CooperationWorks! is a network of organizations promoting rural development through the formation of

cooperative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...

s in the United States. CooperationWorks! is organized as a

of 21 member development centers. The co-op facilitates the coordination of cooperative development efforts and provides business expertise to its member organizations. CooperationWorks! is partnered with the

National Cooperative Business Association The National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) is a United States membership organization for cooperatives, which are businesses that are jointly owned and democratically controlled. The association was founded in 1916 as the Cooperative L ...

and the Cooperative Development Foundation.

History

Legislation was signed into law in 1990 authorizing grants to establish a network of rural cooperative development centers throughout the United States. The development centers worked together on an informal basis for nine years. The Madison Principles, a set of standards for cooperative development, were developed in 1995 in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

. In February 1999, representatives from nine cooperative development centers on the U.S. met in Denver to found CooperationWorks! In September 2009, the USDA awarded $2.9 million in grants to 15 members of CooperationWorks! to create jobs and foster economic development in rural communities.AGRICULTURE DEPUTY SECRETARY MERRIGAN AWARDS $4.8 MILLION IN RURAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANTS.
''

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

.'' 15 September 2009.

Members

* Arkansas Rural Enterprise Center * California Center for Cooperative Development * Common Enterprise Development Corporation * Cooperative Development Institute *

Cooperative Development Services Cooperative Development Services (CDS) is a nonprofit organization engaged in cooperative development in the United States. CDS works primarily with food cooperatives and senior housing cooperatives, providing consultation services and co-sponsor ...

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooperationworks! Agricultural cooperatives in the United States Agricultural organizations based in the United States