In the late 1970's NASCO, once again, focused some of its efforts on the federal government. Along with many other cooperative groups in the late 1970's, NASCO assisted in lobbying for the federal legislation which created the National Co-op Bank (NCB). Such efforts by NASCO and the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) finally resulted in the National Consumer Cooperative Bank Act of 1978.
As a result of our help in passing the Act, the Co-op Bank contracted with NASCO to develop a board training program for the rapidly growing food cooperative sector. In the early 1980s, NASCO became the primary trainer in this area, with one staff member spending almost all of their time on the road. Food co-op members also were a very large percentage of those attending the annual NASCO Institute.
NASCO renewed its lobbying efforts when low-interest student housing loans were again made available by the federal government in 1977 and 1978, after having been cut in 1972. NASCO ensured that funding was made available for student cooperatives and several millions of dollars in subsidized rehabilitation loans were made at this time.
