Co-op Jobs Act Introduced: HR 2437

Many thanks to Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA) for re-introducing a bill to foster cooperative development throughout the country, H.R. 2437, the Creating Jobs Through Cooperatives Act. See http://fattah.house.gov/news2/new-legislation-helps-drive-the-national-cooperative-movement/.

NCBA Legislative and Advocacy Update: June 4

Legislative and Advocacy Update Tuesday, June 4, 2013 • 12 - 1 pm, Eastern Join NCBA CLUSA President and CEO Mike Beall and Capitol Hill professionals as they discuss cooperative legislative matters and current issues in Washington. With Congress working on important legislation such as tax reform, the farm bill and the appropriations process, now is the time to get updated on issues that are important to you, your cooperative, and your community. During this update, learn what NCBA CLUSA is working on legislatively to advance the cooperative business model within Congress, the White House, and the federal government. Update Areas Overview of the current work in Congress and the Administration USDA Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program consolidation proposal Development legislation: “Creating Jobs Through Cooperatives Act of 2013” Food Co-op eligibility for SBA programs Credit Union legislation including the “Member Business Lending” bill Tax reform and how it affects cooperatives including credit unions FEMA housing cooperative disaster funding eligibility Moderator R.L. Condra - Vice President of Advocacy, NCBA CLUSA Panelists Mike Beall - President and CEO, NCBA CLUSA John Weinfurter - Vice President, Government Relations, Witt | O'Brien's John Harsch - Director, Government Relations, Witt | O'Brien's John McKechnie - Partner, Total Spectrum Who Should Attend Cooperative developers, representatives, and volunteers Members of community service organizations Other groups/individuals that support the co-op movement and are interested in learning about cooperative legislative matters

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About NCBA CLUSA The National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International (NCBA CLUSA) is the national association for cooperative businesses providing cross-sector education, support and advocacy helping co-ops thrive across a variety of sectors. For nearly 100 years, our mission has been to develop, advance and protect cooperative enterprises demonstrating that cooperatives are a better business model for advancing economic and social impact. For the last 50 years, we have supported cooperative development globally through our CLUSA international program.

Advocacy 101 for Co-ops Webinar TODAY

Advocacy 101 for Co-ops Webinar Today, Tuesday, July 31, 3-4 p.m., Eastern There’s Still Time to Register! It’s not too late to attend this complimentary webinar, co-produced by the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) and the Campaign for Cooperation. It’s your opportunity to get: A comprehensive overview of the advocacy process Talking points for discussing co-ops with legislators Insights into the National Cooperative Development Act and its impact on jobs and the economy A Public Policy Toolkit for the 2012 International Year of Cooperatives The opportunity to interact with experts Moderated by Peter Frank, Cooperation Works!, expert panelists include R.L. Condra, NCBA; Amy Johnson, US Federation of Worker Cooperatives; Andrew McLeod, Cooperation Works! Urban Circle; Bob Noble, Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance; and Lisa Stolarski, NCBA. Who Should Participate? Cooperative developers, representatives and volunteers Members of community service organizations All who want to support the co-op movement

July 31: Nat'l Co-op Dev't Act webinar

Mark your calendars - Tuesday, July 31st, 3pm EST The Campaign for Cooperation is hosting a webinar to discuss effective ways co-op supporters can engage with elected officials. We will specifically discuss the National Cooperative Development Act, update you on its progress, and help you plan an effective visit. All of these lessons are applicable to any advocacy effort you might be working on.   You can register for the webinar here: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/522332810 Keep spreading the word!  Tell all of your fellow cooperators about this exciting bill, and encourage them to join the campaign at www.campaign.coop ! Congressman Fattah needs your help to pass this important legislation!  He's working hard to build support for the bill, both in DC with his colleagues in Congress, but also by speaking directly with Cooperators like us! He recently spoke at 3 co-op conferences; in Boston at the National Worker Cooperative Conference, in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance Conference, and the Consumer Cooperative Management Association. "If you do the work (by advocating for this bill), you will be rewarded with even more work (developing lots of co-ops!)"    Thank you for your continued support! Peter Frank Cooperation Works! - Advocacy Coordinator info@campaign.coop www.campaign.coop 215-680-9195

HR 3677 - It's Official!

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

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

We are thankful for cooperation

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

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

Join the Campaign for Cooperation

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.

The Campaign for Cooperation is On!

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