Housing Cooperatives Put Homeownership Within Reach
New Home Base playbook offers practical guidance for communities building permanently affordable, resident-controlled housing Across the country, communities are confronting a housing crisis marked by rising costs, displacement, widening racial and economic inequities, and development approaches that extract rather than build value. Policymakers, philanthropy, and community leaders are concerned with not only how much housing gets built, but who controls it, how it is governe
3 days ago5 min read
Celebrating America, Celebrating Cooperatives
Members of the Freedom Quilting Bee courtesy of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/LAF As America marks its 250th anniversary, it is worth reflecting on one of the country’s oldest traditions: people coming together to solve problems through cooperation. Well before signing the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin launched the Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Housing from Loss by Fire in 1752, an early mutual insurance company that is still o
Jul 33 min read
Building a Cooperative Economy
Cooperative Economics Alliance of NYC’s Seeding Solidarity Across New York City map. Looking at the colorful map of New York City on the screen, the vision of a cooperative economy came to life—not as a collection of isolated businesses, but as a network of enterprises, institutions, and people working together to meet community needs. Each year, the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) convenes a cohort of Cooperative Leaders and Scholars (CLS), and the 22 new and emergi
Jun 224 min read
The Values that Connect Us
We at CDF started off this month full of co-op pride. 350 people across the country showed up – virtually and in-person in Washington DC – to participate in our annual Do Well to Do Good Co-op 5K. The runners and walkers represented different generations, geographies and co-op sectors, but they all came together to show their support for the cooperative businesses that enrich our lives and communities. This has me reflecting on what it means to be part of this unique communi
May 73 min read
Honoring Those Who Inspire Us
Who inspires you? It is worth pausing to think about it. They are often the people who expand what we see as possible, both by their example and by the way they include and support others. Sometimes our heroes are people who changed history by carving new paths or creating new institutions. Or sometimes our heroes are the people who have selflessly expanded the sense of opportunity and inclusion for us and countless others, unlocking the potential of the next generati
Mar 303 min read
CDF welcomes the 2026 Cooperative Leaders and Scholars Cohort
The Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) is honored to welcome the new cohort of the Cooperative Leaders and Scholars (CLS) Fellowship –– a dynamic group of 22 emerging leaders committed to strengthening the cooperative business community across North America. The 2026 cohort represents a wide range of cooperative ownership types and industries –– including credit unions, worker, food, housing, utilities, and agricultural cooperatives –– and reflects deep talent and pas
Mar 22 min read