Request for Expression of Interest: Preferred Providers of Feasibility Studies & Business Planning

Request Issued by: Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI)
Date of issuance: 11/01/2022
Closing date: Rolling
Title: Preferred Providers of Feasibility Studies and Business Planning


Background
The Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI) works in partnership with cities, educational institutions, and community-based organizations across the nation to serve impacted communities by building worker-owned LLC businesses in their geography and/or industry. 

A National Survey of Worker Cooperative Bylaws and Operating Agreements

A National Survey of Worker Cooperative Bylaws and Operating Agreements

As a leading national technical assistance provider to new and established worker cooperatives, The ICA Group is frequently tasked with supporting worker-owners in drafting or revising their co-ops' bylaws or operating agreements. Through our practice, we have developed widely used template legal documents and facilitative processes to help worker-owners think through a variety of critical questions that can help ensure that these central legal documents create the framework for the successful operation of cooperative businesses that align with members' visions and values.

Seeding Equity Report Cover

Seeding Equity: A New Community-Based Model of Public Investment in Worker Cooperatives for Excluded Workers

In 2021, California launched Social Entrepreneurs for Economic Development (SEED), an innovative grant program fostering high-road business ownership opportunities for excluded workers (individuals who cannot access stable, gainful employment relationships and whose economic opportunities are severely constrained due to their immigration status or other significant barriers to employment).

The Biggest Worker Co-op Conference to Date is Coming Up!

Are you excited to be part of the biggest Worker Co-op Conference to date? Presented by the Democracy at Work Institute and the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives, the 2024 Worker Co-op Conference will be held in Chicago, Illinois. As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of DAWI and the 20th anniversary of the USFWC, we continue to build momentum for bettering people's livelihoods through workplace democracy. This event will be a moment to deepen relationships with like-minded movements and labor allies focused on the solidarity economy. Our Worker Co-op Conference is the largest event for worker co-ops in the United…

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DAWI launches the 2024 Chicago Worker Cooperative Developer Cohort

DAWI and the Chicago Community Wealth Building Ecosystem co-launch the Chicago Worker Cooperative Developer Cohort. Chicago, US – March 11, 2024 – DAWI is proud to announce the launch of the 2024 Chicago Worker Cooperative Developer Cohort, a transformative initiative aimed at strengthening the local cooperative ecosystem and fostering community wealth-building in Chicago communities. In collaboration with the Chicago Community Wealth Building Initiative at the University of Illinois in Chicago (UIC), the program seeks to empower organizations actively engaged in developing worker cooperatives that serve BIPOC and low-income communities. The Chicago Worker Cooperative Developer Cohort is a 12-month training program…

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Celebrate Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Day with DAWI!

The Democracy at Work Institute is Proud to Support America’s SBDC and the 8th Annual #SBDCDay this March 20th As small business owners navigate an ever-changing landscape, Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) continue to support and elevate their clients through innovative at-cost training programs and free advising strategies. Nearly 1,000 SBDCs can be found across the United States and its territories, serving clients virtually and from their centers in host institutions like…

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DAWI Promotes Julian McKinley to Co-Executive Director, Melissa Hoover to Lead Special Projects

Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI), the national think and do tank dedicated to expanding the worker ownership model, is pleased to announce the promotion of Julian S. McKinley to the role of Co-Executive Director for Partnerships and Growth. Julian assumes this position alongside Vanessa Bransburg, who was promoted to Co-Executive Director for Operations and Programs in September 2022. DAWI's board of directors unanimously voted to promote Julian nearly five years after he joined DAWI as its first communications director. Julian will now oversee DAWI’s organizational growth, strategic partnerships, and communications. Together, the co-executive directors assume leadership at DAWI as the…

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Effective Practises

The Institute publishes monthly a piece from a cooperative developer exploring a question, model or challenge in developing worker cooperatives. This is our first step towards creating a compendium of “effective practices” in worker cooperative development.  We aim to foster spirited and collegial, critical and respectful, conversation on how best to develop cooperatives that work for workers and their communities over the long term. Our aim is to address the deeper issues both animating and challenging worker cooperative development right now.