Westchester cooperative network

COOPERATIVES

ARE THE

FUTURE

We promote and support
worker-owned cooperatives

Do you have a business idea? Are you willing to put in the time and effort to bring it to fruition? Can you gather a group of people to work together? We can help you find necessary training, legal assistance and financial support!

Our organization

Find out about our mission and what services we provide.

Take action

Ready to take the next step?
You can become a member of a worker cooperative and take control of your life!

Who we are

We are a collective of community members concerned about the increasing inequities in our society and inspired by the rich ecosystem of cooperatives growing worldwide. We see worker cooperatives as a mechanism to help local people move towards economic self sufficiency through self-determination.

Report Back from Worker Co-op Info Session

By: Zhengyang Xie & Rob Persons On February 29, 2024, Westchester Cooperative Network (WCN) co-hosted an information session on worker-owned cooperatives with the county office for economic development, Westchester Catalyst, in White Plains. Convening a panel of...

Latinas form cleaning co-op for safety, fair wages

By Cathy Dyson fredericksburg.com Apr 26, 2023 For almost 20 years, a group of women who fled Latin American countries because of violence against them have been supporting each other in the Fredericksburg area, throughout Virginia and into Washington and Maryland....

Washington adopts new program to help businesses become employee-owned

By Monica Nickelsburg kuow.org April 20 2023 Washington lawmakers want to make it easier to form businesses without bosses. They passed a bill Wednesday that provides support and resources for companies seeking to become employee-owned. A few different...

Meet… Xiomara Nuñez de Cespedes, chair of the ICA Gender Equality Committee 

‘This year we highlight the advances of women in the digital age and emphasize the need for a commitment to increase the number of women empowered’ By Anca Voinea thenews.coop April 17 2023 Xiomara Nuñez de Céspedes comes from the Cooperativa de...

Book review: Visions of a co-operative democracy to reshape society

Cooperation: A political, economic and social theory, Bernard E Harcourt, Columbia £28 By Miles Hadfield Co-operative News 22 March 2023 In recent years there have been a number of books spelling out co-operation as a solution to the world’s ills. Here’s another,...

Pillars

The 7 cooperative principles.

01

VOLUNTARY & OPEN MEMBERSHIP

Anyone can join a co-op—they don’t discriminate based on gender, social, racial, political or religious factors.

02

DEMOCRATIC MEMBER CONTROL

Members control their business by deciding how it’s run and who leads it.

03

MEMBERS' ECONOMIC PARTICIPATION

All co-op members invest in their cooperative. This means people, not shareholders, benefit from a co-op’s profits.

04

AUTONOMY & INDEPENDENCE

When making business deals or raising money, co-ops never compromise their autonomy or democratic member control.

05

EDUCATION, TRAINING, INFORMATION

Co-ops provide education, training and information so their members can contribute effectively to the success of their co-op.

06

COOPERATION AMONG COOPERATIVES

Co-ops believe working together is the best strategy to empower their members and build a stronger co-op economy.

07

CONCERN FOR COMMUNITY

Co-ops are community-minded. They contribute to the sustainable development of their communities by sourcing and investing locally.

Take advantage of the resources available in our ecosystem

Supporting

A set of National and Regional organizations for and about worker cooperatives! They support every aspect of their development, help to coordinate their activities and advocate for legislation favorable to them. View More

Training

Do you have at least one partner and a business idea, but don’t know how to make it happen?
Here you will find workshops and courses that will train and coach you through the process. View More

Library

A collection of documents and videos to learn on your own all you need to start a cooperative. View More

Financial

Looking for financial support? Here are several lenders that will provide the means for building your cooperative. View More

Legal

Writing the by-laws and legally registering your cooperative are usually difficult processes for those that don’t have legal expertise. These organizations specialize in giving you the legal support that you’ll need. View More

Business

Starting any business is hard and requires expertise. These organizations help you solve your business challenges. View More

Farming

The US has a long tradition of farmer cooperatives (ncfc.org). These organizations support the new generation of farming cooperatives. View More

Conversions

More than half the businesses in the US are owned by people over 55 years old. The next decade will see a “silver tsunami” of baby boomer retirements. Many of them would sell their business to their employees to form worker-owned cooperatives. View More

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