Cooperatives (Co-ops)

The Hub Bike Co-op

Founded in 2002 in direct response to the “profit first mentality” of some businesses, The Hub Bike Co-op is Minneapolis’ only worker-owned bike store.  With four locations across the city, the co-op sells bikes, provides bike-related services, and offers a range of classes focused on bike maintenance and safety.  Committed to the community, the co-op directs five percent of profits to support cycling, the community at large, and the environment.

University Credit Union

Founded in 1947, University Credit Union is a not-for-profit, full service financial institution, owned by its members and operated exclusively for their benefit, with over $170 million in assets, over 22,500 members and 78 full time employees. Read more about University Credit Union...

Dade County Federal Credit Union

Founded in May 1939 through the efforts of ten county employees who used a cigar box to collect deposits, the member-owned financial cooperative has grown to become a multi-million dollar, professionally managed financial institution. Today, Dade County Federal Credit Union has 11 locations, over 95,600 members and nearly $637 million in assets. Read more about Dade County Federal Credit Union...

Tennessee Farmers Cooperative

Founded in 1945 to ensure dependable sources of products, the Co-op has 57 member cooperatives, with 150 Co-op retail outlets in 83 of Tennessee’s 95 counties. TFC is a federated cooperative system, which means a pyramid of ownership. The farmer members own their local Co-ops and the local Co-ops own TFC. Co-ops offer career training, internships, and 32 yearly scholarships to agricultural students as well as providing farming products and information to its members. Read more about Tennessee Farmers Cooperative...

Shatto Milk Company

Shatto Milk Company is a family-owned farmer co-op north of Kansas City. The farm has been around for over a 100 years, but only started distributing fresh bottled milk in 2003. Shatto Milk Company has annual revenue of more than $10 million and employs more than 25 people. This dairy farm locally delivers its milk fresh to the city in less than 12 hours, emphasizing their returnable and recyclable glass bottles for environmental reasons. Read more about Shatto Milk Company...

Good Natured Family Farms

Good Natured Family Farms (GNFF) is a co-op comprised of over 100 Kansas City-area family farms with a mission to practicing sustainable farming and humane treatment of animals. Their products are distributed to local supermarkets. GNFF is a brand owned by the All-Natural Beef Co-op, which consists of 18 farmers. As of 2008, GNFF's meat processing plant had annual sales revenues of $3 million with 6 employees and plant operation costs of $300,000. GNFF also supplies the $110 million revenue-generating Bistro Kids, a food services company serving private schools in Kansas City. Read more about Good Natured Family Farms...

Dairy Farmers of America

Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) is a farmer-owned milk marketing cooperative founded in 1998 and headquartered in Kansas City. DFA has 16,000 members in 48 states and 3,000 employees, and represents farms from a small 50-cow dairy in Pennsylvania to a 3,000-cow dairy farm in California. In 2010, DFA reported net sales of $9.8 billion and net income of $43.7 million. DFA serves its members by providing various services including operation management, productivity optimization, and increasing profit margins. Read more about Dairy Farmers of America...

Rawfully Organic Co-op

Starting as an idea by Kristina Carrillo-Bucaram in September 2007, the Rawfully Organic Co-op has grown exponentially to more than 3,500 families today. The co-op is dedicated to providing only fresh fruits and vegetables from local, organic farmers and aims to increase awareness about health and environmental issues to all who are involved. Members can purchase half or full-shares (plus extras if desired) and pick up their produce from a different location in Houston on three days during the week or from neighborhood pick-up spots on Thursdays. Read more about Rawfully Organic Co-op...

People's Trust Federal Credit Union

Beginning with just 196 Shell employees in 1935 and total assets of $980, the Shell Employees Federal Credit Union became People's Trust Federal Credit Union in 2005 when it open its doors to everyone living within the City of Houston. Today, People's Trust has more than $428 million in assets and more than 39,000 members. Additionally, People's Trust offers free financial education seminars to members and non-members alike. Read more about People's Trust Federal Credit Union...

Patient Physician Cooperative

The Patient Physician Cooperative was established in 2005 in Houston as a non-profit with the goal of providing affordable primary to care to persons who need it. Starting as an organization of patients, physicians, and member representatives with just two clinics, the cooperative has grown to 36 clinics across the city. Now members are eligible for true group coverage as an optional benefit at one price, with no exclusions for pre-existing conditions or other restrictions. Read more about Patient Physician Cooperative...

Central City Co-op

Formed in 2001, Central City Co-op was the idea of two women - Jennifer Georgantas and Patricia Greer. Through the hard work of numerous volunteers, the co-op is celebrating a decade of providing locally grown organic produce. Purchases can be made online after becoming a member and produce can be picked up on Wednesdays at Grace Lutheran church. The co-op offers six different tier levels of membership. Read more about Central City Co-op...

Durham Food Co-op

Established in 1971, the Durham Food Co-op has served for over 35 years as a natural foods cooperative for the Durham community, operating under the principle of “food for people, not for profit.” The co-op has sales of roughly $500,000 a year and publishes a weekly community newsletter, Food for Thought. Read more about Durham Food Co-op...

Detroit Edison Credit Union

Organized in 1944 to provide financial services for Detroit Edison employees, Detroit Edison Credit Union has grown to provide loans and savings services to more than 28,000 members. As of September 2007, the assets of the credit union exceeded $485 million. Read more about Detroit Edison Credit Union...

Cooperative Optical Services, Inc.

Co-op Optical is the largest not-for-profit provider of vision care services in the state of Michigan. Formed in 1960, they pioneered prepaid vision programs in Michigan. As a cooperative, the group contributes to health care cost containment in eye care by providing funded program coverage at reasonable rates. Read more about Cooperative Optical Services, Inc....

Denver Community Credit Union

Established in 1934 and open to anyone in Adams, Arapahoe, Jefferson, or Denver Counties, Denver Community Credit Union (DCCU) now has nearly 25,000 members and 4 branches across the city.  With $281 million in assets, DCCU is also heavily involved in the community, providing 2,646 community members with free financial education in 2015 alone. In August 2016, it was announced that DCCU would be merging with nearby Sooper Credit Union to form an institution with more than $620 million in assets and nine Colorado locations.

Third Hand Bicycle

The Third Hand Bicycle Co-op was founded in 2003 to advocate a sustainable method of transportation and provide the community with a facility and tools for their bicycles. They have over 24,000 registered members on their discussion forum. Read more about Third Hand Bicycle...

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company is based in Columbus, Ohio and has over $140 billion in assets. Founded in 1925 as the Farm Bureau Mutual Automobile Insurance Company for Ohio farmers, its quick expansion influenced its name change to Nationwide Insurance. Nationwide is owned by its policyholders, and in 2009, had bought all of its common stock for Nationwide Financial Services to become a wholly owned subsidiary of Nationwide and a private company. Nationwide has annual revenue of over $20 billion. Read more about Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company...

Clintonville Community Market

The Clintonville Community Market, founded in 1998, is a member-owned grocery store that provides sustainable, natural and local products. All, but five, of its vendors are from Columbus or neighboring cities in Ohio. With estimated annual revenue of $2.5 to $5 million, the Market employs a staff of approximately 20 people. Read more about Clintonville Community Market...

PolicyLink’s Angela Glover Blackwell interviews Ted Howard

Segment highlights Democracy Collaborative's efforts to build community wealth

In the second installment of the “America’s Tomorrow: Equity in a Changing Nation” series, PolicyLink Founder and CEO Angela Glover Blackwell interviews Ted Howard, executive director of the Democracy Collaborative.  The series is dedicated to “exploring America’s future, the challenges we face, and the people who are making a difference ... [featuring] some of the nation’s most exciting leaders doing their part to blaze the path towards equity.”