Resources

Cooperative Resource Library

General: Starting a Cooperative

• 1. CDI's How to Start a Co-op Packet (PDF)
• 2. CDI's Online Request for Assistance Form (Link)
• 3. USDA - How to Start a Cooperative (Link)

Worker Cooperatives

• 1. What is a Worker Cooperative? (PDF - English)
• 2. What is a Worker Cooperative? (PDF - Spanish)

Cooperative Assistance Directory

CDI partnered with Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NE SARE) to produce "The Resource Guide for Agricultural Group-based Businesses."

For more information on cooperatives and cooperative development, look to the following organizations:

Photo - Birdhaven Blueberry Farm in Southampton, MA

• The Centre for the Study of Cooperatives
• University of Saskatchewan
• 154 Diefenbaker Centre
• Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 0W0
• Phone: 306-966-8509
• Fax: 306-966-8517
• www.coop-studies.usask.ca


• Co-op Power
• 324 Wells St.
• Greenfield, MA 01301
• Phone: (413) 425 6795
• info@cooppower.coop
• www.cooppower.coop
• A consumer-owned clean energy efficiency cooperative in southern Vermont and Massachusetts


• Cooperation Works!
• c/o Sarah Pike
• Common Enterprise Development Corporation
• 29630 109th Avenue North
• Hanover, MN 55341
• info@cooperationworks.coop
• 1-763-432-2032


• Cooperative Development Foundation
• 2011 Crystal Dr.
• Suite 800
• Arlington, VA 22202
• Phone: 703-302-8093
• Fax: 703-647-3498
• Email: lbailey@cdf.coop
• www.cdf.coop
• A professional network of co-op developmers, offering training and professional development opportunities. Find a member co-op development center in your area.


• Cooperative Fund of New England
• P.O. Box 3413
• Amherst, MA 01004
• Phone: 413-256-0726, 910-395-6008, 800-818-7833
• Fax: 413-256-0726, 910-397-2857
• Email: cfne@cooperativefund.org
• Web: www.cooperativefund.org
• The Cooperative Fund of New England is a nonprofit community development loan fund that supports cooperative development in the northeastern region of the United States. The Fund provides loans and lines of credit, as well as financial services and related technical assistance to cooperative organizations and community-based non-profits. Loan eligibility is based on borrower need, social and financial merit of projects, and CFNE priorities.


• International Co-operative Alliance
• 15 route des Morillons
• 1218 Grand-Saconnex
• Geneva, Switzerland
• Phone: (+41) 22 929 88 88
• Fax: (+41) 22 798 41 22
• E-Mail: ica@coop.org
• www.ica.coop
• The ICA's web site is a good place to learn about the international cooperative movement. It has an extensive publications list as well as information about cooperatives by economic sector and geographic region; cooperative events; cooperative education; and cooperative research.


• National Center for Employee Ownership
• 1736 Franklin Street, 8th Floor
• Oakland, CA 94612
• Phone: 510-208-1307
• Fax: 510-272-9510
• Email: LRodgers@nceo.org
• www.nceo.org


• National Cooperative Business Association
• 1401 New York Avenue, NW
• Suite 1000
• Washington, DC 2005-2160
• Phone: 202-638-6222
• Fax: 202-638-1374
• www.ncba.coop
• The NCBA's web site is a tremendous resource for information on issues related to cooperatives in the United States. It contains information on starting a co-op, descriptions of co-op sectors, a catalog of publications and gifts, a buyer's guide of products and services for co-op minded people, a calendar of events and a list of university centers for cooperatives.


• Northeast Biodiesel
• P.O. Box 688
• Greenfield, MA 01302
• Phone: 413-828-6795
• Fax: 413-517-0300
• Email: info@northeastbiodiesel.com
• www.northeastbiodiesel.com


• United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development
• www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops.csdir.htm
• You'll find useful information and publications from the USDA's Rural Business Cooperative Service on the USDA's website.


• The University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives
• 230 Taylor Hall
• 427 Lorch Street
• Madison, WI 53706
• Phone: 608-262-3981
• Fax: 608-262-3251
• www.uwcc.wisc.edu


• U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives
• www.usworker.coop


• Vermont Employee Ownership Center
• 33 Main Street PO Box 546
• Burlington, VT 05402
• 802-861-6612
• www.veoc.org


• Western Massachusetts Enterprise Fund
• 4 Open Square Way, Suite 407
• Holyoke, MA 01040
• Phone: 413-420-0183
• Fax: 413-420-0543
• www.wmef.org