Support "Jackson Rising" Cooperative Conference in May

On Tuesday February 25th, 2014 Mayor Chokwe Lumumba unexpectedly passed away. The Jackson Rising: New Economies Conference (May 2-4, 2014 at Jackson State University) was intended to be one of the primary initiatives and vehicles of the Lumumba administration to build a more equitable and democratic economy in Jackson, MS. The organizers intend to fulfill this mission. On February 26, 2014 (after Mayor Lumumba's death) they were successful in having the Jackson City Council pass a resolution endorsing the conference.

Help make Jackson, Mississippi, a center of economic democracy where strong cooperatives along with other forms of worker owned enterprises and financial institutions will create jobs with dignity, stability, living wages, and quality benefits.

The Indiegogo campaign has been launched! They are seeking to raise $10,000 by March 15^th. Please check out the link below and distribute it far and wide. 

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/682754/emal/6396066

Lets help them achieve or even surpass their goal. - Jessica Gordon Nembhard

Help Worker Co-op Moms Win $25,000!

Meet Ginger Moon, a graduate of Green Worker Cooperatives' Coop Academy. Ginger Moon is a mother-owned & run worker co-op based in the Bronx that is dedicated to providing healthy food to new moms and their families. 

They call themselves "the food doulas" because they see food as a key ingredient to ensure the health and vitality of a new mother and child. Ginger Moon provides personal chef services as well as food delivery and focuses on the dietary needs of new moms. 

GINGER MOON IS IN THE RUNNING TO WIN $25,000 in the FedEx: Small Business Big Grant challenge. AND THEY'RE THE ONLY WORKER CO-OP IN THE MIX.

VOTE FOR THEM NOW and help them win some much needed seed capital.

Vote every day (yes, its allowed) and tell your friends to do the same.

Watch "To The Moon" trailer -- documentary on Co-Cycle

Co-Cycle was a brave and beautiful project to bike the U.S. visiting and learning about co-ops along the way. To the Moon is the documentary. CDI is proud to have helped out in small ways with both projects and congratulates these Amherst grads on a ton of good work. It's not over, though -- funds are still needed to edit and promote the film, and the Co-Cycle continues with a tour planned along the West Coast in 2014. Enjoy the trailer and see how you can participate!

US Federation of Worker Co-ops Sustainer Drive 2013

Got Love for Worker Co-ops?  Join as a USFWC Sustainer! Have you been looking for a concrete way to support the growing worker cooperative movement?   How about helping the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives reach our goal of 200 Sustainer members by December 31st?     Sustainer Members are individuals who value the US Federation's work and commit at least $10 a month to provide reliable, community-sourced revenue that we can use to do things we might not be able to do with grants. Years of hard work are starting to bear fruit in the form of a growing movement. Now is the time to ask our allies for a sustained commitment of support.   "The U.S. Federation has now become the primary source of information and analysis for the worker cooperative field.  I became a sustaining member because I want to support leadership that is driven by the worker cooperatives themselves." Steve Dawson Founder of Coop Home Care Associates  Bronx, NY Your sustainer membership will fund our Federation's ongoing work to build our members' power and amplify our voices in discussions of the new economy we are building. This is work that builds a movement. And grassroots movement-building requires grassroots funding. That's 200+ of YOU. At $10 a month. Easy peasy! "I'm pleased to be able to donate a modest amount each month to keep this organization active and productive.  With the donation automatically deducted each month, it's an easy way to be actively engaged.  I highly recommend becoming a Sustainer which feels good, saves time, and supports crucial work."  Mary Hoyer,   Union Coops Council and Coop Fund of New England Please join today as a USFWC Sustainer. Click the 'Join' button or visit www.usworker.coop/join/sustainers to learn more. With our deepest thanks for your belief in this work, and your willingness to back it financially, ~ The USFWC Board and Staff

Support a new worker-owned green recycling business: CERO in Boston

From Stacey Cordeiro, founder of Boston Center for Community Ownership:

Hi my co-op community, I wanted to let you know about a new worker co-op forming in Boston.  It will be a full-service recycling and disposal service for neighborhood restaurants, closing local food loops by composting food scraps for local farmers and collecting waste vegetable oil for biofuel.  Today is the first day of a long process of raising enough money for trucks and equipment.  This is a member driven effort, with local entrepreneurs from African American and Latino communities coming together to create this business.  They have been working hard for over a year to create a solid business plan to make this happen.  

Even if you can't donate, I really recommend visiting their Indiegogo site to watch the short video, it's really beautiful.

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/green-jobs-that-pay-off-for-people-community-the-planet/x/303065?c=home

http://www.cero.coop/

Looking forward to seeing many of you this week at ECWD!

Stacey

Food Co-op Initiative Announces Grant Opportunity

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Stuart Reid   

Tel. 507-664-2034

Cell: 507-581-0170

stuart@foodcoopinitiative.coop

www.foodcoopinitiative.coop

Food Co-op Initiative Announces Grant Opportunity

Food Co-op Initiative today announced they are accepting applications for grants up to $10,000 for development of new grocery co-ops. The Seed Grant program provides a cash award along with proven resources to help organizations achieve success. Food Co-op Initiative advisers will work closely with awardees throughout their organizing process, including making at least one in-person visit to the community.

Food Co-op Initiative’s Seed Grant program is designed to streamline the startup process to foster the maximum number of successful, sustainable co-ops. These competitive grants must be matched by the co-op with funds raised locally. Grants may be used for payment to professional consultants, registration fees and expenses to attend training opportunities, and initiatives supporting member recruitment, capital-raising, community outreach, or other aspects of organizing the co-op.

Food Co-op Initiative was founded in 2010 in response to a continuing wave of interest in establishing new retail food co-ops. The Initiative provides a range of services to the hundreds of volunteer groups working to bring improved access to food and the other economic and social benefits of cooperatives to their communities.

In 2012, Food Co-op Initiative awarded $100,000 to 14 organizations in 12 states. Grants are funded by the USDA, Blooming Prairie Foundation, and the kind support of cooperators nationwide. Applications and guidelines are downloadable at www.foodcoopinitiative.coop. Deadline for applications to be received is August 1st. Awards will be announced by September 1st.

###

About Food Co-op Initiative: Food Co-op Initiative is a non-profit foundation created to provide resources and support for communities that want to start new food co-ops. Food Co-op Initiative provides support, referrals, and training to help communities nationwide create successful grocery cooperatives.

reRoute: Building Youth and Student Power for a New Economy, July 19-21, New York City

Announcing reRoute: Building Youth and Student Power for a New Economy

This summer join a diverse new generation of practitioners and organizers from across the US and Canada to share strategies, tools, and stories about our work creating a solidarity economy from the ground up in our communities and on our campuses. reRoute: Building Youth and Student Power for a New Economy will bring together under-40 activists dedicated to systemic change for three days, July 19-21 at New York University. 

The event is sliding scale and scholarships are available. Housing deadline is June 12th. You can learn more at www.neweconomicsinstitute/reroute or by emailing cheyennaweber@neweconomicsinstitute.org.

Full convergence program TBA but confirmed panels and workshops include:

*Pathways to a New Economy

with David Woods, Institute for Responsible Investment; Maliha Safiri, US Solidarity Economy Network; Alexa Bradley, On the Commons; Ed Whitfield, Fund for Democratic Communities, moderated by Atlee McFellin, Symcenter

*Making a Living in the New Economy

with Elandria Williams, Highlander Center; Farah Tanis, Black Women's Blueprint; Jessie Reilly, TimebanksNYC; Juliet Schor, Boston College, moderated by Joshua Stephens, NYC-based co-op developer

*Financing a New Economy

with Deyanira del Rio, Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project; Steve Wong, the Working World; Lauren Ressler, Responsible Endowments Coalition, moderated by Kenneth Edusei, SolidarityNYC

*Teaching and Learning a New Economics

with Renaud Girac, University of Quebec; Brian Kelly, US Society for Ecological Economics; Olivia Geiger, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, moderated by Keith Harrington, New School

*Success Stories from the New Economics Institute Campus Network

with Sachie Hopkins Hayakawa, Swarthmore Mountain Justice; Marcie Hawkins-Smith, North Carolina Student New Economy Coalition; Joel Williams, the Oak Tree Spokane; David Porinchok, Northern Arizona University Action Research Program, moderated by Farhad Ebrahimi, The Chorus Foundation

Fossil Fuel Divestment and Beyond – Responsible Endowments Coalition

Possibilities For Participatory Budgeting – Participatory Budgeting Greensboro

Food Justice and The New Economy – CoFED and Mariposa Food Co-op

Building Political Power for a New Economy– SolidarityNYC/Philadelphia 

Co-op Alliance

Can The Economics Curriculum Be Reformed?  Lessons From Activists In France and Quebec – PEPS / Horizons Economiques

Universities As Anchors For A Sustainable And Just Food Economy – Real Food Challenge

Mapping The New Economy – Shareable/Data Commons Project/Solidarity NYC

How To Start A Worker Co-op – Cooperative Development Institute

Non-hierarchical Staffing Structures – North American Students Of Cooperation

Bringing Solidarity Home: creating alternative housing economies through 

cooperative living – NASCO

Timebanks From New York to California – Timebanks NYC/Bay Area Community Exchange

Cooperative and Democratic Leadership--AORTA

We'll also be offering solidarity economy tours of Brooklyn on Friday.

Donate to the Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy! $2500 matching grant opportunity

By now, I hope that you're aware that the Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy--the high-energy, information-packed biennial eastern region worker co-op conference--will be held at Drexel University in Philadelphia July 26th-28th.

In order to make a grant match, we're raising money in amounts of $100 or less from individuals, co-ops, and organizations.  Fund 4 Democratic Communities, a nonprofit in Greensboro, NC, has committed  $2500 for the conference if we can match that amount.  To do this, we need as many people as possible to pitch in at http://s.coop/workercoop on Razoo.com.  

ECWD's nonprofit fiduciary is EDINA.  If you'd prefer to send a check, make it out to EDINA/ECWD 13 and mail it to ECWD / 463 Lincoln Place #126 / Brooklyn, NY 11238-6201.

If you know of others who may be willing to help with this, please forward this information to them.  

For information on the conference and to register, go to Eastern Conference For Workplace Democracy | Growing our Cooperatives, Growing our CommunitiesDrexel University in Philadelphia, PA July 26-28 2013

Mary Hoyer

ECWD Advisor

Amherst, MA 

mhoyer22@comcast.net

The Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy will be held from July 26th-28th at Drexel University in Philadelphia PA. This year’s theme “Growing Our Cooperatives, Growing Our Communities” will examine strategies to maximize growth and development inside of cooperatives and in the cooperative movement while maintaining cooperatives’ democratic values. 

In addition to the a full slate of workshops, discussions and panels and on cooperative mechanics, development and finances from expert developers and worker-owners from across the country this year’s conference will feature workshops such as: 

•Planning for Development: Strategic Planning and Goal Setting in the cooperative context 

•Scaling Democracy: Transitioning between structures to maintain workplace democracy 

•Changing States: Moving from “maintenance” to development in an established cooperative 

Matching Grant Challenge for Dorchester Food Co-op

The Dorchester Community Food Co-op is approaching the deadline for our matching fund Challenge Grant from the Boston Impact Initiative.

Thanks to many of you, we have raised $2800 toward our goal of $12,500. Now we need to raise the rest--- $9,700 by April 15! If we meet this challenge, we will receive an additional $12,500 from the Boston Impact Initiative and we will have $25,000 to ensure that the co-op can do the pre-development work to move to the next level.

We are meeting with our development partners to finalize site selection for the new co-op. We are very excited about the vision of a whole new 10,000 sq ft "market center" on Bowdoin St. that will include the co-op, as well as complementary businesses, such as a bakery, a fish store, and a bank or credit union.

Chip in $25 or more right now to help make this vision a reality!

Our goal for this co-op is far more than just a source of food. With your support we will also work to create a hub for community gatherings and build a model green community- and worker-owned business. We are tired of hearing that inner city visions are unrealistic! You may have noticed a recent Boston Globe article that talks about many new supermarkets with natural food being built in the Boston area, and you may have ALSO noticed that Dorchester--Boston's largest neighborhood-- is not included in any of these plans! We need to build our OWN store that brings us economic opportunities and community control over our food choices.

Please act now and help us meet this fundraising challenge. With your continued backing for the Dorchester Community Food Coop, we will show that commitment and hard work can make this dream come true in a diverse urban setting.

To Donate on Line: dotcommcoop.wordpress.com 
Look for the Donate Now icon!

Donations of $100 or more are tax deductible if made by check payable to our fiscal sponsor, the Coop Fund of New England. All checks should be mailed to Dorchester Community Food Coop, PO Box 240231, Dorchester, MA 02124

With gratitude for your partnership,

Jenny Silverman and the Board of the Dorchester Community Food Coop
Jhana Senxian, Bing Broderick, Davida Andelman, Rosanne Foley, Sharon Higgins, Jennie Msall, Lynn Murray, Samantha Tan, Joel Wool

Fundraising for the new cohort of Green Worker Cooperatives

The Next Wave of Co-ops are here! 

The Spring semester of the Coop Academy, our business boot camp for cooperative start-ups, is less than a month away. But before any of the four teams of aspiring cooperative entrepreneurs are able to benefit from the aggressive combination of training, coaching, and technical services such as legal incorporation, graphic design, and website development, first they have to fundraise for their course registration fee ($550 per team member).

It’s their first assignment as a team. We request you donate to one, several or all of these start-up cooperatives. Your donation is their access to training and resources, a network of support, and of course … success. Think of it as an investment in the creation of the economy you’ve always dreamed of.

Make a donation today … then tell your friends.

The Next Wave

1. The Women Of Color and LGBTQ Healing Arts Collectivewill provide holisitc health services to the Bronx by and for womyn of color and the LGBTQ community. The collective will operate out of the Casa Atabex Ache/House of Womyn’s Power in the South Bronx.

2. POPis an online feminist zine created by and for young women of color from the Bronx. It grew out of W.O.M.E.N. (Where Our Minds Empower Needs), a young women’s group at The Point CDC in the South Bronx and aims to fight back oppressive images and talk about women of color in a more positive, complex, and real manner. Watch their amazing video!

3. Eco Rydersis a group of young people dedicated to teaching Bronx youth about the environment and social issues through green skateboard design. They operate out of The Point CDC in the South Bronx.Watch their inspiring video!

4. The NYC Student Credit Union will be a student-owned and operated credit union within the CUNY university system providing financial services tailored to the special needs of students.

 

Help us make Co-opoly 2.0 Happen; Get Great Benefits in Return; Show off Your Co-op or Organization to 20,000 People

*Please forward widely!*

Dear friends and cooperators,

I wanted to reach out to you to let you know the exciting news that The Toolbox for Education and Social Action (TESA) is gearing up for Co-opoly 2.0. But, we need your help to make it happen. This game is entirely ethically produced (all in the US, primarily by other worker co-ops, and on sustainable materials), and so the cost is extremely high - as we're paving the road for ethical game production. Now, we’re turning to the co-op movement to help us raise funds for another run of Co-opoly, and we've lined up a bunch of amazing rewards for individuals and co-ops/allied organizations who make a tax-deductible contribution.

Our first pressing of Co-opoly is nearly gone; we’ve sold roughly 1,000 copies to people in 20 countries around the world. People who have played Co-opoly have given positive and enthusiastic feedback, confirming that Co-opoly is both a fun game and a powerful resource for building the cooperative community. That we have nearly sold out of Co-opoly in almost a year surpassed our wildest expectations, and having support from people like you made a sizable difference.

There are still many people who have yet to play Co-opoly, and so we plan to print 2,000 more games, which will reach 12,000 to 20,000 more people—from experienced cooperators to start-up co-op members, educators, families, organizers, and many others. Like when we launched, we are providing our individual supporters with amazing rewards. There's a whole other set of rewards for co-ops/allied organizations, too, such as being featured in the game, free copies of Co-opoly, your logo on the box, a custom version of the game designed for your co-op or community, being thanked in the instructions, and so much more. All of this could be seen by up to 20,000 people! And don't forget, thanks to CDI, all contributions are tax deductible!

Can you give today to take Co-opoly to the next level? Organizations can get these wonderful benefits, and individuals can receive these. Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions. Thank you so much for your continued support. 

In cooperation,
Brian Van Slyke

P.S. Haven't played Co-opoly yet but want to give it a shot? You can buy it here!

Co-opoly's Second Printing Needs Your Support!

Dear cooperators and cooperative allies,

We, the Toolbox for Education and Social Action (TESA), a co-op based in Northampton, MA, are preparing to print the second edition of the hit board game Co-opoly: The Game of Cooperatives, and we need your help! 

Last year, we launched Co-opoly, and in ten months we have sold nearly 1,000 copies of our independently produced and marketed game to people all over the world. We are almost out of stock and are seeking contributions to help us print the second edition. In return, we’ll give you amazing rewards, benefits, and publicity. All contributions are tax deductible! 

Co-opoly has reached thousands of people around the world and has proven to be both a fun game and a powerful resource for building the cooperative community. Our game is also the first of its kind that we know of to be manufactured in accordance with sustainable and ethical business practices. While the game’s popularity thus far has been great, we need support to print the second edition. 

Our goal is to print 2,000 games, which will reach 12,000 to 20,000 people—from experienced cooperators to start-up co-op members, educators, families, organizers, and beyond. In return for your tax-deductible contributions, you can receive an array of benefits, such as being featured in the game; your logo on the box; free copies of Co-opoly; free advertising for your organization; and so much more! By helping us make this game available to more people and communities, you will also be spreading the word about your organization and mission. 

Visit our website to download the information kit and find out more details about our campaign to fund the second printing of Co-opoly. You can reach us by phone at 617-252-8799 or by email at contact@toolboxfored.org. We look forward to talking with you about Co-opoly!

Donate to 4 Aspiring Worker Co-ops

There are four amazing nascent worker cooperatives raising funds now to participate in the Green Worker Cooperatives Co-op Academy Fall 2012 session. Give them a boost! http://ioby.org/campaign/green-worker-cooperatives-coop-academy-fall-2012.

Fundraiser for Center for Family Life May 30

PLEASE JOIN US   CENTER FOR FAMILY LIFE's       Celebrating Community 2012   MAY 30, 2012    Honoring:   Yehudah Rose Member of Center for Family Life's Governing Body and Founder of SnowSprint Capital  and   Gowri Krishna Fordham University School of Law   Why-Q Open House Lofts,  75 Greene Street, New York City INDIVIDUAL TICKETS: $125 The Center gratefully accepts a fully tax-deductible contribution of corporate matching gifts—if your employer can match your donation. EVENT ADVERTISING: $500 ONE-LINE GREETING: $100 Your ad with organization name and logo, or your name and personal greeting, will be displayed at the event and acknowledged on the Center for Family Life website.   To purchase a ticket or an ad in the event journal, please contact brexkiss@cflsp.org for more information!

Help Complete Worker Co-op Documentary!

Please support the completion of the documentary film about worker cooperatives, “Shift Change: Putting Democracy to Work.”

Longtime documentary filmmakers Moving Image Productions are using Kickstarter to raise funds to finish their film “Shift Change: Putting Democracy to Work”. This grassroots, independent project will only be funded if at least $30,000 is pledged by the end of April. That’s 24 days left to go! Please consider even a small gesture of support.

USFWC staff and members have actively participated in this film, which chronicles worker cooperatives in the United States, and the Mondragon cooperatives in Spain. Check out a preview of the film here.

Thank you!

For more information:

Kickstarter: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1287935035/shift-change-putting-democracy-to-work

www.shiftchange.org

www.movingimages.org

To contact the filmmakers directly:

Melissa Young, producer

Moving Images

melissa@movingimages.org

Donate to Scholarship Fund for US Worker Co-op Conference

Boston-area co-operators: here is a fun chance to meet great co-op people and donate to a wonderful cause.

Everyone else: please consider making a donation anyway!
Scholarships to the conference will cost about $100 each, and the Boston organizing committee is hoping to provide at least 50! Please use http://www.gofundme.com/99esg to make a donation.

***************************
Hey friends!

We're having brunch on Sunday 3/25, raising funds for a
scholarship fund for this summer's National Worker Co-op conference
(http://usworker.coop). It's not just a conference, it's a wonderful
opportunity for local co-op members, and aspiring cooperators, to
learn how to run a successful, democratic business. This is the
United Nations "Year of Cooperatives" and there is a TON of interest
from people who want to learn about this alternative to capitalist
businesses. The scholarship fund is meant to help provide access to
the conference for people who can't afford the registration. We're
expecting a flood of scholarship requests! Organizations like the
Boston Worker's Alliance, MassCOSH, and Worcester Roots want to send
20 or more interested people each to the conference - please help us
help them get there!

Brunch is this Sunday, March 25th at the showroom of the Community
Builders Cooperative - a 25 year old contracting company in
Somerville. The address is 24 Webster Ave in Union Square,
Somerville, and the event is from 11 to 2 pm. Tickets are $20 if you
reserve ahead of time, and $25 at the door. To reserve a seat, send
an email to Eric Johnson at ejohnson@redsunpress.com. You can make a
donation through our new fundraising site:
http://www.gofundme.com/99esg . We're making a ton of food, and we
have some wonderful donations from local chefs and caterers - it's
going to be a great feast!

If you can't come to brunch, please consider making a donation anyway!
Scholarships to the conference will cost us about $100 each, and
we're hoping to provide at least 50! Please use
http://www.gofundme.com/99esg to make a donation.

THANK YOU!