About
Cooperatives are member-owned and democratically governed enterprises in which people or businesses come together for mutual benefit. Cooperatives typically operate with the shared values of their members and respond to community needs. There are several types of commercial co-ops, including worker, consumer, and producer co-ops. They play a vital role in strengthening and diversifying neighborhoods by promoting local ownership, fostering business and leadership development, and keeping resources and jobs local. Since most commercial cooperative members are local residents, business profits remain and circulate in the community.
Stakeholders
Small Business
Government or Public Agency
Banks or Lending Institutions
Community Residents
Strategies in Action
Lodge Pole (Reservation), MT
Lodge Pole Trading Post
The Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative – Bronx, NY
The Bronx Cooperative Development Initiative (BCDI) is a community-led planning and economic development organization focused on shared wealth and ownership for low-income people of color. BCDI developed a community enterprise network model which connects community [...]
Glut Co-op – Mt. Rainier, MD
Glut Co-op, a collective food co-op, is owned, managed, and operated by the workers. Workers control the business and jointly decide how it should be organized and run. Glut uses a consensus-based decision making process. [...]
Seward Community Co-op – Minneapolis, MN
Seward Community Co-op is a community-owned consumer co-op with two grocery stores and a café. In 2019, Seward Co-op welcomed 1,333 new owners. Currently more than 21,000 households are directly invested as member-owners. With an [...]
Beloved Community Incubator (BCI) – Washington, D.C.
Beloved Community Incubator (BCI) is a worker nonprofit that provides and organizes resources for community-based cooperatives and collectives in the D.C. metro area. It incubates new cooperatives and collectives, supporting workers through the process of [...]
