U.S., people are demanding more democratic communities and economies. Frustrated by banks, businesses, and institutions that do nothing for the majority, citizens around the world are

pouring into the streets looking for alternatives.

And Co-opoly provides just that. From the classroom to the factory, the farm, the independent start-up, the grocery store, and more, this tool offers players the chance to think outside the box of pure profit and imagine new ways of social organization.

It’s perfect for educators trying to facilitate creative discussions about the world economy, for workers looking for ways to develop their own cooperative work-places, and for households that want to have a great time while creating true democracy. In fact, Co-opoly is launching just as cooperatives are stepping into the spotlight with the United Nations declaring 2012 to be the International Year of Cooperatives.

Already Co-opoly has received orders from countries on nearly every continent, from Massachusetts to Morocco and from Scotland to South Korea!

TESA aimed to reflect Co-opoly’s core values of democracy and a just economy in the game’s very production. Every component of the game was created in the U.S., using primarily recycled materials and produced predominantly by worker cooperatives, all of them within 70 miles of TESA’s location!

The ethical production of Co-opoly has made its manufacturing costs much more expensive than games produced in sweatshops. Yet, TESA is proud to keep the game’s price comparable to other independent board games. Co-opoly is for sale at CoopolyGame.com for a sliding scale price of $42 - $65. This means the consumer decides how much they pay! What’s more, free additional resources on cooperatives will come with Co-opoly, including lessons plans, Introduction to Cooperatives literature, and more!

You can order Co-opoly: The Game of Cooperatives here.

We are thankful for cooperation

2011-11-24T07:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year we have a lot to be thankful for in regard to cooperation in the Northeast. Here are our top reasons for gratitude -- what are yours?

The Opportunity to Do Cooperative Development

We love our work, and we love working with all of you. We get calls every week from people seeking advice on every conceivable type of cooperative enterprise. You are our inspiration and our purpose.

Thanks to the hard work of the Cooperation Works! Urban Circle and of Rep. Chaka Fattah (PA-2nd District) and his staff, we may have the opportunity to do even more work with underserved communities throughout the Northeast. Rep. Fattah is looking for original cosponsors of the National Cooperative Development Act.

Please:

Sign up to receive email from the "Campaign for Cooperation".
Review their talking points and steps to advocate.
Read the legislation and Rep. Fattah's "Dear Colleague" letter looking for cosponsors.
Make an appointment with your representative over the holiday break and make a personal visit to tell them how great your co-op is and how much it would mean to have low/no-cost assistance, as well as loans and seed capital.

This is the big one! Reps need to hear from you, their constituents. Let's get major bi-partisan support to pass a relatively low-cost, high-impact bill to create wealth and jobs!

~ Thank you! ~

Attention from the Public and Policymakers

No doubt about it, the profile of cooperatives is rising. Between the economy tanking, appreciation for local food and local businesses deepening, anger at unresponsive banks and corporations flourishing, and the U.N. declaring 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives, people everywhere are turning to cooperatives as a promising solution.

Certain areas are receiving specific attention: on September 23, CDI's Andy Danforth joined Paul Bradley, president of ROC USA and recently named Ashoka Fellow, to speak at a roundtable hosted by the VT Housing and Conservation Board on manufactured housing in the state of Vermont. Nonprofit leaders from the whole state learned about the possibility of converting manufactured home parks into independent, economically viable, democratically run, Resident Owned Communities -- like Bunker Hill in Windsor, VT, whose residents bought their park in June (see press). CDI is currently assisting two additional parks in VT that are working to become cooperatives by the end of the year. We are assisting about 20 manufactured housing groups in total throughout New England.

A Chance to Live Our Values in Daily Life

With the help of cooperatives, we can get all our needs met by principled economic actors.

Search Why.coop (beta) to find a co-op near you where you can shop, eat, live, bank, or work in line with your principles
Shop for holiday gifts from co-ops

There are loads of ideas in the 2011 Cooperative Business Journal Holiday Gift Guide
We are especially fond of all those art and artisan co-ops we have in the Northeast. See for example beautiful photos of remarkable work by Sally Chaffee of the Shelburne Arts Co-op
And talk about co-op enterprises building a better world -- "Southern Alternatives Agricultural Cooperative (SAAC), located in rural southwest Georgia, is the only African-American-owned pecan-shelling facility in the United States — and it is run by women". They are selling yummy plain and candy pecans -- order by Dec 9!

Share your strength -- consider donating to the United Cooperative Appeal or to Farm Credit East and CoBank's campaign to support farm families hit hard by Hurricane Irene
Seed the future -- look for a co-op project to invest in on Kickstarter, Indiegogo, IOBY.org, or another crowd-funding service

Our current favorite is the pitch from Dorchester Community Food Co-op for a winter farmer's market. They are now exactly half-way to their goal of $5,000. Pledge $10 or more and get a book of recipes for dishes that cost less than $5 to make!

~ With Gratitude ~

~ CDI ~

Contact Your Rep: National Cooperative Development Act

2011-11-16T08:42:00.001-08:00

The National Cooperative Development Act has taken a big step. Congressman Fattah has written a letter to his Colleagues, asking them to become original co-sponsors of this important piece of legislation. In the letter, Congressman Fattah explains to his fellow Members of Congress some of the many benefits cooperative development has on communities:

Advancing the economic stability of local areas;
Increasing the circulation of capital in the local area increasing its economic multiplier and the impact of community investment, spurring locally oriented economic growth;
Developing, attracting and anchoring new productive capital in low-income communities; and
Expanding investment opportunities and asset creation for low and moderate-income Americans.

I'm asking you, my fellow co-op colleagues, to support the National Cooperative Development Act. This is an important time for us to rally early support for its passage. The Legislation needs support now in the form of original co-sponsors. And you are the ones to make it happen!

Here's how you can help:

Read the Dear Colleague Letter and the Legislation
Call your Representative's local office and make an appointment to talk to them or their staff in-person about the National Cooperative Development Act! Tell them about all the great work cooperatives are doing and can do in their district, and ask them to be a co-sponsor for this bill. Use this link to find your Representative's contact info https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
Participate in a webinar about the Legislation and how to effectively lobby your Member of Congress for support. (scheduled for next Tuesday - November 22nd - more details to come)
Spread the news - Share www.campaign.coop with your community of co-op supporters - and get them to join our campaign!

Thank you for your continued support, and don't hesitate to contact me with any questions,

Peter Frank
Advocacy Coordinator - Cooperation Works!
www.campaign.coop
info@campaign.coop

Donations to Farm Families Hurt by Irene and Lee, Kicked off by Farm Credit East and CoBank

2011-11-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Northeast Agricultural Leaders and Policy Makers,

Farm Credit East in concert with United Way is coordinating an effort to help farm families hurt by Irene and Lee with personal donations (up to $500 to each family) to make their holiday season a little brighter. We would appreciate your help in getting the word out to affected farm families that suffered crop losses and damage as a result of the Irene and Lee disasters. This support is for any farm family with $10,000 of crop losses/damage in designated disaster counties in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. This is not limited to Farm Credit customers.

Farm Credit East and CoBank have both agreed to put $100,000 to this effort, so we have $200,000 to start. Farm Credit East employees are also making contributions and Yankee Farm Credit will be contributing (for the NY and NH counties that Yankee serves). United Way of the Greater Capital Region has also made a contribution. The actual amount of the grants to farm families will depend on the number of applications and the amount of total funds raised (up to $500 per farm family).

Other individuals and businesses are welcome/encouraged to make a contribution and will be recognized for their contributions in a final press release on this effort. The press release includes information on how to make a contribution to United Way for this effort – on-line or by check. This is a charitable contribution for tax purposes.

This assistance is not intended to cover business losses or make major repairs to homes and farm structures – it is intended to show “farm community concern” for the farm families hurt by Irene and Lee with the hope that their holiday can be a little nicer knowing that other folks care. In the attached release, Bill Lipinski says it better: “We just want folks to know we care and hope that they can be positive during the holidays.”

We do appreciate the on-going efforts of Northeast Congressional offices, State Departments of Agriculture, USDA, Governor Cuomo’s office and other NE state initiatives to support farmers at this time. These efforts are vital to help farms and rural communities to recover.

We are currently taking applications for this assistance – folks can apply by going on-line to www.farmcrediteast.com. The application includes more eligibility details. The application can also be found in Country Folks. Our deadline is November 26 in order that we can work with United Way to have checks received by farm families in mid-December. United Way of the Greater Capital District has been great to work with and is receiving funds and will write the checks.

Please forward this message to other organizations that may be interested.

Your efforts in getting this information out would be greatly appreciated!!!

Best regards,

Bob

Robert A. Smith
Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Knowledge Exchange
Farm Credit East
2668 State Route 7, Suite 21
Cobleskill, NY 12043

518.296.8188

United Nations launches the International Year of Cooperatives 2012

2011-11-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

The United Nations has declared 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives. Why?

"Co-operatives are a reminder to the international community that it is possible to pursue both economic viability and social responsibility."
Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General

Or, as the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) puts it, it's about human need, not human greed.

The year launches October 31, 2011 in New York City

Our job during this year is to make sure that the public, policymakers, business leaders, and young people hear this message loud and clear. The three priorities identified by the UN and ICA are to:

increase awareness of the cooperative business model
promote growth of co-ops and the co-op economy
convince lawmakers to establish co-op friendly policies

There are as many ways to do that as there are co-ops and members of co-ops (so we're talking billions!). One exciting national initiative that allows us to hit all three priorities in the U.S. is to support the Campaign for Cooperation. The National Cooperative Development Act of 2011 promotes job creation and economic development in underserved communities through cooperative business development.

Read more about it and find out how to contact your representatives at campaign.coop.

For more national information and tools for celebrating the International Year of the Cooperative in the USA, visit usa2012.coop.

What's happening in the Northeast?

There is an amazing diversity and energy among cooperatives in the Northeast. Here are just a few of the activities underway:

The National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions has organized New York: Building a Cooperative City, a kick-off event to launch the International Year of Cooperatives on Nov. 1
Cooperative Maine is launching an online version of its directory,Stronger Together (see a preview!), and has made contact with Gov. Paul LePage to promote co-ops (contact Jane Livingston for more details)
Co-ops in western MA formed the Valley Cooperative Business Association
Amherst-based worker co-op T.E.S.A. is launching Co-opoly, the Game ofCooperatives
SolidarityNYC has created a series of short films it will be screening all year
NYC co-ops are engaging with the City Council on food policy and co-ops and job development through worker co-ops
Cabot Creamery Cooperative will be doing a 2012 Community Celebration Tour in the Spring, stopping in cities from Florida to Maine

Cooperative Development Institute Events and Resources

During 2012 CDI will be:

offering co-ops and associations the use of a new pamphlet, "Cooperative Business Solutions for the Northeast U.S." -- call for delivery options
revamping its website, www.cdi.coop, to bring you more and better news, information, and opportunities
touring to Plattsburgh, NY, Portland, ME, and Cummington, MA
offering a new series of online tutorials and webinars

What will you be doing?

Here's some suggestions:

Post your co-op's unique story to Cultivate.coop and Stories.coop.
Make a video or snap a photo for My Co-op Rocks.
Invite local policymakers, chambers of commerce, and schools to tour your co-op.
Support the development of a new co-op nearby.

Thanks and stay tuned for more information, ideas and resources, coming your way.

Pamphlet: Cooperative Business Solutions for the Northeast U.S.

2011-10-31T10:33:00.001-07:00

Cooperative Development Institute, working with Jane Livingston of Indivisible, Inc. and David Gerratt of DG Communications, has produced a beautiful 4-page pamphlet describing the benefits of cooperatives in retail food, workplaces, housing, credit, agriculture, fisheries, and shared utilities, with examples from throughout the Northeast. The pamphlets were printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper by Boston worker co-op Red Sun Press (pictured on the front!). With the launch of the U.N.-declared International Year of Cooperatives 2012 today, we are making copies of the pamphlet available to the Northeast co-op community. Call for ordering information, 413-665-1271 or toll-free 877 NE COOPS.

CDI awarded $225,000 grant for rural co-op development

2011-10-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces Economic Development Funding To Create Jobs in Rural Communities in 26 States

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., - October 26, 2011 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the selection of 36 organizations in 26 states and the District of Columbia for grants to help rural cooperatives and small businesses expand, create jobs and strengthen their capacity to serve rural citizens and communities.
...
Vilsack said, "As we celebrate National Cooperative Month, USDA is proud to continue its support of local and regional efforts to bolster these cooperatives and help them bring increased value and economic opportunity to rural residents."

The grants are being provided through USDA Rural Development's Rural Cooperative Development Grant program. Under this program, grants of up to $225,000 may be awarded to colleges, universities and non-profit groups to create and operate centers that help individuals or groups establish, expand or operate rural businesses, especially cooperatives and mutually-owned businesses. Grants may be used to conduct feasibility studies, create and implement business plans, and help businesses develop new markets for their products and services.
...
Cooperative Development Institute: $225,000 to build a cooperative economy in New England and New York by creating and developing cooperative enterprises and networks in the northeast region of the country.

"Don't Let 'Em Go! How co-ops can keep vital businesses, services in rural communities"

2011-10-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

In the current (Sept/Oct) issue of USDA's Rural Cooperatives magazine, a salute to noteworthy co-ops in celebration of National (and International!) Cooperative Month includes an article by Noemi Giszpenc on converting existing businesses to co-op ownership in rural communities. The article features the Old Creamery Co-op, Crown O'Maine Organic Co-op, Turtle Ridge Cooperative, ROC USA, and Maine Organic Milling, all examples of people cooperating to keep needed institutions and make sure they are serving their communities. See page 30 for the article, and browse the other great stories in this special Co-op Month issue.

Join the Campaign for Cooperation

2011-10-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

Exciting news in the co-op world! A bill will be introduced this Fall in the House of Representatives to fund co-op development in underserved communities. This is a wonderful opportunity to grow the cooperative economy, create quality jobs and stable businesses, and build wealth in low-income communities throughout the country – both rural and urban. Join the campaign to support its passage at http://campaign.coop.

Passion Makes Vision a Reality for Many Communities: 2011 Together on the Land Tour

2011-10-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

Northampton, MA– The third annual Together on the Land Tour visited blighted urban properties being rehabilitated by the Holyoke Community Land Trust, a resident owned manufactured housing park in Ware, a successful co-housing development in Northampton, an organic farm in Granby tackling long-term farm affordability and green community-built housing in Amherst.

What do these places have in common? A vision and the passion to make that vision a reality.

The hard work of the pioneers at each tour stop was self evident. In Ware, residents of a manufactured housing park came together to raise $1.1 million to buy their park from their landlord so that profits from rents could be invested in their community, not sent out of state. This vision became a reality because of the passion of their volunteer resident board of directors and the technical assistance of the Cooperative Development Institute. Oakwood has been transformed to the Quabbin Sunrise Cooperative.

That same passion that encourages the residents at Quabbin Sunrise to work for free on behalf of their community was evident at each tour stop. The farmers at Red Fire Farm have built a successful organic vegetable farm in Granby, but want their passion for farming to take root. They are purchasing additional farm land in Montague with the assistance of Mount Grace Land Trust so that they don't have to rely on year-to-year leases on fields in Granby. And permanent farm affordability restrictions will ensure the next farmer has the chance to do the same.

The tour was an opportunity to learn more about the challenges of living communnally, establishing whole farm affordability, creating cooperatives and building homes with volunteer labor and much more. A program from the tour with resources is available online at www.vclt.org/tour2011.

Photo Credit: Laura Mason – all photos from 9/11/11 Together on the Land Tour

2011 Tour Co-sponsored by:

Cooperative Development Institute, Co-op Power, Equity Trust,

Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust & Valley Community Land Trust

2011 Media Sponsor: The Valley Advocate

2011 Special Thanks to Collective Copies and River Valley Market for their in-kind donations

The Campaign for Cooperation is On!

2011-10-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

Fellow Cooperators,

For nearly a year, cooperative business owners and developers have been working to develop awonderful piece of legislation that will support the growth of cooperative businesses in underserved communities throughout the country. For months, many of you have been hearing about this, but recently we've been particularly quiet. That's because we've been hard at work, behind the scenes, preparing to grow our campaign to fully support the legislation when it is introduced.

I'm happy to announce today that our campaign has a home!
http://campaign.coop

our campaign has a name!
Campaign for Cooperation

and our legislation has a name!
National Cooperative Development Act of 2011

We need your support. We could spend our days calling the offices of al Members of Congress, telling them about this terrific piece of legislation, but it wouldn't be very effective. Members of Congress are not interested in hearing what people outside their districts think they should support. They want to hear from their constituents, which is YOU!

The Campaign for Cooperation will work with you and help you spread the word about the National Cooperative Development Act, and to help you talk to your Representatives about how wonderful co-ops are, and how this legislation will benefit their constituents.

We expect Rep. Fattah to introduce the National Cooperative Development Act this Fall, and the cooperative community needs to be ready to support it from day 1. We will let you know as soon as the legislation is available. While we wait for its introduction, there are a couple things you can do to help.
- Share campaign.coop with your community of co-op supporters
- Contribute to the campaign at our website (any amount helps!) - this helps us spread the word about the legislation throughout the country.
- Meet with your Member of Congress or their staff to talk to them about your co-ops, and that theNational Cooperative Development Act is coming soon, and you want them to be a co-sponsor.

You can read an interview with Rep. Fattah about the National Cooperative Development Act HERE

Thank you for your continued support!
Peter Frank
Advocacy Coordinator - Campaign for Cooperation
info@campaign.coop
215-680-9195