About the Co-op Community Campaign
What is a co-op?
A cooperative (or co-op) is a business owned and governed by the people who use it—whether that’s workers, customers or community members. Instead of profits going to outside shareholders, co-ops are designed to benefit the people directly involved.
Co-ops are formed when people come together to meet a shared need and choose to own and run a business themselves. That means the people who rely on the co-op are also the ones shaping it. In a co-op, members typically share decision-making power, often through a one member, one vote approach.
Co-ops are built around shared values, including self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. They are guided by principles that shape how they operate in practice:
- Voluntary and open membership
- Democratic member control
- Member economic participation
- Autonomy and independence
- Education, training and information
- Cooperation among cooperatives
- Concern for community
Co-ops can take different forms depending on who the members are. Worker co-ops are owned by employees, consumer co-ops by customers, and producer co-ops by farmers or small businesses. They operate across many sectors, including agriculture, finance, grocery, housing, health care, education and utilities.
At their core, co-ops are designed to meet the needs of their members and support the communities they serve.
At their core, co-ops are designed to meet the needs of their members and support the communities they serve.
Why do co-ops matter?
Across the country, people are facing rising costs, limited ownership opportunities and fewer ways to build wealth in their communities. Co-ops offer a different model—one that keeps money local, gives people a real stake in the economy, and builds more resilient communities.
Co-ops change who benefits from economic activity. Instead of profits flowing to outside investors or tech companies, they stay with the people who use the business. This leads to more stable businesses, better access to essential services and stronger local economies.
What is the Co-op Community Campaign working to achieve?
The Co-op Community Campaign is a national effort to raise awareness and understanding of cooperative businesses. Today, many people in the U.S. already interact with co-ops, such as credit unions or food co-ops, without realizing it. That lack of awareness remains one of the biggest barriers to their growth.
We are working to make co-ops more visible, accessible and better understood so more people can start, join and support them. By increasing awareness, we help create the conditions for more co-ops to be formed, strengthened and sustained.
This effort also aims to better connect the cooperative community and build a stronger, more recognized presence nationwide.
What will my donation support?
Your donation supports national efforts to advance, educate and connect the cooperative sector, including:
- Advocating for policies that support and protect co-ops
- Educating policymakers about the impact of co-ops
- Increasing public awareness about how co-ops work and why they matter
- Connecting the co-op community and strengthening a shared national voice for cooperative enterprise
- Supporting cooperative development by expanding access to resources, financing and technical assistance