Olympia Area Coop Education Programs

Sustainable Cooperative Development Certificate – Evergreen State College in Partnership with the NWCDC

Regional Co-op Networks

These are existing networks of cooperatives in the Pacific Northwest.

Cascade Cooperatives

A Bellingham based co-op of cooperatives serving Whatcom, Skagit and Cascade Counties

Cascade Union-Cooperative Council

A network supporting the engagement of worker co-ops and labor unions in the Cascade region. 

CoSound

An Olympia based co-op of Co-ops In the South Puget Sound (Thurston, Mason, Grays Harbor Counties).

Olympic Cooperative Network

A Port Townsend based network connecting cooperatives in Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap counties. 

Washington Homecare Cooperatives

A co-op of homecare cooperatives in Washington

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:

• Sharing-Like-We-Mean-It-Web
• The-Cooperative-Alternative-Technical-Report-Web

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

• 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

• Goat Meat Marketing

Annual Meetings

• Annual Meeting Checklist

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

• Business Plan for Established Business
• USDA: Your Business Plan

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

• USDA Feasibility Study Guide
• Vital Steps: A Co-op Feasability Study Guide

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

Want to learn more about Resident Owned Communities and transitioning a Manufactured Home Park to a ROC? These helpful guides (provided in English and Spanish) can help your community prepare. 

• ROC Northwest Fact Sheets (EN)
• ROC Northwest Fact Sheets (ESP)

NWCDC is a ROC USA Certified Technical Assistance Provider (CTAP)

• 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