What We Share & Promote
Resources
Below is our library of information, resources, and research on cooperatives.
Olympia Area Coop Education Programs
CoSound
A Co-op of Co-ops In the South Puget Sound
The Co-op Index
Learn about an essential tool from the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) for measuring your cooperative’s effectiveness
Reports and Studies
posted 2020/12/17
Cultural Workers Organize have produced two reports on the co-op ecosystem in the US and Canada. Read them online here or download the pdf on the links below:
Community Impact
- Cooperatives for Sustainable Communities: an electronic book examining tools and methods to measure cooperative impact and performance.
- Methodologies for Measuring Impact: a webinar
- Tools to Measure Your Co-op: a webinar
- SLICE Survey Report 2010
- Survey of Co-operative Capital, Filene Research Institute (2015)
About Starting Co-ops
- Co-ops 101: An Introduction to Cooperatives, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Cooperative Information Report 55, Revised November 2012
- Steps to Start a Co-op, NWCDC, December 2006
- Creating a Shared Vision, NWCDC, June 2006
- Deciding How to Decide, NWCDC, March 2006
- Committee Charters, NWCDC, February 2006
- Effective Meetings, NWCDC, March 2006
- Facilitation, NWCDC, April 2006
- Consensus, NWCDC, April 2006
- Meeting Minutes, NWCDC, March 2006
- SWOT for Co-ops, NWCDC, July 2006
- Fundraising, NWCDC, April 2006
- How to Start a Co-op, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Cooperative Information Report 7, Revised September 1996
Agribusiness Co-ops
Annual Meetings
Board of Directors
- Building a Productive Co-op Board
- Components of Board Development
- Duties and Responsibilities of Cooperative Board Members
- Golden Rule Guide to the Rules
- Governing for the Future: The Board’s Role in Expansions
- Types of Co-op Boards
- Understanding Co-ops: Business Management Functions
- Board Member Job Description
- Board of Directors Self Assessment
Business Planning
Energy-Related Co-ops
- Harvesting NW Bioenergy Co-ops
- Feasibility Report for Olympia Biofuels Co-op
- Forest Co-ops as an Ownership Model to Aggregate Forest Biomass
- 2013 “Fresh Starts” Conference for Food Co-ops (Hosted by NWCDC and Food Co-op Initiative)
- Map Your Successful Journey, PDF of the presentation by Stuart Reid, Food Co-op Initiative, September 2013
- The Economics of the Local Food Supply Chain, PDF of the presentation by Matt Mylet, One PacificCoast Bank, September 2013
- Idaho’s Bounty and Its Community, a video presentation by Lynea Petty, Idaho’s Bounty Co-op, September 2013
- Agenda for 2013 “Fresh Starts” Conference, September 12, Portland Oregon
Feasibility Studies
Food-Related Co-ops
- Approaches to an Online Food Co-op , A webinar by NWCDC, 2011
- Case Study: Idaho’s Bounty, An Online, Local Food Cooperative, NWCDC, 2011
- A Week with Idaho’s Bounty Online Food Market , IBC, 2011
- Starting an Online Local Food Cooperative, NWCDC, 2011
- A Food Co-op in Your Community , video by the Food Co-op Initiative
- Community benefits of food co-ops: Healthy Foods, Healthy Communities study
Housing Co-ops
NWCDC is a ROC USA Certified Technical Assistance Provider (CTAP)
- Duvall Riverside Village Duvall, WA
- Hidden Village Lacey, WA
- Sandy Acres Buckley, WA
- Whispering Pines Oak, Harbor, WA
- Improving their lot: Nonprofits help residents buy trailer park in Oak Harbor, Whidbey News-Times article December 2013
- A reason to be thankful: Residents purchase Oak Harbor mobile-home park ROC article December 2013
- Own it Together: Buying Land as a Cooperative, YES! article Spring, 2013
- Residents Turn Duvall Mobile Home Park into a Resident-Owned Community ROC article January 2013
- ROC USA En Espanol ROC Website
- ¡Los residentes deciden ser dueños de su comunidad de costa a costa! ROC USA El Reportero Comunitario, 2009
