NASCO Institute 2025

We have much to learn from the rich history and vibrant energy of cooperatives (including credit unions) from across the spectrum: large and small, established and emerging, near and far. At the close of the United Nations 2025 International Year of Cooperatives, we'll explore a model that demonstrates global presence and local impact through the power and purpose of member ownership, control, and benefit--and the particular impact of P5 (Principle 5: Education, Training, & Information) x P6 (Principle 6: Cooperation Among Cooperatives). 

This workshop is for white folks interested in learning more about the internal work to make our multiracial co-ops more liberatory, antiracist spaces. Cooperators are great people! And we also operate in a world that has been systemically warped by racism, and our cooperative organizations are not immune to this. In this workshop we will explore the dominant white cultural values that can creep into the way we operate as individuals and as organizations. We'll then look at transformative antiracist values and how we can apply those to our lives and work within co-ops.

We Can Fix This: Repairing Harm & Resourcing Resilience in Our Co-ops is a participatory workshop exploring how to build a cooperative "home" that supports culture, transformative justice, and collective healing. Using home maintenance analogies—like mold, pest control, and foundational flood damage—we’ll explore how to assess and address conflict, structural harm, and deferred relational maintenance.

This session will provide a look into the history, organizational structure and cooperative management model of CSI Support & Development, a national non-profit organization that provides affordable housing communities for seniors. 

Explore the idea of cooperative land trusts and collective ownership models through two real-life examples: NASCO Properties and the newly formed Michigan Community Land Cooperative. This innovative model has both incredible potential for growth and expansion in the cooperative movement as well as a proven point of success where it has been attempted already. 

by Maggie O'Connor; Rowan Price 

Conflict is difficult under even ideal conditions. We never seem to be working with ideal conditions. In this facilitated conversation we will explore the ways conflict is informed by systemic oppression and discuss what can be done about it. Most importantly, be prepared to be uncomfortable.

This session will not cover foundational conflict process and skills. For those components please see Finely Tuned Conflict Process.

Conflict and Oppression PDF

Incorporation is the process of taking your idea of a co-op and making it into a legal entity that can own property, take out loans, and enter into contracts. But there are often many choices that can stymie a group's progress: Corporation or LLC? Which tax-exemptions do we want? We will discuss the why and how of incorporating a co-op, with particular attention to creating bylaws for new organizations.

Presentation by West Foster

Grants can be a powerful tool for growing your cooperative, but jumping into the world of fundraising without the right preparation can lead to frustration and wasted time. In this session, you'll learn how to assess whether your co-op is ready to apply for grants, what foundational materials and systems you'll need in place, and how to start the grant-seeking process with confidence. We'll also explore how to identify funders who are aligned with cooperative values and how to spot red flags when they aren’t.

“Co-ops are practical, not perfect” and as an entity, they can often get caught up with an expectation to be a utopian alternative to capitalist structures. Through a discussion of learned experiences, this session aims at providing an honest lens into managing collective work and lateral power, creating systems that empower cooperative workers in ways that make every individual feel heard, while keeping the expectations of what it means to be in a cooperative realistic, restorative, and hopeful.

In times of instability, building intentional and inclusive community spaces becomes more critical than ever. Drawing from lived experiences in education, community organizing, and civic engagement, this session explores how cooperatives can use intersectionality, call-in practices, and safer space frameworks to create sustainable and just housing ecosystems. We will examine practical strategies for navigating conflict, centering marginalized voices, and fostering accountability while maintaining compassion.