Who We Serve
Homecare Co-Ops in WA
Washington State is home to five home care cooperatives, the oldest being Circle of Life Caregivers Cooperative, which launched
in July 2007.
Circle of Life Caregiver Cooperative – Bellingham, WA
Circle of Life Caregiver Cooperative opened it’s doors in 2009, and is the oldest and largest home care cooperative in Washington State. As is often the case, Circle of Life Caregivers Co-op, was started from necessity. A woman needed help taking care of her elderly father and she called out to other women for help. Today, the cooperative is enjoying a time of growth. Circle of Life continues to provide high-quality in home care to Whatcom County’s elders as well as grow their membership of caregivers. They currently have over 30 caregivers, the majority of whom are owners of their cooperative.
Peninsula Homecare Cooperative – Port Townsend, WA
Peninsula Homecare Cooperative opened for business on February 8th, 2016. Their co-op was founded by a group of experienced caregivers who held that coalescing their resources and experience into a licensed home care agency was the best way to provide consistent and exceptional care to our community. Together they recognized the need for a different kind of homecare agency– one that respected caregivers and the essential work they do; one that paid caregivers well; one that included caregivers in decision making and in shaping the culture of their workplace. Peninsula Homecare Cooperative was warmly welcomed in Jefferson County and has been providing exceptional care and creating exceptional jobs ever since. “For us caregiving is easy… after all it is our chosen and passionate career. But we are more than a caregiving agency… we are a worker-owned cooperative where the principles of a democratic workplace must be understood and practiced daily..” (PHC Founder, Kippi Waters)
Capital Homecare Cooperative – Olympia, WA
Capital Homecare Cooperative opened it’s doors as the third home care cooperative on March 2nd, 2018 in Olympia Washington. A women led and lgbtqai-friendly business from the beginning, CHC has pioneered employee empowerment in their community while providing exceptional, person-centered care. Lead by caregivers, CHC has offered around 33% in wage increases annually to their caregivers, notably provided financial support to workers during the Covid19 crisis in 2020-2022, and seen caregivers do incredible work of the business including studying and updating bylaws, creating annual budgets, assisting with marketing and public outreach, becoming certified trainers, and more. They continue to grow and thrive with the support of their community, and to set a standard in quality care.
Ridgeline Homecare Cooperative – Port Angeles, WA
Ridgeline Homecare Co-op in Port Angeles, WA opened its doors as the fourth home care co-op in February of 2020, in perfect sync with the outbreak of Covid19. In spite of the plethora of challenges this burgeoning co-op faced, this incredible, female led, caregiver led team modeled the cooperative difference so exceptionally that within a year they began to flourish, and are now showing wonderful profits and rapid growth. Their caregivers are used to rural and beautiful conditions as they provide in-home care with the backdrop of the world famous Hurricane Ridge and the Olympia Mountain Range.
Heartsong Homecare Cooperative – Anacortes, WA
Heartsong Homecare Cooperative opened its doors in September 2021, it is the fifth and most recent home care cooperative to open its doors in Washington state! Located in Anacortes WA, Heartsong Homecare Cooperative serves the beautiful Skagit and Island County Communities on and around Whidbey Island. Caregiver founded, owned and lead, Heartsong Homecare Cooperative has experienced steady growth since they opened their doors and are already an integral part of the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Community.
Our Story
We understand that when consumers, producers or workers become business owners of a cooperative, their individual and collective responsibilities greatly increase. New owners face significant challenges to organize, get started and stay on track with a new cooperative business.
To help with these challenges, NWCDC provides facilitation, advising, analysis, and access to information and tools for cooperatives. Our pre-development work with startups helps to build business ownership, sound management practices, and economic health.
NWCDC is an active member of the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA), US Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC), and CooperationWorks!, the cooperative development network.
NWCDC aligns with the CooperationWorks! Principles and the Statement on the Cooperative Identity.
We Acknowledge
NWCDC’s physical location is in Olympia, WA part of the region covered by the Medicine Creek Treaty of 1854 signed under duress. NWCDC acknowledges the Indigenous People of the Medicine Creek Treaty: Coast Salish People and Sahewamish Tribe who are the traditional custodians of this land. We also honor the Nisqually Tribe and Squaxin Island Tribe and pay respect to elders past and present and we extend that respect to other Native People with whom we engage throughout the Pacific Northwest region.
We Serve
NWCDC primarily supports cooperatives in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho but has also supported projects as far away as Alaska and Hawai’i. Founded by cooperatives in 1979, the Center has grown into the Northwest’s leading provider of services for co-op business development. We have a long history of collaborating with communities, governments, economic development agencies, and other cooperatives, sharing expertise and building cross-sector support for new and existing cooperatives
Vision
To be the recognized leader in the development of cooperative businesses.
Mission
The Mission of the Northwest Cooperative Development Center is to foster community economic development, primarily through the cooperative business model.
Values
- True to Cooperative Spirit
- Integrity
- Professionalism
- Quality
- Innovative
- Competence
Vision
To be the recognized leader in the development of cooperative businesses.
Mission
The Mission of the Northwest Cooperative Development Center is to foster community economic development, primarily through the cooperative business model.
Values
- True to Cooperative Spirit
- Integrity
- Professionalism
- Quality
- Innovative
- Competence
Aspirations
Sustainability
NWCDC is the “Go To” agency, sought after for its skills and resources. It is recognized as the leader of co-op development, providing expertise and creative solutions leading to financial sustainability.
Funding
The Center provides services in a way that strengthens its own support network, in turn providing more stable funding opportunities for the future. Grants and investment based funding are supplemented by compelling successful projects to foster additional development through the Center.
Public Relations
NWCDC has a planned, proactive approach and culture of communication that informs the public of its skills and services. It continually maintains an ongoing dialogue and sharing of [project] stories.
Expertise
NWCDC has the appropriate skills and resources to assist its clients in meeting their business development needs. In anticipation of a dynamic changing world NWCDC offers consistent opportunities for professional and individual development, which constantly improves performance and range of services.
Teamwork
NWCDC has a plan that empowers the staff and board to contribute to the success and direction of the Center. Information is shared regularly that fosters open problem-solving and creative solutions.
Accountability
NWCDC clearly shows beneficial results of its work. It tracks and evaluates progress and challenges with transparent measurements.
Internships
NWCDC is a tax-exempt non-profit organization that facilitates the growth of co-ops in the Pacific Northwest by providing direct technical assistance. While we occasionally offer employment openings in the traditional sense, many employees work on a project-by-project basis depending on contracts we have received and the type of expertise needed. Students at The Evergreen State College can find internship opportunities on the Community Opportunities Database (CODa). If any of the following options for working with us interest you, then we strongly encourage you to send us your resume and set up an informational interview.
1. Computer Literacy Internship–proving basic IT education to directors and members of homeowner cooperatives.
We sponsor student interns for one or two academic quarters. These are volunteer internships that focus on project work for 20-40 hours per week. These internships typically involve assisting an ongoing project. For formal consideration, please submit a letter stating your interest, what you seek to gain, relevant experience, the time period you are interested in and the number of hours you can work. If you have a resume, please include it with the letter to our Intern Coordinator.
