The Cooperative Development Fund supports cooperative development, research, and technical assistance for cooperatives serving the needs of seniors, international cooperative development, and affordable housing. The Fund's grant process involves two stages - the submission of a concept paper and, if chosen, the submission of a full proposal. The intent is that unless the full proposal is not submitted or is significantly lacking, the concept papers chosen will receive grants.

Who may apply: Cooperatives, cooperative development organizations, cooperative related groups and members, staff and board members of cooperatives. Grants are only available to organizations in the United States.

How to apply: Submit a two-page concept paper about a project that is related to cooperatives serving the needs of seniors, international cooperative development, or affordable housing. Concept papers should include:

• A brief description of the entity submitting the proposal, its capacity and expertise, and the population it serves;
• A brief description of the concept, major deliverable(s), and any connection it has to any other cooperative development project;
• How the concept promotes measurable outcomes, with a focus on historically underserved communities and residents in urban areas, through cooperative development;
• High level budget; and
• A description of how the success of the concept will be measured.

Review process: Concept papers and supporting materials will be reviewed by the Fund's Board of Advisors and approved by the CDF Board of Directors. All applicants will be notified of the status of their applications within one to two weeks of the Board meeting.

Full proposal: If the concept paper is chosen to move forward, the applicant must submit a proposal within 30 days of being notified that includes scope of work, personnel, detailed budget, deliverables, and outcomes.

Recipient obligation: Cooperative Development Fund recipients are required to report on deliverables and outcomes from the grant(s) within 6 months of completion of the project.

Concept papers are due on January 15.

For technical difficulties, please contact support@submittable.com.