Cooperative Foundation Announces New Grants

The Cooperative Foundation board of directors recently announced an additional $25,000 in grants for cooperative development (listed below)—bringing its 2015 grants awarded to nearly $90,000. The Cooperative Foundation, formed in 1945, has a mission to expand and enhance cooperatives through research, teaching, extension, innovation, and development.

The 2016 application deadlines for grants are April 1 and October 1. Visit www.thecooperativefoundation.org for guidelines and application.

Here are the most recent (November 2015) grants awarded by The Cooperative Foundation:

• $8,500 to North Country Cooperative Development Fund to support research into obstacles to the expansion of food co-op development in low-income communities.
• $4,000 to Worcester Roots to develop an online business planning tool similar to that used by the Small Business Association.
• $3,000 to Cooperative Development Services to support the development of a “Small and Strong” webinar series targeted at small food cooperatives.
• $3,000 to NASCO (North American Students of Cooperation) to create an updated, interactive online edition of their organizer’s handbook.
• $3,000 to Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance to support the pilot of a Cooperative Leadership Institute targeting cooperative leaders in the Philadelphia area.
• $2,500 to Indiana Cooperative Development Center to support the peer-to-peer track of the 2016 “Up and Coming, Up and Running” conference for new and startup cooperatives.