Sources of Information on Employee Ownership
Curriculum Library for Employee Ownership
A project of the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University, CLEO is the largest online library for teaching materials on employee ownership, with more than 600 resources, including videos, case studies, syllabi, teaching modules, and reading collections to sort through and use in the classroom.
Certified EO
Marketing and certification program for employee-owned companies increasing transparency and awareness around employee-owned business models.
The ICA Group
A nonprofit that seeks to create and save jobs through the development and strengthening of employee-owned cooperatives and community-based projects. ICA provides a full range of business consulting and technical assistance services, education, and financing to clients working in or seeking to start worker-owned and community-based businesses.
The Center for Community-Based Enterprise
C2BE provides legal, financial, product-development, marketing, self-management, and worker-ownership-conversion expertise to create living-wage jobs through worker ownership in any of its forms, particularly among historically underserved populations in Detroit.
The Beyster Institute
The Beyster Institute at UC San Diego’s Rady School of Management works to advance the understanding and practice of employee ownership as an effective and responsible business model, focusing on education, research, and consulting to promote employee ownership and the creation of effective ownership cultures.
Ohio Center for Employee Ownership
A non-profit, university-based program established in 1987 to provide outreach, information, and preliminary technical assistance to Ohio employees and business owners interested in exploring employee ownership. The OEOC provides ownership training on a single and multi-company basis to existing employee-owned firms.
Ownership Transition Initiative
A partnership of Cooperative Development Institute, The Industrial Commons, Democracy at Work Institute, and Altus Exit Strategies CPA. Its Planning for Tomorrow video series is an excellent introduction to succession planning and the alternatives available for selling a business.
Sources of Information on Employee Stock Ownership Plans
National Center for Employee Ownership
A private, nonprofit membership and research organization that is a source of information on employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), broadly granted employee stock options and related programs, and ownership culture. A publisher and research source in the field, NCEO holds workshops and conferences, and provides services to thousands of members.
The ESOP Association
A national, non-profit association dedicated to employee ownership with a focus on ESOPs and employee ownership. The Association is a source of educational materials and meetings for management of employee-owned companies. The Association is an advocate before Congress and regulatory agencies for employee ownership laws.
The New England Chapter of the ESOP Association
A regional chapter of the ESOP Association, New England Chapter's primary activity is presenting a variety of programs during the year. Their workshops expose employees to a variety of topics, including ownership behavior and technical ESOP issues.
Sources of Information on Worker Cooperatives
Democracy at Worker Institute
A non-profit affiliated with the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives; they maintain a really great resource library that covers a wide range of issues faced by worker co-ops.
Becoming Employee Owned
An initiative of the Democracy at Work Institute aiming to expand worker ownership among historically underserved communities.
Cooperative Development Institute
A regional, non-profit dedicated to creating and sustaining democratically-owned, cooperative enterprises and networks in the Northeast. Its Business Ownership Solutions program is specifically focused on worker ownership.
US Federation of Worker Cooperatives
A regional chapter of the ESOP Association, New England Chapter's primary activity is presenting a variety of programs during the year. Their workshops expose employees to a variety of topics, including ownership behavior and technical ESOP issues.
Worker Cooperative Toolbox
Created by the Northcountry Cooperative Foundation to assist potential co-op members and their partners in choosing, planning, organizing, and supporting new and existing employee-owned cooperatives.
The University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives
Established in 1962 as the International Cooperative Training Center. Although international cooperative education remains a responsibility of UWCC, their programs now touch all types of domestic cooperatives.
Sources of Information on Employee Ownership Trusts
Deborah Groban Olson
Attorney who has built an extensive career specializing in creating and advising employee-owned companies and cooperatives, representing sellers, buyers, companies, unions, and trusts.
EOT Advisors
Financial services firm dedicated specifically to helping business owners sell to an Employee Ownership Trust.
Sources of Information on Specialized Financing
Cooperative Fund of the Northeast
CFNE is a community development loan fund that facilitates socially responsible investing in cooperatives, community-oriented nonprofits, and worker-owned businesses in New England and New York.
Kachuwa Impact Fund
Kachuwa is a democratically-owned and controlled investment cooperative and public benefit corporation which owns and operates real estate and invests in privately held companies. The fund aims to create positive impact while earning reasonable returns for its members.
Employee Ownership Catalyst Fund
An initiative of Project Equity, the Employee Ownership Catalyst Fund supports businesses throughout the US that need capital in order to finance an employee ownership conversion.
Apis & Heritage Legacy Fund
A private equity fund that buys closely-held businesses with significant workforces of color and converts them into 100% employee ownership, also providing support and training to the companies to set them up for future success.
ICA Fund for Jobs Worth Owning
The Fund for Jobs Worth Owning was created by the ICA Group, the oldest national organization dedicated to the development of worker cooperatives. Since 1977, ICA has launched dozens of worker-owned cooperatives and social enterprises, helped more than 40 companies convert to worker ownership, and created and preserved over 10,000 jobs.
Shared Capital Cooperative
Shared Capital Cooperative is a Minneapolis-St. Paul-based national loan fund and federally certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides financing to cooperative businesses and housing throughout the United States.
Local Enterprise Assistance Fund
LEAF is a non-profit CDFI founded in 1982 in Massachusetts. Its strategic areas for lending include healthy food, affordable housing, and economic inclusion, providing small, local businesses and worker cooperatives with capital and technical assistance.
Capital Impact Partners
In 1981, Capital Impact was born out of federal legislation to encourage co-op development, with a focus on how co-ops can better support communities living with low incomes. Capital Impact supports the growth of cooperatives, including housing, food, and worker co-ops, through its lending, grant funding, and capacity building efforts.