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Our non-profit seeks to become economically independent and self-sufficient
YOUR DONATIONS GO TOWARD…
To develop an income stream to support the work of our non-profit, we are building an e-commerce site that will feature only products from worker cooperatives. Your donations will go toward the development of this site. We have purchased shopcoop.coop and this site is under construction.
2. Inventory
Buying inventory from different worker cooperatives for the e-commerce site. For companies that require us to buy in bulk to get a discount we have to purchase a minimum quantity. This expense can add up fast… but getting a starting inventory will allow us to start getting this project into motion.
3. Marketing Money
To help people who support workplace democracy learn about our website and learn about what we offer through ad campaigns.
LONG TERM GOALS…
1. Small Loans to Worker Cooperatives
We are creating a loan fund to assist worker cooperative develop and expand. For example, Strength Consortium Cooperative is a fitness worker cooperative that needs $5k for additional equipment to operate properly. They have already incorporated as a worker cooperative under California Cooperative business laws. Worker cooperatives are an innovative, but less understood, business model, thus commercial banks are less likely to lend to them.
LONG TERM GOALS…
1. Small Loans to Worker Cooperatives
We are creating a loan fund to assist worker cooperative develop and expand. For example, Strength Consortium Cooperative is a fitness worker cooperative that needs $5k for additional equipment to operate properly. They have already incorporated as a worker cooperative under California Cooperative business laws. Worker cooperatives are an innovative, but less understood, business model, thus commercial banks are less likely to lend to them.
2. Incubating Cooperatives
Recruiting and training a founding cohort of workers to launch a worker cooperative. We are currently organizing a group to bring the Arizmendi Bakery to Los Angeles. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the Arizmendi Bakeries have developed 6 successful bakeries and a development group: Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives.
3. Buying Commercial Buildings
We intend to buy buildings to convert to cooperative ownership for incubation spaces as well as housing the worker cooperatives we develop. Regular and consistent donations are needed if we are going to acquire commercial buildings for cooperative businesses.
4. Networking Worker Cooperatives
To increase the economic and political power of the worker cooperative movement we want to set up umbrella organizations that are geographically close to worker cooperative clusters.
5. Starting a Credit Union
Father Arizmendierreta started a credit union to help finance his cooperative vision in Mondragon Spain. We need to develop financial institutions and funds here in the United States that will do the exact thing.