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The
Worker Ownership Fund (WOF) is a fund managed by Northcountry Cooperative
Development Fund (NCDF) on behalf of the U.S. Federation of Worker
Cooperatives (USFWC), to increase access to financing for start-up
and existing worker-owned cooperatives. NCDF and the USFWC understand the business structure of worker-owned cooperatives in a way that traditional lenders can't, and not only offer a new financing option for co-ops, but technical assistance and mentorship so that cooperatives can better develop a viable business plan and loan application.
Lending Priorities
Worker Ownership Links Steps to Starting a Worker Cooperative, Cooperando, The Cooperative Incorporation Sourcebook, and the rest of The University of California Center for Cooperatives library. The California Center is defunct, but a website is maintained which includes free downloadable versions of their cooperative publications. In Good Company: The Guide to Cooperative Employee Ownership. Part of the Cooperative Toolbox Series from Northcountry Cooperative Development Fund, this publication can be downloaded for free. Putting Democracy to Work: A Practical Guide for Starting Worker-Owned Businesses; Illustrated Guide to the Internal Capital Accounts System; and other publications in the ICA Group library. Putting Democracy to Work is one of only a couple full-length books in English on the subject of starting worker-owned companies. It and other how-to publications can be purchased through ICA Group. We Own It: Starting & Managing Cooperative & Employee Owned Ventures: Unfortunately, this book written by an attorney and two accountants, which is particularly strong on technical issues, is out of print; but it can often be found through internet resellers. This video can be informative and a useful orientation/recruitment tool for potential cooperative members. Beyond The Bottom Line: A 2003 half-hour documentary featuring a variety of worker cooperatives throughout the United States, made by Headlamp Pictures for public television. It can be purchased through Headlamp Pictures. Listserves and Blogs for Seeking Answers to All Your Worker Cooperative Questions Workerownedcoop listserv. A listserv with a less restricted focus and membership than workercoop listserv. OURbiz. “A bimonthly weblog for worker-owners by worker-owners,” maintained by the Southern Appalacian Center for Cooperative Ownership. Worker Coops and Unions, Working Together. The Worker's Paradise. A blog maintained by a member at Union Cab cooperative and a student at the St. Mary’s University Masters of Management – Co-operatives and Credit Union program. Cooperative Support Organizations Forward Minnesota (or, the Federation of Workplace Democracies in Minnesota) The Network of Bay Area Worker Cooperatives. The San Francisco Bay Area, that is. The Valley Alliance of Worker Cooperatives. That’s the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. In Boston there is WORCN (the Worker-Owned and Run Cooperative Network), although it’s unclear how active they are, and seem to have no current web presence. The Federation of Southern Cooperatives Their membership is primarily comprised of agricultural cooperatives and credit unions. The Data Commons Project If there is no regional worker cooperative network to hook-up with in your area, you may find this on-line directory of North American worker cooperatives a helpful means for finding like-minded social entrepreneurs. The Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy. Holds conferences on alternating years from the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives. The Eastern conference falls on the odd-numbered years. The Western Worker Cooperative Conference. Holds conferences on alternating years from the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives. The Western conference falls on the odd-numbered years. The National Cooperative Business Association. The U.S. trade association for all kinds of cooperatives, including worker cooperatives. The North American Students of Cooperation. Membership is comprised primarily of housing cooperatives but NASCO has some worker cooperative membership and is giving increasing attention to worker cooperatives in their conferences/training. The Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute. A resource center affiliated with three large home healthcare worker cooperatives in the Northeast. EdVisions. A group of charter school cooperatives based in Minnesota. EducationEvolving. While based in Minnesota and associatied with EdVisions, EducationEvolving is a broader resource regarding teacher-run schools. WAGES (Women's Action to Gain Economic Security). An incubator/resource center for non-toxic house cleaning cooperatives in the San Francisco Bay Area (and possibly beyond). Green Worker Cooperatives. A South Bronx-based organization dedicated to incubating worker-owned and environmentally friendly cooperatives in the South Bronx. People's Grocery. An organization taking a cooperative approach to bringing healthy food and economic democracy to West Oakland; they currently operate organic urban farms and are working towards creating a worker-cooperative retail food market. The Association of Arizmendi Cooperatives. A San-Francisco-Bay-Area-based organization dedicated to creating more democratic jobs by replicating successful worker cooperatives; it is currently comprised of four bakery-pizzeria cooperatives and a technical assistance cooperative. The Southern AppalacianCenter for Cooperative Ownership (SACCO). They maintain OURbiz, “a bimonthly weblog for worker-owners by worker-owners” that can be found at www.ourbiz.biz/. Ownership Associates. A nationwide provider of technical assistance to worker cooperatives and ESOPs. The Cooperative Development Institute is a Northeastern-based provider of cooperative business education, training and technical assistance for the entire range of cooperatives. Cooperative Development Services. CDS is a nonprofit organization created and governed by the cooperative community of the Upper Midwest for the purpose of developing cooperative businesses in all sectors of the economy. The National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives The University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives. Maintains a comprehensive website providing information regarding the full range of cooperatives. The Ohio Employee Ownership Center. Their website is an excellent resource on Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and, to a lesser extent, worker cooperatives.
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Copyright
© Northcountry Cooperative Development Fund |
