The Center is a nonprofit organization devoted to assisting new and existing cooperative businesses, from daycare centers to credit unions.

Our mission is: to foster community economic development, primarily through the cooperative business model. 

When consumers, producers or workers become owners, their individual and collective responsibilities greatly increase. The Center provides access to information and tools that will enable effective governance and management.

Forming co-ops is a proven strategy to help people access economic resources that meet their needs. A main hurdle for start-up co-ops is the large amount of time it takes to organize and get started. Support is needed for the predevelopment of a co-op, from organizing to business planning.

Where there's development support, co-ops have a greater chance of succeeding and creating economic opportunities. The Center assists with development to help build business ownership, sound management and economic health. The Center is supported through fee-for-service income, grants and donations.

View our video
about our work with
Mountain Community Co-op
filmed by
Think Organic

About Our Logo:
The "twin pines" logo is used by North American cooperatives. The pine tree is the ancient symbol of endurance, fecundity and immortality - qualities of the Cooperative movement. Twin pines mark the mutual cooperation necessary to the movement - people helping people. Their trunks and roots form the endless circle which symbolizes not only eternal existence, but the world, the all-embracing cosmos.
- James P. Warbasse, founder of the Cooperative League, USA

Get Involved:

Inquire about our internships and positions

or

explore our online resources

More Info:

What is a Co-op?

Co-op Features

Co-op Principles  

Co-op Types

Our Online Resource

 Updated Apr. '10
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