Education Fund Supports Translation of Start-up Guide, Other Projects

The CDF Cooperative Education Fund recently awarded grants, totaling over $19,000, to six cooperative projects. The grants will support the expansion and development of programs, trainings, and events across various cooperative sectors.

Center for Family Life (CFL), a social services organization based in Brooklyn, NY, received funding from the Cooperative Education Fund to support the translation into Spanish of their Cooperative Development Program’s "Comprehensive Cooperative Business Startup Guide." Since 2006, CDP has incubated and supported more than 15 cooperative businesses, including Si Se Puede/We Can Do It cleaning, Beyond Care childcare, Golden Steps elder care, Émigré Gourmet catering, Trusty Amigos dog walking and pet care, Maharlika office cleaning, Sunset Scholars tutoring, and NannyBee childcare. CFL reports receive frequent inquiries from community-based organizations and other groups interested in cooperative development in their communities. 

“Our Startup Guide was developed in recognition of the need to share the tools and information we have identified and developed over the years in an easily accessible, digestible format” said Janna Cisterino, Grants Manager, CFL. “The translation of the Startup Guide into Spanish will greatly expand the reach of this project and will make CFL’s expertise in cooperative development more accessible to Spanish-speaking audiences.” 

Five additional co-ops received grants to support cooperative and professional development programs, event sponsorships, and conference scholarships. 

• CooperationWorks!, La Mesa, CA:  Support the redevelopment of “Finance Fundamentals,” a five-day online course that prepares participants to perform financial analysis for start-up cooperatives and to create and understand financial projections for those businesses. 

• Tucson Cooperative Network, Tucson, AZ: Host the “Southwest Regional Cooperative Promatorx Training,” a three-day intensive training designed for immigrant educators and trainers who are either worker-owners of co-ops, in the process of establishing co-ops, or seek to promote the co-op model within their community. 

• Cincinnati Union Cooperative Initiative, Cincinnati, OH: Support scholarships to their biennial "Union Co-op Symposium," a two day international conference that brings over 250 cooperators together to create a resilient network of co-ops that serves the collective good by providing services with a purpose and economic opportunities for all.

• Firebrand Cooperative, Fargo, ND: Develop a "Startup Leadership Transition Handbook," to help start-up co-ops prepare their boards with the tools, skills, plans, and foresight needed to navigate these transitions and put their GM and co-op on the path to success .

• The University of Puerto Rico, Río Pedras Campus, San Juan, PR: Support for the "Strategic Gathering for Cooperative Integration" program. The one day event explores the dynamics and particularities of how the co-op movement and other members both conceptually understand and practice the Sixth Cooperative Principle of "Cooperation between Cooperatives" on the island of Puerto Rico.

About the Cooperative Education Fund

The Cooperative Education Fund supports cooperative research, sponsors cooperative education events and scholarships, and develops cooperative education materials and programs. The Fund provides $90,000-$100,000 in grants, scholarships, and sponsorships annually. Applications for the 2020 spring grant cycle must be submitted by May 1, 2020 by visiting https://www.cdf.coop/cooperative-education.