The Cooperative Leaders and Scholars (CLS) program is an opportunity to participate in multi-sector programming and events, and to engage with co-op industry thought leaders, policymakers, and other stakeholders. The experience is open to new and emerging cooperators: current employees or board members, post-secondary students, or others interested in working for, creating, or leading a cooperative or cooperative organization.

Designed to deepen and broaden knowledge of cooperatives and the role the model plays in meeting economic and social needs of communities, the program is structured to empower participants to shape their experience for maximum value as they connect and collaborate with peers and industry experts. 

As a participant, you will:

• Participate in an 8 month program designed to deepen and broaden your knowledge of cooperatives and the role of the co-op model in meeting the economic and social needs of communities
• Be a part of a community that can provide ongoing peer support and professional development opportunities
• Co-create a capstone project 
• Participate in exclusive networking events 
• Learn from industry experts in a series of webinars
• Get to know the cohort in-person at a multi-day event in Raleigh, NC from April 21 - 24 that will include co-op tours and training workshops. 
• Attend a weeklong event in Washington, DC from October 5 - 10 featuring NCBA CLUSA's Co-op IMPACT Conference, CDF's Cooperative Hall of Fame reception and induction ceremony, a one-day course from the International Centre for Co-operative Management at Saint Mary's University, and co-op tours.

Fellowship includes:

• Registrations for the Co-op IMPACT Conference, Cooperative Hall of Fame, and International Centre for Co-operative Management at Saint Mary's University course
• Raleigh, NC and Washington, DC co-op tours
• Access to exclusive networking events and webinars from industry experts
• Peer-to-Peer and Mentor-to-Mentee opportunities
• Travel stipend ($1,000 total), accommodations, and meals for two in-person events
• $25 metro card for Washington, DC
• $600 honorarium

CLS is open to:

• Emerging cooperators (ages 18 - 35) pursuing a career in or working with cooperatives, credit unions, and mutual insurance.
• Individuals new to cooperatives, credit unions, and mutual insurance with less than five years of experience. 
• Post-secondary students of any age with an interest in cooperatives, credit unions, and mutual insurance.

Applicants must qualify under one of the three categories and reside in North America.
 

Timeline:

• December 9 - Application portal opens
• February 3 - Applications due by 11:59pm ET
• February 14 - Applicants notified of status
• February 24 - Due date to accept program invitation
• March 17 - Cohort publicly announced
• April 2 - Program kickoff (virtual)
• April 14 - 17 - Multi-day in-person meeting in Raleigh, NC. 
• June - September -  Virtual programming
• October 5 - 10 - Weeklong in-person convening in Washington, DC
• November - Virtual programming
• December 10 - Virtual debrief

Contact Kirstie Boyette at kboyette@ncba.coop for more information.

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

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.

The Disaster Recovery Fund helps cooperatives and cooperators get back on their feet after disasters or other emergency hardship situations. Cooperatives and cooperative support organizations can apply for funding that provides:

• aid to cooperatives by covering uninsured expenses needed to return the business to viability;
• aid to employees and others associated with the cooperatives by covering uninsured expenses and uninsured medical assistance needed to support recovery.

Who may apply: Cooperatives and cooperative support organizations. 

Review process: CDF will review applications and notify applicants about the status of their application within 1 - 2 weeks of submission, depending on number of requests and available funding. Requests for up to $2,500 will be expedited. 

Recipient obligation: Disaster Recovery Fund recipients are required to report on the use of their grant(s) within a year of receipt. 

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

CDF’s Cooperative Education Fund will offer small grants to individuals interested in conducting research to identify and provide documentation for nominations of individuals from groups of people whose work and achievements in advancing cooperatives have gone unrecognized.

Research will be used to nominate and advocate for the next Unsung Cooperative Hero. Researchers will be required to advocate for their nominee to the year’s Hall of Fame selection committee comprised of cooperative leaders from all sectors. If the nominee is chosen for induction into the Cooperative Hall of Fame, the researcher will receive a ticket to attend the ceremony. There will also be up to two tickets available for family members of the inductee.

Who may apply: Preference will be given to students associated with or supported by cooperatives or cooperative organizations. Grants are only available for organizations in the United States.

Review process: Applications will be reviewed by a committee and approved by the CDF Board of Directors. Applications should have some information to indicate how and why the research will help inform the Unsung Hero nomination process.

Recipient obligation: The recipient must complete the research and present research materials and nomination packets in support of their nominee by September 2. The recipient will also advocate for their nominee before the Hall of Fame selection committee later in the year.

Applications due on February 2. Applicants will be notified of their status by February 16. If awarded, research and nomination packets are due on September 2.

About the Cooperative Hall of Fame and Unsung Heroes

Established in 1974 by the National Cooperative Business Association, the Cooperative Hall of Fame is administered by the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) and serves to honor those distinguished individuals whose contributions to cooperative business have been genuinely heroic. Inductees are limited to a prestigious group carefully selected to preserve the nature of this distinction. Nominations are received annually by a selection committee (appointed by the chair of the CDF Board of Directors). The nominees selected are presented to the Board of Directors of the National Cooperative Business Association for approval and induction into the Cooperative Hall of Fame. For more information, see heroes.coop.

In 2021, the CDF Board approved the addition of a process to honor as inductees into the Hall of Fame individuals who were members of groups that have been historically overlooked. Referred to as Unsung Heroes, the nominees selected through this process, no more than one per year, will be inducted alongside and with the same level of recognition as those selected through the traditional Hall of Fame process. To be eligible for consideration as an Unsung Hero:

• The individual’s contributions to cooperative practice, for the most part, were made before the Hall of Fame began in 1974, and
• The individual comes from a group of people whose work and achievements have historically been unrecognized and even suppressed.

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

Every year, home care worker cooperative members and developers are invited to attend the annual National Home Care Cooperative (NHCC) Conference. This year’s conference, the 9th annual, will take place March 12 – 14, 2024 in Dulles, VA. The conference is organized by the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) and Elevate and hosted at the headquarters of the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC). 

Who Qualifies? 

There are two ways to qualify for scholarships to the 9th Annual NHCC in 2025. 

Benchmarking Survey Scholarships 

The first way to qualify for a scholarship to the annual Home Care Cooperative Conference is to complete the annual Benchmarking Survey. This track is available to existing, operational home care cooperatives.  The Benchmarking Survey is conducted annually by the ICA Group and funded by a grant to CDF from USDA Rural Development to help us understand the state of the home care cooperative sector, track progress, name challenges, and celebrate successes. CDF automatically offers up to two (2) scholarships to all home care co-ops that complete the Benchmarking Survey.  

If you are an existing, operational home care cooperative, you received a link from the ICA Group to complete the 2024 survey (on 2023 data) in April 2024. The survey was due in May 2024. If your co-op completed this survey, you are eligible for scholarships. You will be invited to nominate up to two (2) member-owners as the scholarship recipients from your co-op to attend the NHCC. At least one scholarship must be designated for a caregiver member-owner who works in the field. Cooperatives are strongly encouraged to use scholarship funds to send first-time attendees to NHCC and to build conference attendance for administrators and other staff into the cooperative’s annual budget. Please ensure you nominate individuals who are willing and able to attend the Conference. Scholarship recipients must be nominated/designated by 5:00 pm EST on 10 January 2025. 

NEW! Start-Up & Explorers Scholarships 

The second track for scholarships is dedicated to support attendance for individuals representing start-up home care co-ops and those who are exploring the formation of home care co-ops. This is made possible in 2025 thanks to a generous supporter of home care cooperators. With these funds, CDF is pleased to extend the opportunity for caregiver workers who are working to create new home care co-ops to benefit from the learnings and networking of the NHCC. Cooperative developers and staff from incubating organizations are not eligible for the Start-Up & Explorers Scholarships but are encouraged to register and attend. 

Applications will be reviewed by CDF staff. Applications for the Start-Up & Explorers Scholarships are due by 5:00 pm EST on 10 January 2025. Decisions will be shared by January 17, 2025.  

What is Included? 

Scholarships cover the costs of conference registration, travel, and hotel (double occupancy) for qualifying home care cooperative members and are limited to up to two (2) per home care cooperative. In addition, a lost-wages stipend of a fixed, predetermined amount is offered exclusively to scholarship recipients who are home care workers or future home care workers (in the case of start-ups). The lost wages stipend is only available for those who are remunerated on an hourly basis and whose attendance at NHCC prevents them from earning a wage during their attendance at the Conference.
 

 
Other Information 

• CDF will book hotel (double occupancy) and air/train transportation for scholarship recipients. Recipients will be offered the opportunity to specify preferences and review the itinerary before booking. Once a trip has been booked, changes cannot be made. Recipients are asked to review the proposed travel itinerary within 24 hours. 
• The hotel reservation is double occupancy (roommates will be assigned). If a scholarship recipient would like single accommodation, this can be accommodated at an additional cost to that recipient and/or their co-op. The additional cost to the recipient and/or their co-op is $91.20/night inclusive of taxes and fees. 

If you have technical difficulties with submitting the application through Submittable, please contact support@submittable.com. 

Do you know an outstanding food cooperator who deserves to be recognized? Or have you been admiring the progress, growth, innovation, or resilience of a particular co-op? This is your opportunity to recognize them!

The Cooperative Education Fund manages four awards for cooperative excellence that are presented at CCMA. The awards for excellence and outstanding achievement include:

• Cooperative Excellence
• Cooperative Service
• Cooperative Innovation and Achievement
• Cooperative Board Service

The cooperative excellence awards presented at CCMA are the food co-op's opportunity to honor colleagues and cooperatives for their achievements and accomplishments. Nominations are made by the food co-op community and reviewed by a panel of peers selected by CDF. If you know of a food co-op or someone in the food co-op community who deserves commendation, please nominate them!

Create a Submittable account and complete the online application. 

Applications are due on March 14, 2025.

AWARD CATEGORIES

Cooperative Excellence

The Cooperative Excellence Award foes to a co-op that demonstrates high achievement in the following areas:

• Leadership - This co-op's board and management set realistic priorities and follow through on them. This co-op addresses its responsibilities to the public and practices good citizenship. It also practices business ethics and works to protect public health, safety and the environment.
• Strategic Planning - The co-op's board and management set strategic directions to focus on future sustainable growth and market leadership.
• Organizational Effectiveness - This co-op values learning at all levels and looks for opportunities to effect meaningful change. The co-op has the capacity for rapid change and flexibility and innovation is part of the co-op's culture. The co-op strives for success in design, management, and improvement of key production/delivery and support processes.
• Human Resources - This co-op establishes a climate of customer/member-driven excellence, enables its workforce to develop its full potential and makes member education a priority.
• Business Results - This co-op shows success in its key business areas while staying true to its mission.

Cooperative Service

The Cooperative Service Award is given to an individual who has made outstanding contributions above and beyond the normal course of work. This person's accomplishments are consistently viewed as models by other cooperators and have made a profound difference in store operations and member services. This cooperator is not afraid to take risks to achieve positive change and is a champion of the cooperative principles. Recipients of this award motivate employees and colleagues and are regarded as mentors, innovators, and leaders. Their accomplishments have not only enhanced the stature, reputation, and overall strength of the cooperative community, but the significant changes they have instituted have helped the cooperative to better achieve its goals. 

Cooperative Innovation & Achievement

The Cooperative Innovation and Achievement Award is given to the cooperative innovators who have changed the way that cooperatives approach problems. The nominee can be an individual, a group, or a co-op. Recipients of this award understand the urgency, relevancy, and complexity of the problem or opportunity addressed by the innovation, which results in measurable improvements or achievements that resonate with the cooperative principles and the cooperative's mission.

Cooperative Board Service

The Cooperative Board Service Award is given to an individual on the board of a food co-op who has gone above and beyond the scope of work expected of a board member. This person has fostered democratic organization and champions the cooperative principles. This board member exhibits highest standards of excellence, dedication and accomplishment, and in doing so has pushed the co-op to meets its goals. This leader has made an extraordinary commitment of time, talent or resources to the benefit of the co-op and the community.

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