The 2014 Farm Bill recognized the economic development and wealth-building opportunities of cooperatives by requiring that Federal agencies and cooperative organizations foster and coordinate on cooperative development. Federal partners include agencies with jurisdiction over cooperatives and with programs that cooperative businesses can use. The Agriculture Department, the Internal Revenue Service, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the Labor Department, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development are all agencies with direct jurisdiction over cooperatives. The Small Business Administration is required under the Main Street Employee Ownership Act to enter agreements with Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) to conduct training and provide information and resources on employee ownership through cooperatives. Other agencies have programs, information, and/or tools that cooperatives can access depending on the cooperative’s business. States and private sector cooperative organizations are also partners and are encouraged to be active participants in the Interagency Working Group. If your organization is not included here, please contact us at CoopInfo@usda.gov .
Private Sector Partners
International Cooperative Alliance
The International Cooperative Alliance represents one billion cooperative members worldwide and maintains the “Statement on the Cooperative Identity,” which defines what a cooperative is and describes ten cooperative values and seven operational principles.
Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (KCARD)
Cooperative development centers provide technical assistance and other services to help cooperatives, their members, and individuals and businesses considering starting a cooperative.
Keystone Development Center (KDC Cooperative Solutions)
Cooperative development centers provide technical assistance and other services to help cooperatives, their members, and individuals and businesses considering starting a cooperative.
Latino Economic Development Center
Cooperative development centers provide technical assistance and other services to help cooperatives, their members, and individuals and businesses considering starting a cooperative.
Montana Cooperative Development Center
Cooperative development centers provide technical assistance and other services to help cooperatives, their members, and individuals and businesses considering starting a cooperative.
National Association of Housing Cooperatives
The National Association of Housing Cooperatives is a national federation of housing cooperatives, mutual housing associations, other resident-owned or controlled housing, professionals, organizations, and individuals interested in promoting the interests of cooperative housing communities.
National Co+op Grocers
National Co+op Grocers advocates on behalf of food co-ops and their communities.
National Cooperative Bank
National Cooperative Bank serves the needs of cooperatives including consumer, small business, grocery, hardware, purchasing, and housing cooperatives.
National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA
The National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International advocates for all cooperative sectors both domestically and internationally. NCBA CLUSA advocacy team works to educate, differentiate and keep cooperative priorities top-of-mind before policymakers, stakeholders and the broader public.
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives advances the business and policy interests of agricultural cooperatives.