The Howard Bowers Fund Awards Grants to 7 Cooperatives
"Telling Kokua Market's Nearly 50 Year History," an educational handout for shoppers and members is among the grants made by the Howard Bowers Fund. The Fund awarded over $9,000 in grants to 7 cooperatives this fall. Kokua Market will utilize this material to discuss its rich history as Hawaii's first natural foods co-op and market in hopes that it educates the broader public about the impact of co-ops and bring in additional members.
Indiana Cooperative Development Center (ICDC) received funding to provide scholarships to the Annual Up & Coming Conference. The conference brings food co-ops together to provide access to experts and resources and a forum where they can gather valuable knowledge and skills on organizing and opening new food co-ops.
"Consumers are voting with their dollars and buying from organizations and businesses that operate in accordance with many of their own values. Increasingly, food co-ops are also seen as a viable option in food deserts and in economically challenged communities" said Deb Trocha, Executive Director, ICDC. She continued, "starting a food co-op isn't easy. It's hard work and requires the efforts of many people over a long period of time. It's more important than ever that organizing groups have access to education and training that will give them a fighting chance to be successful."
Grants were also awarded for board training. Clipper City Co-op in Manitowoc, WI will utilize their funding to take their board members on a retreat in which they can further explain the concept of policy governance and learn the basics of building a co-op.
Additional grants for board training included:
Franklin Community Co-op, Greenfield, MA
Electric City Food Cooperative, Schenectady, NY
Hillsboro Food Cooperative, Hillsboro, OR
These grants are made possible by generous donations to the Howard Bowers Fund. Individual donors of $100 or more will receive one pair of Twin Pines socks. Cooperatives donating $1,000 or more will receive socks for their board of directors. Donations may be made here. The socks commemorate the 75th Anniversary of CDF.
About the Howard Bowers Fund
Supported by the food cooperative community and guided by the fifth and sixth cooperative principles to promote education, training, and cooperation among cooperatives, the Howard Bowers Fund invests in the professional growth and development of food cooperative staff and board members with bi-annual grants and scholarships. The Fund provides training and education grants and scholarships to professional conferences for food cooperatives, sponsorship of education conferences for food cooperative boards and staff, and development of educational materials relevant to food cooperatives. Applications for the 2020 spring grant cycle must be submitted by February 15, 2020 by visiting cdf.coop/bowersfund.