Keeping workers and/or members informed and educated is critical to the long term success of a co-op. We can help ensure that the members understand their rights and responsibilities, feel empowered to speak up and make changes when necessary, and have the knowledge needed to understand finances, and the overall condition of their cooperative’s operations.

The NWCDC can support you on a wide range of general co-op topics and issues:

• General Co-op Education
• Governance Training
• Bylaws and Articles
• Business Planning
• Feasibility + Pro-Forma
• Management + Operations
• Strategic Planning
• Member Drives
• Financing and Equity
• Marketing Plan
• Co-op Check-up
• Business Model Canvas
• Financing, capital investment, and marketing.
• Feasibility Assessments
• Cooperative Education
• Business Planning
• Strategic Planning
• Market Research
• Board Training
• Grant Writing

We can help with the following more technical items/issues as well:

• Bookkeeping
• Financial controls
• Choosing and setting up a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system -or- Project Management system
• Handbook for board of directors, with guidance and tools like checklists and guidelines for good meetings
• Bylaws and policy reviews – in partnership with a co-op attorney when applicable
• Budget and financial projections
• Capital planning and financing: loan applications, equity investment, etc.
• Identifying key performance indicators(KPI’s), & setting up systems to track both for revenue and staff accountability
• Employee and management reviews systems
• Coaching and support through periods of rapid growth or major crisis

The Coop Index provides a means for worker coops to obtain a detailed analysis of the coops ability to meet its non-financial goals.