Free NCBA Webinar 4/12 on Starting a Purchasing Cooperative

Part I - Steps to Starting a Successful Purchasing Cooperative Thursday, April 12th from 2-3 pm EST Purchasing cooperatives have become an essential tool for many businesses and organizations. Purchasing cooperatives helps members improve their competitiveness, and leverage their combined purchasing volumes into savings and efficiencies. In this four-part educational track, co-op developers will learn the strategies and the development process for starting a purchasing cooperative. Part I: Introduction to Purchasing Cooperatives Why form a purchasing cooperative? What is a purchasing cooperative? Benefits of being a member-owner Traits of successful purchasing co-ops Typical member commitments Who Should Attend Cooperative developers or anyone interested in learning about purchasing cooperatives

for this FREE webinar about this four-part educational track

Have a topic suggestion for a NCBA webinar? Contact to Racquel Codling at rcodling@ncba.coop or (202) 442-2324.

Co-op Learning Opportunity Round-up

In This Issue Spring, Summer and Fall Events Co-op Teach-In Worker Co-op Conference NASCO Institute An Ongoing Opportunity: Co-op Teach-in The National Cooperative Business Association has launched an exciting initiative to mark 2012, the International Year of Cooperatives. The Cooperative Teach-In engages campuses with the cooperative movement through the creation of events, programs, and projects on co-ops. Sign up as a participant today! Featured Event: 2012 National Worker Cooperative Conference This event takes place every two years and in a different part of the country each time. We're lucky to have it in Boston, in the heart of the Northeast, in this International Year of Cooperatives. CDI staff will be presenting a workshop on "Co-ops Seeding Co-ops" and participating in panels on conversions to worker co-ops, co-op learning academies, and digital platforms for sharing information, as well as the "ask an expert" panel. Register today! A Perennial Favorite: NASCO Institute Held by North American Students of Cooperation each fall in Ann Arbor, Michigan, theInstitute attracts hundreds of cooperators from the U.S. and Canada for two and one half days of comprehensive technical programs and discussions. The 2012 dates and program are not yet finalized, but be sure to keep it in mind! Master of Management - Cooperatives and Credit Unions Remember that the deadline for Fall admissions to this 3-year program is May 31! Cooperative Development Institute The Northeast's Center for Cooperative Business PO Box 422 Shelburne Falls, MA 01370 www.cdi.coop / info@cdi.coop Tel: 877 NE COOPS (toll free) / 413-665-1271 Fax: 413-541-8300	Plant some seeds of co-op learning!
	Dear Co-operator, Spring is the season to think about cultivating new skills, new relationships, and new ideas. There is a wealth of educational co-op events taking place in the Northeast and beyond, so mark your calendar now and get set to grow and learn! Spring and Summer Events March 27-28, Syracuse, NY: Northeast Cooperative Council Leaders Forum and Annual Meeting and CoBank's Northeast Regional Customer Meeting. A gathering of Northeast agriculture and producer co-ops. March 31, Syracuse, NY: 2012 Upstate Cooperatives Summit: Building our Economic Future. Upstate New York cooperatives - banking, grocery, housing, agricultural, worker - together at last. April 11, Manchester, NH: Co-op Speaker Series, Session 3: Consumer Ownership. Registration is free and open to the public. Featuring St. Mary's Bank and Hanover Consumer Co-op. April 12, Augusta, ME: "How to Talk Cooperative!" Free training for anyone who wants to make informal presentations about the benefits of co-ops, presented by CDI and Cooperative Maine. April 14, Holyoke, MA: Western Mass. Jobs with Justice Educational, Organizing, & Membership Conference. CFNE will be tabling, and we're intrigued by the workshop "Good Green Jobs ~ owned by union members?" April 21, Orono, ME: HOPE Festival and Green Expo. Cooperative Maine joins 70 social change groups and keynoter Bill McKibben. April 21-22, Warren, VT: The Art of Small Business/Re-Inventing Small Business. Founder of South Mountain Company worker co-op, John Abrams, offers a course based on Companies We Keep. May 1, New York, NY: Solidarity Economy Fair. Details to come, stay tuned! May 2, Washington, D.C.: 2012 Cooperative Hall of Fame. A fundraiser for the Cooperative Development Foundation and always an inspiration. May 12, Plattsburgh, NY: Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better Northern Adirondacks. A celebration of cooperatives young and old, and a community workshop, organized by CDI. May 12-July 7, East Coast: Cabot Community Tour. From Miami to Portland, check the schedule for a celebration near you. May 14-18, online: Financial Analysis for Cooperative Start-Ups.Session III in the premiere co-op development training byCooperation Works! June 2-5, Tuscon, AZ: Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) Institute. For professionals who communicate for cooperatives. June 8, Burlington, VT: 10th Annual Employee Ownership Conference. For those who want to learn more about employee ownership as well as members of existing employee-owned companies; presented by Vermont Employee Ownership Center. June 13 & 14-16, Philadelphia, PA: Exploring Cooperatives: Economic Democracy and Community Development in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and Consumer Cooperative Management Association (CCMA) Conference. A cross-sector look at how to build great co-ops and networks, and how those help build great cities and regions; and the yearly gathering of food co-op participants. June 22-24, Boston, MA: National Worker Cooperative Conference.Day-long intensive on co-op development, films, tours, workshops, speakers, and a big party. Do not miss! July 8-20, Madison, WI: CUNA Management School. Professional development for credit union staff. See CUNA's other educational offerings as well. July 13-15, New Brunswick, NJ: Conference of the International Association for the Economics of Participation. A presentation and debate about research on democratic and participatory economic organizations. Fall Events Fall, Bronx, NY: Green Worker Cooperative Academy. For teams ready to turn their business idea into an eco-friendly co-op. Sept. 10-13, Kansas City, MO: Annual Conference for Purchasing Cooperatives. The only event by, for and about purchasing and shared services cooperatives. Sept. 17-21, Madison, WI: Effective Cooperative Business Development for Practitioners. Session One of the Cooperation Works! professional development training. Oct. 2-5, Seattle, WA: Annual Cooperative Conference. A cross-sector gathering of the nation's cooperatives. Oct. 6 -11, Quebec City, Quebec: The Imagine 2012: Conference on Co-operative Economics and International Summit of Cooperatives. A world-wide gathering of the cooperative community in our backyard! Oct 10-13, Reno, NV: 52nd Annual National Association of Housing Cooperatives Conference. The housing event of the year. Did we miss something? Drop us a line at info@cdi.coop! We will make sure to get the word out about your cooperative learning opportunity for 2012, the International Year of Cooperatives. Happy learning and growing!