Social coops have been very successful in other countries over the last three decades, but despite the advantages, they are still unknown here in the U.S.!
Social coops are like social enterprises (i.e., community-benefit businesses) but they combine the nature of “cooperatives” with a “social” purpose to advance public benefits and to empower marginalized communities. They are also well-suited to creating quality jobs in dignified workplaces for people coming from marginalized communities or difficult backgrounds.
The Social Cooperative Academy included eight weekly virtual sessions in May and June 2024. Some key topics for the sessions included:
- Learning from success: examples of social co-ops in northern Italy, Quebec, and South Korea
- Social co-ops and the care economy (child care, elder care, disabled care, etc.)
- The tools of social franchising and what they offer
- Legal and corporate models
- Where’s the money? (Financing challenges)
The 2024 Social Cooperative Academy was led by the Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center (RMEOC) and is co-hosted by CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, MEDLab (U. of Colorado), Rochdale Capital, Shareable, and Solidarity Hall.
Speakers included John Restakis, Doug O’Brien, Katrina Kazda, Joseph Cureton, Maru Bautista, Jerome Hughes, Michael Schuman, Mo Manklang, Matthew Epperson, Elias Crim, and RMEOC ED, Minsun Ji.
Watch the session recordings on YouTube.
The Academy has continued as a community of practice that meets every month. For more info, contact Elias Crim at elias@rmeoc.org.
Register for the Academy to access all recordings, resources, and discussions
Social Cooperative Academy Project Includes:
Research: The Social Cooperative Academy is a result of extensive research focused on establishing a clear definition of social cooperatives in the US. The goal of this research is to examine the essential definition, infrastructure, and supportive ecosystem needed to ensure the legal and financial success of social cooperatives, with a particular focus on the care economy, and based on examples from other countries where social cooperatives have proved their role as major instruments to support marginalized communities.
Education: The Social Cooperative Academy, along with the Social Cooperative Notebook published by RMEOC and written by Elias Crim, are an integral part of the large awareness strategy started by RMEOC to educate the public about social cooperatives and their ability to pair the cooperative spirit with the need to advance the public interest.
Advocacy: RMEOC, alongside its partners, is proud to be one of the main advocates for social cooperatives in the US by initiating programs, such as the Social Cooperative Academy, to inspire the public about what social cooperatives can do for marginalized communities that are often affected by disinvestment, lack of resources, and social and economic injustice.
Policy: RMEOC is devoted to spearheading efforts to bring about local and federal policies to support social cooperatives and their growth in the country due to their crucial positive effects trickling down to those sectors of the population that need them most.
Objectives:
- We aim to raise awareness about social cooperatives and their significant impact on social and economic justice. These cooperatives are, however, unrecognized in the US, and we strive to educate the public about what they are and their importance.
- Initiate a discussion with individuals who share a similar passion for cooperatives about the financial and legal requirements of social cooperatives–and the organizations supporting them–in the United States.
- Lay the foundation for a community of practice for individuals and groups dedicated to advancing the social cooperatives movement in the US. Encourage active involvement and advocacy to foster growth within the movement. Build a network of like-minded individuals committed to making a positive impact in the social cooperative sector.
2024 Social Cooperative Academy Schedule
May 1 1 pm MT/3 pm EST
Why Social Co-ops Offer Potential Transformation of Care and More
- Speakers: Doug O’Brien (NCBA/CLUSA), John Restakis (Synergia Institute), Minsun Ji (RMEOC), Matthew Epperson (Zolidar)
- Moderator: Elias Crim (Solidarity Hall)
- Topics: How the social co-op model is different; Successes in Italy, Quebec, and South Korea.
- Recommended readings for Session 1 can be found here.
May 8 1 pm MT/3 pm EST
Some experiences of early adopters/practitioners
- Speakers: Katrina Kazda (ICA–homecare), Genevieve Sheridan (Childcare for Regenerative Economies)
- Moderator: Elias Crim
- Topic: Some lessons learned from the experiences of the ICA Group’s work in homecare and childcare coops; Wood Frog Child Havens, a network of steward-owned childcare centers in Oregon.
- Recommended readings for Session 2 can be found here.
May 15 11 pm MT/1 pm EST
The Legal and Corporate Formation Challenges
- Speakers: Jerome Hughes U. of the District of Columbia School of Law), Jim Kucher (U. of Maryland)
- Moderator: Elias Crim
- Topic: Legal considerations with this hybrid model (a blend of non-profit and for-profit), including issues of governance, membership categories.
- Recommended readings for Session 3 can be found here.
May 22 1 pm MT/3 pm EST
The Promise of Social franchising
- Speakers: Maru Bautista (Co-op consultant), Minsun Ji
- Moderator: Elias Crim
- Topic: What can a social franchising platform offer our work in terms of scalability? Our speakers will draw on the experiences of the Center for Family Life (Sunset Park NYC) and the Driver’s Coop (NYC, Denver)
- Recommended readings for Session 4 can be found here
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May 29 1 pm MT/3 pm EST
Other social care sectors: disability/healthcare
- Speakers: Cindy Liu (LooHoo’s Cafe), Georgia Argyle, Community First Healthcare, Nelson BC)
- Moderator: Elias Crim
- Topic: Special factors and issues in the areas of disabled care and healthcare generally.
- Recommended readings for Session 5 can be found here
June 5 1 pm MT/3 pm EST
Where’s the Money? (Financing)
- Speakers: Joseph Cureton (Obran), Michael Schuman (Main St. Journal)
- Moderator: Elias Crim
- Topic: A discussion of funding options and revenue models for social co-ops from two experienced practitioners.
- Recommended readings for Session 6 can be found here
June 12 1 pm MT/3 pm EST
What public policies do we need?
- Speakers: Mo Manklang (U.S. Federation of Workers Cooperatives)
- Moderator: Elias Crim
- Topic: What policy changes would enable this work most effectively and quickly? At which levels should we work first—local, state, federal? All three?
- Recommended readings for Session 7 can be found here
June 19 1 pm MT/3 pm EST
Industrial Commons + What Comes Next? Presentation & an open discussion
- Speakers: Aaron Dawson (Industrial Commons), Matthew Epperson, Rebecca Matthew (U. of Georgia)
- Moderator: Elias Crim
- Industrial Commons: Work for the Common Good – Rebuilding a diverse working class based on locally-rooted wealth.
- What issues will be most challenging to our progress? What should our next steps be? An invitation to a Community of Practice.
- Recommended readings for the Final Session can be found here.