Developing Co-operative Leaders at Universities Chris Clamp Center for Co-operatives & CED School of Community Economic Development Southern New Hampshire University July 31, 2009

How does one become a co-op leader? You start your own co-op with a group of friends. You take a job with a co-op in management. You attend the co-op camp with Cathy Statz in Wisconsin as a child and got inspired! Your parents were farmers and co-op members You grew up in a housing co-op.

Co-op Leadership Training new generations of co-op leaders in the US NASCO US Federation of Worker Co-ops + regional groups conferences Cooperation Works! Professional Development Training Mid America Cooperative Council Director Training Programs Membership & Employee Training Programs COOL Tour Conference

The School of Community Economic Development at Southern New Hampshire University Our goal as educators is to strengthen the student’s “tool bag”. Their communities are the case material and beneficiaries of what they learn. Founded in 1982 and with over 2500 graduates from over 100 countries, SCED is recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in advancing the creation of just and sustainable communities Alumni build affordable housing, run community-development financial institutions, promote cooperatives and microenterprise programs, and develop commercial projects and small businesses in low-income communities.

Co-op Education at Southern New Hampshire University Co-ops and Community Economic Development (CED) – Co-op courses in MS in CED since 1982; advanced certificate since 2007; – Project in CED course incubated first manufactured housing co-op in NH as a student project in – Project course work continues to be a vehicle for incubating new co-ops and to develop developer skills for people interested in starting new co-ops. – Doctoral course work includes course on social theory that maps the theoretical framework for co-op studies and one dissertation on co-op finance last year.

Students work on policy as well as developing co-op Tanya Gracie is a Canadian who recently graduated and is currently working with the Canadian Cooperative Association and the Ontario Cooperative Association to assess how to recruit a new generation of cooperators both through paths into existing co-ops and with co- ops specifically serving youth. She took my introductory course, a co-op business development course and attended a co-op development course offered in Canada to round out her training for doing development. Her project was to do the policy research in support of the work she has been doing.

Policy innovation in limited equity housing Dick Patterson while taking an introductory course on co-ops asked how one could create meaningful ownership for members in limited equity co-ops. He has developed a financial model that would pay patronage refunds to members in limited equity housing co-ops. Dick is now working with me on a co-op webinar series.

From a nonprofit project manager to a co-op developer… We don’t discount the value of starting a new business when one fails so why Mike Bowie asked do people reject co- op solutions when one fails. Mike conducted a survey in his project course of young community activists in Worcester MA and found that they wanted to develop co-op community housing. He took the CW Professional training & an introductory co-op course to give himself a deeper understanding of the co-op model. He is now working with me on a white paper to consider how co-ops can access weatherization funding out of the ARRA economic stimulus funding

NCBA Intern Lisa Stolarski is a consultant with Keystone Development Center. As a SCED student, she was an intern with the National Cooperative Business Association to identify resources for supporting urban co-op development. For her project, she hopes to create an urban co-op development center in Pittsburgh.

Center for Co-operatives & CED Initial internal discussion began in 2006 Convened an advisory board & established the center in CCCED’s activities in the last year included: – An Italy Study tour; – Planning of a webinar series which is scheduled for this Fall; – Short term training for emerging community development corporations in NC; – doctoral students piloted a small study of NH credit unions; – Currently conducting an evaluation of the Food Co-op 500 Initiative. CCCED can provide opportunities for students and recent graduates to remain engaged in co-op development work

Opportune time for new co-op studies in USA There is renewed interest in shared asset models for development at the level of foundations. This may lead to renewed support for building this capacity within universities. Centers focused on microenterprise or asset building are likely to consider the integration of co-ops as a way to stay relevant. The current economic crisis is an opportunity to get co-ops not only onto the agenda in Washington but also universities and maybe even some business schools.