The following organizations have received MSC Fund grants from the Cooperative Development Foundation to develop co-op projects that aim to enhance the quality of home care for seniors.

Grants Approved in 2011

Direct Care Alliance (DCA) – New York, NY

•  $20,000 to develop a credentialing program for home care workers and a marketing strategy to differentiate cooperative home care workers

Grants approved in 2010

Direct Care Alliance (DCA) – New York, NY

• A $15,000 grant was awarded to develop a Cooperative Home Care Tool Kit that will teach members of the direct care workforce about the cooperative home care model and demonstrate the benefits to them of working in that environment.

Grants approved in 2009

Aging in Place – Glen Falls, NY

• A $4,000 grant was awarded to form a service cooperative of and for seniors that would include services such as transportation, food preparation, winterizing homes, respite care, and social activities so that seniors can remain in their homes and maintain social contacts.

Grants approved in 2008

Circle of Life Cooperative – Bellingham, WA

• A $14,000 grant was awarded for community education programs for seniors and their families focusing on issues of potential needs of seniors and service options for them.

Grants approved in 2007

Circle of Life – Bellingham, WA

• A $15,250 grant was awarded for market analysis, as well as business, financial, and strategic planning for a newly-incorporated home care cooperative that will serve residents of Whatcom County and the surrounding area.

Cooperative Care – Wautoma, WI

• A $25,000 grant was awarded to create a training and orientation program that will instruct current and new members of a home care cooperative about their roles and responsibilities as owners of a worker-owned business. The final product will be available on a CD ROM format so that it can be used by other home care cooperatives for the training needs of their member-owners. (Link to Education section and the materials from CD).

Northwest Cooperative Development Center – Olympia, WA

• A $23,240 grant was awarded to support the Center’s work to help establish the East Hawaii Home Care Cooperative in a sparsely populated area on the big island of Hawaii. The grant will be used to plan and implement a series of town meetings that will involve seniors, their families, and current caregivers. The expectation is that these meetings will increase local understanding of the cooperative concept and help establish the market for specific  home care services.

Grants approved in 2006

CAP Services, Inc. – Stevens Point, WI

• A $27,830 grant was awarded to support home care co-ops in various stages of business start-up by creating a collection of resources for use in home care co-op development by caregivers, community organizers, long-term care advocates, co-op developers, and co-op staff.

Cooperative Care – Wautoma, WI

• A $2,590 grant was awarded to enable four members to attend the second nationwide Worker Cooperative Conference. This conference provides networking opportunities and provides consultations with specialists in finance and law; and sessions on skill building, governance, planning, economic development, and organizational strategies.

Grants approved in 2005

Cooperative Care – Wautoma, WI

• A $11,977 grant was awarded to develop a training program to increase worker satisfaction and the quality of client care at the worker-owned cooperative. In addition to the values-based training program, the grant will fund development and implementation of a values-based performance review system.