Community Wealth Blog
Since we began C-W.org in 2005, we have had a section on municipal enterprise. While city (and county and special district)-owned businesses rarely get press attention, as noted on our site city owned enterprise is prevalent in the United States. For example, 2,000 publicly owned utilities currently provide electricity to over 45 million Americans, according to the American Public Power Association.
Maryland creates new corporate form
On April 13th, Maryland became the first state in the nation to pass a law establishing a new corporation category: the benefits corporation. Maryland’s law has received great press coverage, including reports from such national publications as Business Week and the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
Land trusts, social enterprise gain ground in UK
On May 6, voters in Great Britain will go to the polls. Conventional wisdom has long suggested a Tory (Conservative Party) victory, but current polls suggest that the election is too close to call. Included in Labour’s general election platform, which was launched on April 12th, is a small section on social enterprise, which includes a commitment for the creation of a Social Investment Bank with initial funding of £75 million (US $115 million).
Two bills in Congress promote ESOPs, worker co-ops
On December 18, 2009, Senator Bernard Sanders (I-VT) introduced two new bills that would seek to expand employee ownership in the United States. The first bill, the Worker Ownership, Readiness, and Knowledge (WORK) Act (S. 2909) would create an Office of Employee Ownership and Participation within the Department of Labor.
American Independent Business Alliance to meet
The American Independent Business Association (AMIBA) is holding its annual conference April 8-11 in Tampa, Florida. Early registration deadline is March 15th. On-line registration closes March 31st.
Microfinance USA to hold national conference
Following the 2009 statewide “Microfinance, CA” conference, Microfinance USA will continue to mobilize those involved in and curious about domestic micro-finance to help expand the scale and scope of financial services available to disadvantaged families across America.
Worker co-ops gain new prominence
As a recent Christian Science Monitor article, authored by Melissa Hoover of the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives and Beadsie Woo of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, notes, worker cooperatives are gaining increasing mainstream attention as the current economic recession enters its third year. The relation between economic crisis and worker co-op revival is hardly a coincidence.
Community land trusts promote urban agriculture
As a new section of the website of the National Community Land Trust Network demonstrates, an increasing number of community land trusts, best known for their support of permanently affordable home ownership using a model of shared equity housing, are also supporting the development of urban agriculture, as well as the stewardship of green space in urban areas.
UN Declares 2012 International Year of Cooperatives
The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives, highlighting the contribution of cooperatives to economic development, in particular recognizing their impact on poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration. The United Nations uses the “International Year” designation to draw attention to major issues and encourage action.
Ohio employee ownership center founder leaves lasting legacy
John Logue, Founder and Director of the Ohio Employee Ownership Center at Kent State University, passed away around 8:00 PM Wednesday evening, December 9, 2009. He was 62. The cause of death was a cancer that was diagnosed only days before he died. We at Community-Wealth.org send John’s wife Olga and his daughters our best wishes. We also pledge to be a part of the effort to continue the fine work that he started.
Affordable green building website launched
A new website, Green Affordable.org provides a wide-ranging information resource for how to integrate green building practices into affordable housing while keeping the affordable housing produced affordable. The site is a project of the Chicago Community Loan Fund, a community development financial institution (CDFI) that works throughout the Chicago metropolitan region.
Opportunity Finance Network celebrates 25 years
The Opportunity Finance Network, the nation’s leading association of community development financial institutions (CDFIs) held its 25th annual conference in Charlotte, North Carolina last month. Information regarding sessions held and many of the presentations made at the conference are available here. Among the highlights of the conference was the presentation of the industry’s third annual Wachovia NEXT awards.