CDF Receives $20,000 Grant from NCGA for Emergency Fund

WASHINGTON, DC (Oct. 1, 2014) -The National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA) recently donated $20,000 to the Emergency Fund of the Cooperative Development Foundation.  The donation, made on behalf of NCGA’s 143 members, will be used to help cooperators and cooperative businesses recover from disasters. Earlier this year the Fund made $56,000 in grants to assist a food co-op in South Dakota recover from arson, to help co-op housing in New York City rebuild after Hurricane Sandy, and to help co-op recovery from Typhoon Haiyan, which devastated the Philippines in the fall of 2013.

“CDF’s Emergency Fund is a shining example of cooperatives cooperating with one another, and plays an important role in growing a resilient cooperative economy. On behalf of all NCGA co-ops, we’re honored to support CDF’s ongoing work to help co-ops worldwide, and their communities, rebuild following natural or other unforeseen disaster,” says Robynn Shrader, chief executive officer for NCGA.

The Emergency Fund targets its grants to recovery as opposed to immediate relief.  These grants help cooperatives re-open to serve their members and promote cooperatives as a tool for rebuilding and economic development in areas struck by disaster.  CDF works with local cooperative leadership and cooperative development organizations with projects in the affected area to be sure that funds are distributed to cooperatives most in need.

NCGA is a business services cooperative for retail food co-ops with members located throughout the United States. It represents food co-ops operating over 190 stores in 38 states with combined annual sales of over $1.7 billion and over 1.3 million consumer-owners. NCGA helps unify natural food co-ops in order to optimize operational and marketing resources, strengthen purchasing power, and ultimately offer more value to natural food co-op owners and shoppers everywhere.

The Cooperative Development Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation headquartered in Washington, DC.  CDF’s mission is to promote community, economic and social development through cooperative enterprises.  (www.cdf.coop).