MCOC/MCDC Update: Energized by the Cooperative Spirit Nomination Deadline is Dec. 1st! Get your Nominations in Today.

Working to unite, promote and strengthen

cooperative businesses across Montana

Nominations for the "Energized with Cooperative Spirit" are Due December 1st, 2023

Download the Nomination Form at www.montanacouncil.coop or www.mcdc.coop.

All forms should be returned to Tracy McIntyre at [email protected]

Welcome Lyndsay Gutierrez and Cheyenne Robinson to the Montana Co-op Development Team

Cheyenne Robinson joined MCDC this summer as one of our great interns. She worked with the team in identifying new partners for our Indigenous programming and we are thrilled to announce that she will continue with MCDC through July of 2024.

Cheyenne will be leading a contract with Grow Montana and the Partnership to End Childhood Hunger to educate and provide assistance to the Harvest of the Month program. She will also conduct series of listening sessions around food sovereignty in Montana's tribal communities.

Thank you Cheyenne! We are looking forward to having you as part of our team for a bit longer!

Lyndsay Gutierrez joined MCDC just this month! As the owner and principal of Nourish and Cooking up your Best Life, Lyndsay has been working with MCDC on the development of a 5-tier common stock holders cooperative to address food development and security in Central Montana.

Who better to help MCDC continue the work on food sovereignty and security! Lyndsay will be with MCDC throughout 2023, and will also be working with the team to develop programming to address women equity and poverty.

She is a strong advocate for cooperatives, passionate about healthy food systems and we are lucky to have her with us. Welcome Lyndsay!

Saying goodbye and thank you to Sophie!

Sophia (Sophie) Nelson joined MCDC in 2021 as an AmeriCorps Vista volunteer. She dedicated her time to kick-start the child care cooperative program at MCDC. She was a key figure in making sure the MCDC Child Care toolkit was developed and then started full-time with MCDC as a Cooperative Specialist, focusing on developing the Indigenous People's Digital Library and the start of a women's equity program.

Sophie left MCDC in October to pursue other passions. We wish her well and will miss her!

Rural Business Development Grants from USDA opens November 23, 2023

Our Funds and Sustainablity Manager, Shandy Petersen, recently took a training on this Rural Development Program and is ready to help our cooperatives apply!

We have been successful in receiving these dollars in the past for cooperatives, most recently receiving $25,000 for Butte Food Co-op in support of their site selection and design.

Rural Business Development Grants can be used to support small rural businesses, OR COOPERATIVES, that have fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue. Funds can be used for:

training and technical assistance such as project planning, feasibility studies, producer service improvements,
acquisition or development of land, easements or right of ways, renovation of buildings, and access to roads and streets.
Capitalization of revolving loan funds
Rural distance learning for job training
Community economic development programs including business planning and rural business incubators
And more!

There is a lot that these funds can do! If you are interested, email Shandy at [email protected] or Tracy at [email protected] to discuss your project.

MCDC can also help your cooperative with funding scenarios for other projects. To learn more about the other services that MCDC provides to existing cooperatives in Montana visit our website at https://mcdc.coop/services.

For our RUS, Electric, and Telecommunication Borrowers - the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program is open - and We can HELP you with your application!

The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant programs provide funding for rural projects through local utility organizations. USDA provides zero-interest loans to local utilities which they, in turn, pass through to local businesses (ultimate recipients) for projects that will create and retain employment in rural areas. The ultimate recipients repay the lending utility directly. The utility is responsible for repayment to USDA.

USDA provides grants to local utility organizations that use the funding to establish Revolving Loan Funds (RLF). Loans are made from the revolving loan fund to projects that will create or retain rural jobs. When the revolving loan fund is terminated, the grant is repaid to USDA.

InterBel Telephone and Lincoln Electric Cooperatives have used this program to build a successful and impactful RLF program for their service areas. They will be one of the "Cooperative Impact Highlights" at the MCOC Annual Meeting on Jan. 29th-30th, 2024.

MCDC and MCOC had a blast celebrating Co-op Month! We want to thank Annies Tap House in Great Falls for letting us crash their SingoBingo Night!

A few photos of the celebration follow along with some postcards the staff created.

We also sent out two press releases and our Director Tracy joined Tom Schultz on Voice of Montana! A great month showcasing Montana Cooperatives.

Read our Press Releases here:

If you would like us to post your upcoming co-op events or information in the Montana Cooperative Update send event information to: [email protected]