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Community Wealth Blog

In its Assets Report 2012, the New America Foundation calculates that more than half a trillion dollars is allocated in the U.S. FY 2013 federal budget through direct spending programs and tax provisions to encourage savings and asset-building. Of that sum, only a small fraction helps those who need it the most, low- and moderate-income Americans.

After more than two years in development, on March 26th, 2012, the United Steelworkers and Mondragón, along with the Ohio Employee Ownership Center revealed its hybrid union co-op model, which it hopes will create more sustainable jobs, by incorporating worker ownership and components of the collective bargaining process. 

The decline of union memberships, but an increase in worker-owners in America.

The first citizen owned solar cooperative in the state of Washington - Edmonds Community Solar Cooperative - was formed in Edmonds in 2011. That alone would be an achievement; however, this effort, spearheaded by community non-profit Sustainable Edmonds, is an extensive collaboration between the city of Edmonds, Seattle-based Tangerine Power and the residents of Washington State. 

This year, instead of a single national conference, Good Jobs Green Jobs is organizing four regional conferences, taking place this spring.  The Democracy Collaborative is excited to be a convenor of the Eastern conference, taking place on April 3rd and 4th in Philadelphia. 

In January, we wrote about how B-Corp (benefit corporation) legislation is catching momentum at the state level, when New York became the seventh state to allow new businesses to incorporate as one. Now B-Corps are catching the attention of the mainstream media – both PBS Newshour and CBS Evening News recently ran informative pieces about the possibilities and potential impact of benefit corporations. 

A new 64-page dossier by freelance author Enrico Massetti provides an interesting introduction to worker-owned and consumer co-ops in the United States. Drawing in his readers with a compilation of interesting back stories for multiple co-ops across the nation, Massetti also provides a useful toolkit - credit of and based on the Arizmendi Bakeriesin San Francisco, CA - for those interested in starting a worker co-op or expanding their current one into a larger system of collectives.

A new 64-page dossier by freelance author Enrico Massetti provides an interesting introduction to worker-owned and consumer co-ops in the United States.  Drawing in his readers with a compilation of interesting back stories for multiple co-ops across the nation, Massetti also provides a useful toolkit - credit of and based on the Arizmendi Bakeries in San Francisco, CA - for those interested in starting a worker co-op or expanding their current one into a larger system of collectives. 

We are pleased to announce a new intern position at the Democracy Collaborative that will focus on the C-W.org newsletter, adding web content, and social media outreach. For further details, please see the position description below. Remember to submit your applications by March 1st!

Although separated by more than 3,000 miles, rural communities on both sides of the Atlantic are facing a similar issue – lack of quality broadband networks.  Individuals and local businesses in 23 towns across Vermont and 8 parishes in rural Lancaster in northwest England, frustrated with traditional companies limited investment in broadband, have turned to community solutions to finance these networks.

Yesterday the Asset Building Program at the New America Foundation and the Center for Social Development (CSD) at Washington University in St. Louis released the fourth report in a series collectively titled “Creating a Financial Stake in College.” This report, titled “Ideas for Refining Children’s Saving Account Proposals,” offers specific policy recommendations to help create a national children’s savings account system.

Meet Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative (SF2T). Formed in 2009 and located in Moore County, North Carolina, this is the first cooperative in the nation where all parties to the transactions are owners. The co-op is owned and controlled by the producers (farmers), distributors (workers), and consumers (customers).