Welcome

Cooperatives are Brewing Pots for Social Capital

Two major observations are made. 

• First, regular contacts during training, task oriented committees, general membership meetings, and social events, generate shared understanding, trust and reciprocity among worker-owners and between them, their clients and professionals. This leads to increased self confidence, employability and optimism, which in turn, increases participation in group activities. Second, interaction with professionals and other workers in the home care industry during conferences and training facilitates the creation of bridging social capital. 
• This leads to more confidence in business and community activities which, in turn, yields individual and group socio-economic gains through increased productivity, better quality services, better wages and negotiation skills.  

Social Capital - Seed Commons, a national network of lenders, has created an alternative banking model to demonstrate accessible lending practices rooted in terms of Social Capital. Employee owners must prove an investment of productive social engagement leveraging their own social networks. The Mondragon Model of Worker-Cooperatives provides a system of supporting local people’s basic needs. The founding goals of the revolving loan fund would, in-turn, prioritize the client’s growth over private profit. The criterion will evaluate a coop’s “social capital.”  

• Small businesses can insist that their employees utilize the future administrative resources and participate in educational opportunities to grow their understanding; the desire to encourage colleagues to develop into co-owners and co-managers.  The logistical challenges of Covid-19 have allowed us to prioritize building these relationships with partners and clients over the pursuit of a physical office. (Coming Soon) 
• The Chamber of Cooperatives will work in tandem with the individuals and the services of the Cooperative Incubator which has been promised funding for the first three years and will become self-sustaining over time.
• The lending policies and governing guidelines for the revolving loan fund were established to prioritize a strengthening of community over capital gain. The City Manager and the Director of Economic Development in Carbondale have openly supported the cooperative movement and have agreed to work together where we identify common goals. 
• With the support of local leaders and activists it is possible to build an economic development strategy for Carbondale that is based on cooperative, collaborative, and sustainable principles.

We have established a Board of Directors to oversee the following processes of a revolving loan fund, 

• established a framework to begin issuing grants, 
• build the relationships to facilitate steering and review committees for all of the on-the-ground projects (in order to) to manage relationships with/among worker cooperatives. 
• Educate Worker-Cooperatives on the Governing Principles of Worker-Owned Cooperatives and better the workplace culture through cooperation.

We will seed worker cooperative start-ups and grow employee ownership in the Region by offering Financial Guidance. To assist with the process will require the formation of a Chamber of Cooperation for Technical Guidance and skill-sharing. The Cooperative Business Incubator to provide coaching through Project Management and facilitate a variety of technical resources for Employee-owner Education and Individual development.
"We strive to realize our dream of creating an intricate network of detachable cooperative supply chains that can anchor our local community and meet the basic needs for all people." In Loving Memory ~ Chuck Paprocki