The Center for Cooperatives at the University of Wisconsin conducts research, training, and education on cooperatives. Its web site includes an extensive clearinghouse of information on nearly all sectors of the cooperative movement.
This web site makes available a large number of studies on agricultural cooperatives, as well as the text of speeches from leading agricultural cooperative leaders.
Whether the goal is understanding what a co-op is, searching for one nearby or starting a new co-op, Go Coop is a resource for much of what one needs to know about co-ops. This user-friendly resource is invaluable for anyone exploring or venturing into the world of co-ops.
The Filene Research Institute is a leading research institute of the credit union industry that publishes many studies and has been a leader in encouraging credit unions to address the needs of low-income people who lack bank accounts. While its studies are pricey for non-members, abstracts of these studies are available in the Institute's newsletter, which can be downloaded from the site for free.
The Discussion Course on Cooperatives is a group-education tool for people who would like to become familiar with cooperative economics, history and philosophy. The discussion format is centered around carefully selected readings made accessible through a concisely planned anthology. Short readings and lively interpersonal discussions make it an ideal learning environment for busy people who would like to maximize their educational experience.
The Data Commons Project is a collaborative effort among a diverse array of organizations in the U.S. and Canada who share a mission of building and supporting the development of a cooperative economy. The group aims to develop an accurate, comprehensive, public database of cooperative economic initiatives in North America.
Cultivate.Coop is as an online hub for pooling knowledge and resources on cooperatives. It provides a free forum for those interested in cooperatives and serves as a place where people can build educational tools for the co-op community.
This website, developed in 2004, includes a directory of over 14,000 co-ops in the United States, a number of studies on the economic impact of cooperatives, cases studies of dozens of cooperatives in different sectors, and links to leading national co-op sector organizations.
The Co-op 100 lists the 100 largest cooperatives (in terms of revenue). In 2003, the 100 largest co-ops alone had a combined $117 billion in sales and controlled $284 billion in assets.
The Communities Directory is a listing of intentional communities — people who live together or share land for a common purpose. Different types of intentional communities are eco-villages, co-housing (private housing with shared common facilities), community land trusts, and housing cooperatives. The Communities Directory lists more than 1,200 groups throughout Canada and the United States.
The Arthur Capper Cooperative Center (ACCC) at Kansas State provides research-based information, education and assistance to people interested in cooperative-based businesses.
Founded in the 1940s, Steiner House is a 21-member university student-run housing cooperative at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. The 70 year-old cooperative regularly attracts international students from around the world to come together under one roof to live together. Read more about Steiner House Cooperative ...
In the spring of 2001, a volunteer group of cyclists began an informal Earn-a-Bike program, teaching neighborhood kids bike repair and safe riding skills. In 2002, incorporated as the Ohio City Bicycle Co-op (OCBC), the group secured a storefront where it could renovate and sell its surplus of donated used bikes to cover expenses, and started a membership program to attract additional volunteers. Over time OCBC has expanded its Earn-a-Bike program, and is now teaching courses at schools and recreation centers, primarily on a fee-for-service basis. Read more about Ohio City Bike Co-op...
Founded in 1961 by 17 book lovers who invested $10 each, this consumer-owned bookstore cooperative now has over 50,000 members, two locations, and holdings of over 100,000 titles ranging widely across the humanities and social sciences. The flagship store on University Avenue is widely considered to be among the country's best academic bookstores. Read more about Seminary Bookstore Cooperative...
Founded in 1989 by students at the University of Chicago, the Qumbya Cooperative now provides housing for roughly 50 student and non-student members in four houses in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood.
Co-op Markets, then called the “Hyde Park Co-op,” began on December 1, 1932 as a buying club in an apartment above a bookstore near the University of Chicago. Today, it is one of the largest food cooperatives in the nation, with two large supermarkets, 30,000 members, and annual sales in excess of $30 million. Read more about Co-op Markets...
Upstate Niagara is a full-service, member-owned dairy cooperative located in Western New York. In 2006, Upstate Farms Cooperative, founded in 1965, and Niagara Milk Cooperative, founded in 1931, consolidated to form Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. Owned and operated by approximately 420 dairy farmers and employing more than 1,000 people, the Co-op's 2006 revenues exceeded $500 million. Read more about Upstate-Niagara Cooperative, Inc....
Founded in 2000, the Nickel City Housing Cooperative consists of two member-owned houses. Each house has about thirteen members, who make decisions about food and chores by consensus and give back to the local community by purchasing locally grown food. Each week NCHC holds a potluck that is open to anyone to attend, providing of course that you bring some kind of dish. Read more about Nickel City Housing Cooperative...