Services

Consultations

In CDI's sixteen years of providing technical assistance to emerging, start-up and established cooperatives and other group-based businesses throughout the Northeast, we have developed a three-level service structure that allows us to serve a varied clientèle across a large geographic area in diverse industry sectors and meet our cooperative development goals. The three levels, Basic Technical Assistance, Technical Assistance Consultations, and Intensive Technical Assistance, are explained below:

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Basic Technical Assistance

Includes:

• Up to 5 hours of basic assistance including assessment, referrals, research, problem-solving, guidance on next steps.
• Distribution and walkthrough of our resource packet with basic info about co-ops, the cooperative development process and a list of resources.
• An invitation to CDI's Co-op 101 training program.
• Access to CDI's Resource Center.
• Periodic follow-up (every 3-6 months) to monitor progress and determine further need for assistance.

Requirements:

• Interested groups must fill out our request for assistance form.
• Groups must be located within our coverage area (New York and New England).

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Technical Assistance Consultations

Includes:

• Up to 20 hours of consultation.
• Consultations are tailored to each group's needs, but generally include assistance with: Designing a fundraising strategy; researching an operational issue such as a personnel policy, financial analysis or legal structuring, identify/ secure grant funds for work plan implementation; organize a committee or membership drive, etc

Requirements:

• Interested groups must fill out our request for assistance form.
• Groups must demonstrate need for in-depth consulutation and demonstrate follow-through capacity.
• Groups must be located within our coverage area (New York and New England).
• Costs may be covered under CDI's USDA Rural Cooperatives Development Grant (RCDG) if the group is located within a rural area. See our eligibility map below (areas not highlighted in orange are considered rural).

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Intensive Technical Assistance

Includes:

• Up to 40 hours of consultation.
• Consultations are tailored to each group's needs, but generally include assistance with: Feasibility assessment, business planning, membership development, organizational development, financing and/or fiscal administration for specific emerging or existing cooperatives.
• For established co-ops, CDI will assist with: Crisis assessment, business expansion, new product or service development, conflict resolution, operations training, etc.

Requirements:

• Interested groups must fill out our request for assistance form.
• Groups must demonstrate need for in-depth consultation and demonstrate follow-through capacity
• Groups must be located within our coverage area (New York and New England).
• Costs may be partially covered under CDI's USDA Rural Cooperatives Development Grant (RCDG) if the group is located within a rural area. See our eligibility map below (areas not highlighted in orange are considered rural).

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CDI's Map of Eligibility

Costs of Technical Assistance Consultations and Intensive Technical Assistance may be covered by our Rural Cooperative Development Grant (RCDG) if your group is located in a rural area (those areas not highlighted in orange) on the map below:

For more detailed information on the USDA's eligibility requirements for the RCDG and other programs, please click here.