Mapping Connecticut’s Cooperatives
In the Fall of 2024, we’ve had the pleasure of working with Trinity College undergraduate student Makayla Cervantes through Trinity’s Community Learning Research Fellowship to conduct a survey, in English and Spanish, develop a comprehensive digital map and directory of cooperatives in Connecticut, and to gather essential information to further research, analysis, and policy advocacy.
The findings of this research project highlighted the importance of the work we are doing to bring co-ops and supporters across the state together to grow our local cooperative ecosystem through increasing access to information, education, skill based training, technical and material support, networking, and collaboration.
This map visually represents with collected responses from Cooperate Connecticut's Co-op Identification survey from the date Nov. 20th, 2024. If you would like to add your Connecticut cooperative to this map, please contact us.
Connecticut’s cooperative ecosystem needs support!
While this map does not fully captured the complete ecosystem of cooperatives in Connecticut, our research clearly indicates a need for:
Continued research to identify all cooperatives in the state, as well as the technical assistance providers who contributed to their creation and stability.
Advocacy for local and state-level policies that support cooperatives.
Public education around the role and importance of cooperatives in Connecticut’s economy.
Financing and investment in cooperatives!
More details from the report
Local & State-Level Policy
Connecticut’s cooperative ecosystem, while rooted in strong community-driven models, faces significant challenges that hinder its development. One critical gap is the absence of local and state-level policies supporting cooperatives. Unlike in a city like Madison, Wisconsin—where municipal funding and university partnerships have catalyzed cooperative growth—Connecticut lacks a coordinated strategy to integrate cooperatives into its economic development plans (City of Madison, n.d.).
Financing & Investment
Financing remains a persistent barrier for developing cooperatives in Connecticut. While cooperatives like Brookside and WFC have sustained operations through creative partnerships and community capital, the lack of access to cooperative-specific loan funds and patient capital limits their ability to scale. This issue demonstrates the need for innovative financial mechanisms, such as those observed in France and Italy, where cooperatives benefit from dedicated investment funds and tax incentives.
Public Education
Education is equally, if not more, important in shaping policy to support the cooperative business model within the state. Educational institutions in Connecticut have yet to fully embrace cooperative models as part of their curricula, missing an opportunity to cultivate entrepreneurial leadership and cooperative-specific expertise. In contrast, the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Cooperatives has been instrumental in integrating cooperatives into local economic strategies, providing a model for Connecticut to adopt and adapt (University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives 2024).
Let’s strengthen Connecticut’s cooperative ecosystem together!
Cooperate Connecticut is bringing co-ops and supporters across the state together overcome barriers and grow our local cooperative ecosystem through increasing access to information, education, skill based training, technical and material support, networking, and collaboration.
Stay Informed!
Sign up for our newsletter in order to stay informed on the latest news, resources, and opportunities for Connecticut’s co-ops and the co-op curious.
Get Involved!
Would you like to learn more or get involved in Cooperate Connecticut?
Join us for our upcoming Information Session to learn more about who we are, our upcoming programming, and how you can get involved!