CooperationWorks!
Encyclopedia
CooperationWorks! is a network of organizations promoting rural development
through the formation of cooperative
s in the United States. CooperationWorks! is organized as a cooperative
of 21 member development centers. The co-op facilitates the coordination of cooperative development efforts and provides business expertise to its member organizations.
CooperationWorks! is partnered with the National Cooperative Business Association
and the Cooperative Development Foundation
.
. In February 1999, representatives from nine cooperative development centers around the U.S. met in Denver to found CooperationWorks!
In September 2009, the USDA awarded $2.9 million in grants to 15 members of CooperationWorks! to create jobs and foster economic development in rural communities.
Rural development
Rural development in general denotes economic development and community development actions and initiatives taken to improve the standard of living in non-urban neighbourhoods, remote villages and the countryside...
through the formation of cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
s in the United States. CooperationWorks! is organized as a cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
of 21 member development centers. The co-op facilitates the coordination of cooperative development efforts and provides business expertise to its member organizations.
CooperationWorks! is partnered with the National Cooperative Business Association
National Cooperative Business Association
Founded in 1916 as the Cooperative League of America, the National Cooperative Business Association is a United States membership organization for cooperatives, businesses that are jointly-owned and democratically-controlled....
and the Cooperative Development Foundation
Cooperative Development Foundation
The Cooperative Development Foundation is a 501 charitable organization engaged in cooperative development in the United States. CDF administers revolving loan funds, provides grants, and fosters economic development through the formation of cooperatives...
.
History
Legislation was signed into law in 1990 authorizing grants to establish a network of rural cooperative development centers throughout the United States. The development centers worked together on an informal basis for nine years. The Madison Principles, a set of standards for cooperative development, were developed in 1995 in Madison, WisconsinMadison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
. In February 1999, representatives from nine cooperative development centers around the U.S. met in Denver to found CooperationWorks!
In September 2009, the USDA awarded $2.9 million in grants to 15 members of CooperationWorks! to create jobs and foster economic development in rural communities.
Members
- Arkansas Rural Enterprise Center
- California Center for Cooperative Development
- Common Enterprise Development Corporation
- Cooperative Development Institute
- Cooperative Development ServicesCooperative Development ServicesCooperative Development Services is a non-profit organization engaged in cooperative development in the United States. CDS works primarily with food cooperatives and senior housing cooperatives, providing consultation services and co-sponsoring conferences and programs for board members, managers...
- Dakotas Enterprise Center
- Democracy At Work Institute
- Georgia Cooperative Development Center
- Illinois Value-Added Rural Development Center
- Indiana Cooperative Development Center
- Iowa Alliance for Cooperative Business Development
- Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development
- Keystone Development Center
- Mississippi Center for Cooperative Development
- Missouri Farmers Union Family Farm Opportunity Center
- Montana Cooperative Development Center
- National Network of Forest Practitioners
- Nebraska Cooperative Development Center
- North Dakota Rural Electric and Telecommunications Development Center
- Northwest Cooperative Development Center
- Ohio Cooperative Development Center
- Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Cooperative and Economic Development Center
- South Dakota Value Added Agriculture Development Center
- Southern States Cooperative Foundation