The Cooperative Development Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 charitable family of funds that advances economic development through cooperative enterprise.

The Cooperative Development Foundation was created in 1944 in the wake of World War II. First known as The Freedom Fund, the organization helped in the reconstruction and development of overseas cooperatives in Europe in the post-war era. The following year, CDF wrote the check that created the Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe (CARE), which provided economic relief to war-torn Europe. Nationwide Insurance Vice-President Murray Lincoln was CAR’s first president, now known and recognized worldwide.

In the 1980′s the Freedom Fund was renamed the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) and with that new name came a focus on domestic cooperative development. Our mission is to promote community, economic, and social development through cooperative enterprises.