It’s Women’s History Month and today we want to celebrate all of the women and gender non-conforming people who have lifted up and grown our economies and communities time and time again. The strength we see in our co-op ecosystems wouldn’t exist without them.
This month’s newsletter includes upcoming workshops, job postings, funding updates + other key co-opportunities that will help you unlock the power of your co-op community. As always, if you know someone else who would be interested in the resources below, be sure to share!
We also encourage you to share your updates & ideas with us by emailing [email protected]
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Co-op Curious?
We’ve got you covered. Check out these learning co-opportunities from CFNE & our friends.
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Let us know what you want to see in this newsletter moving forward! |
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This is a brief survey that asks what you’d like to see more of,
less of, and any other thoughts you might have for us.
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Various Days and Times | Online | Free | Recorded
Join CFNE staff and our investor community to kick-off the return of CFNE workshops. This 4-part event series will highlight how you or your organization can invest in cooperatives with or without money.
In these sessions, you’ll hear about how Co-op Navigator Fellows are experimenting with culturally-relevant models of cooperation; explore monetary and non-monetary ways to invest in cooperatives; and engage with people who are sharing their lived experiences with community ownership & movement-building. Interpretation available upon request. Visit the event page for details on each event.
March 15, 2023 | 12:00 PM
Investing in Fellowship
March 22, 2023 | 4:00 PM
Investor Community Open House
*Past, present, and future investors/donors (Investor Community) register here
April 19, 2023 | 12:00 PM
Investing in Community, a drop-in seminar
May 17, 2023 | 12:00 PM
Investing in Mentorship
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Early Registration until March 13th! | Conference June 1-3 | Las Vegas, NV | $225
The National Conference on Black Cooperative Agenda highlights the importance of cooperative ownership and economic democracy within Black communities. This conference serves as a platform for networking and building connections between individuals and organizations working towards economic justice for Black communities. Join this event to connect with experts, practitioners, and community members to share best practices and strategies for building successful cooperatives! Early conference registration until March 13th, register now to get discounted registration rate.
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April 8th | Lewiston, ME | $50 with scholarships readily available!
Come join us on April 8th at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College Campus in Lewiston, ME for the Annual Principle Six Conference! At P6, Maine cooperatives and co-op supporters have the opportunity to learn from one another in a joint effort to build individual skills and expand People Powered Solutions in our communities. Housing co-ops and resident-owned communities, worker co-ops, food co-ops, Credit Unions and others will be there to share their ideas and stories with the co-op community! Learn more and register here.
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Recordings of CFNE's workshops are all available for viewing on our YouTube channel. Click here to view.
If you’re interested in a 1-on-1 co-op coaching session, meet our coaches!
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Emerging Co-op? Talk to Johan!
As our Community Engagement Facilitator, Johan helps develop supportive ecosystems and provides technical assistance to ensure that communities traditionally excluded from economic investment can engage in cooperative enterprise. Make an Appointment.
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Existing Co-op? Talk to Carolyn!
As the Cooperative Business Support Officer, Carolyn works with Spanish- and English-speaking applicants and borrowers to assess project feasibility and connect with culturally-appropriate technical assistance resources. Make an Appointment.
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Co-op Community
Stay connected to our co-op community.
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Rolling Deadline | Schenectady, NY | Part Time and Full Time Available
Mission Accomplished Transition Services is a nonprofit career education organization that helps young employees and entrepreneurs prepare for the workforce and remove economic barriers to advanced education. Learn more and apply here.
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Deadline: March 5 | Portland, ME | Full time
Maine Initiatives is a community of individuals advancing justice and equity in Maine through informed, intentional, and collective philanthropy. They are hiring for two Program Associate positions right now: one to support their Grants for Change Program & Giving Project and the other to support their Immigrant Led Organizations Program. Both positions are full-time, salaried at $55,000 per year plus benefits. Find position descriptions here. Deadline to apply is March 5.
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Deadline: March 17th | Hartford, CT | Full Time
ReSET is a non-profit that helps people start, sustain, and grow their businesses in a way that prioritizes impact alongside profit. This full-time position is a combination of community engagement, program administration, and communications. The Outreach Coordinator will be responsible for cultivating new and maintaining existing relationships with reSET clients, volunteers, and community partners. This is an exempt position with a salary of $50,000 plus benefits, with a hybrid work schedule. Send a resume and cover letter to [email protected], or use this form to apply. Applications close Friday, March 17, 2023.
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Co-op Capital
Stay updated on relevant funding co-opportunities.
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In 2022, CFNE’s board of trustees authorized the use of up to $1 million of CFNE’s net assets to pilot an expanded capital program, diversifying the type of capital that CFNE can provide to cooperatives. CFNE’s project to explore equity-like financing recognizes that standard debt is not the right product for all startups. Through our exploration, we developed ELF, or Equity-Like Financing. ELF features flexible repayment terms that include lower rates, larger loan size, and longer repayment periods. Through this program, CFNE serves large cooperatives facing capital access challenges. One example of this is the Drivers Co-op. Read their funding story!
Are you interested in learning more about if your cooperative can receive financing from CFNE? Click here to learn more.
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$5,000 | Opens March 20th - Closes April 7th
The Backing Small Businesses grant program is aimed at helping support economically vulnerable and underrepresented small business owners recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and grow their businesses. On March 20, 2023, applications will open for 350 small business grants of $5,000 to eligible businesses in the U.S. and territories. Recipients of this grant may be eligible to receive an additional $25,000 enhancement grant later this year. Learn more here.
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Maggie Maiorana and the Learning Team
Program Associate
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Cooperative Fund of the Northeast
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For CFNE news and
our Annual Report
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For co-op education
and resources
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