The Georgia Cooperative Development Center and the Organization for Human Rights and Democracy present Co-op Social.  The gathering opens discussion on how to access funds​ to all business types and cooperators to capitalize your cooperative or small business.   The Co-op Social will be held Saturday April 26, 10am -12pm at the Ke’nekt Coffee House Cooperative located at 1492 Ralph… Read more: Join us as we connect, network, educate, and cultivate co-ops throughout Georgia at our first Co-op Social of the year!

Reflections and Looking Ahead! It’s hard to believe another year has past. But here we are at the start of a new year with new plans, new hopes, and a new vision to move us forward. We had a great year and accomplished our goals. We also helped to support the launch of 3 new… Read more: Happy New Year Co-op Family!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Georgia Co-op Academy this year. We had an awesome slate of cooperative educators who lead 26 participants on the journey of creating a co-op, utilizing the business model canvas and Start.Coop’s ownership model canvas! We were joined by Mavery Davis of New West Virginia and Financial Literacy Bootcamp,… Read more: Congratulations to Georgia Academy Graduates!

Are you a co-op leader in the cooperative movement? Are you committed to empowering the next generation of co-op visionaries and innovators for the new economy? We’re now accepting sponsors for our Fall Georgia Co-op Academy! Give us a call at 770.284.0042 or email us at info@georgiacoopdc.org to learn more! Course Details Here Course Modules… Read more: Together We Grow : Registration for Georgia Co-op Academy is Now Open! Register Now!

At Georgia Co-op Development Center, wherever possible, we believe in finding win-win-win solutions. For Co-op Month we’re practicing more P6 that’s Cooperative Principle 6 or “Cooperation Among Cooperatives”. We’ve assembled a list of Georgia co-ops, and partner nonprofits, below who we love and are part of the vibrant growing co-op movement and new economy. Join… Read more: #ShopCoop Georgia Co-ops!

We did it! with your support, Matthew Epperson, and the GCDC family we did it! We were awarded RCDG grant of $70K!  Back in 2021, our former ED, Matthew Epperson wrote 40+ pages of grant narrative for GCDC’s fiscal year 2021-22 USDA Rural Co-op Development Grant (RCDG) and it wasn’t for nothing. It’s going to… Read more: USDA’s Rural Co-op Development Grant and GCDC

Many like to say “we don’t need to reinvent the wheel”, to suggest the borrowing of something that already exists, and works. In “co-op land” this is sometimes called “P6’ing” (in reference to the international cooperative 6th principle of cooperation among cooperatives), and I’ve recently coined another useful phrase for it when it’s coming from… Read more: Co-op Academy Coming Soon!

Y’all, happy new year. In the wake of multiple pandemics, from racism to COVID-19, wild fires, women of color flipping Georgia Blue, a Christmas Day bomber, and so much more, it’s definitely time for a breath, some tea (or wine) and reflection. If you’d indulge me, I’d like to reflect some on my perspective on… Read more: 2020 Recap

Join us for a fun and interactive webinar, hosted by Georgia Cooperative Development Center Board Director and Founding Board Director of the Georgia Center for Employee Ownership, Tom Strong. The topic will be how to use open-book management techniques to manage cash flow in crisis (such as COVID-19). Maintaining positive cash flow is crucial to… Read more: Cash Flow Management Free Webinar Tues 5/19 8:00 PM EST

The Up & Coming Food Co-op conference is a wonderful annual gathering of peer startup food cooperators from across the US, all focused on supporting each other in working toward opening new community owned grocery stores. 2020 was no exception to this, and for my first year attending, I had a blast! Hosted by the… Read more: Up & Coming Food Co-op Conference 2020 & GCDC!

Happy new year, world! Out with 2019, in with 2020, and for Georgia Cooperative Development Center, we have a new mailing address. Going forward, please use: Georgia Cooperative Development Center c/o Audrey Griffin 315 College St. Carrollton, GA 30117 We have discontinued use of the PO Box 307 in Athens, GA, and will be unreachable… Read more: New Year, New Mailing Address

The Georgia Cooperative Development Center exists to help co-op businesses in Georgia succeed, whether they are startups or existing businesses. We started our nonprofit organization because we saw that there was a need: people wanted to start co-ops, or grow their existing co-op, but they didn’t know where to turn for help. We knew there… Read more: 2019 in Reflection

You are invited to join Georgia Cooperative Development Center for an evening webinar Tuesdsay, December 17th at 7 PM EST. Our topic will be our 2019 Georgia Co-op Needs Assessment: Findings and Takeaways. You can RSVP by emailing us at Matthew@georgiacoopdc.org. This will be an hour webinar, completely free, though of course donations are appreciated… Read more: Needs Assessment Webinar Tues. Dec 17th, 7 PM EST

Georgia Cooperative Development Center, in partnership with Florida Cooperative Empowered Economic Development and La Liga de Cooperativas de Puerto Rico submitted a proposal “Youth-Owned, Worker-Run: the Future Cooperative Business Leaders of the US South” which was accepted, and is getting a shoutout for this year’s Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy! Our session will focus on youth worker co-op development in… Read more: We’re Going to Baltimore!

Check out Executive Director Matthew Epperson presenting Georgia Cooperative Development Center for 1 Million Cups Athens on May Day 2019. 1MC is a project of the Kaufman Foundation, which believes that it takes a million cups of coffee to successfully launch a new business. In this video, Matthew details some of the history of both… Read more: 1 Million Cups Presentation for Georgia Co-op Development Center

By Matthew Epperson, Executive Director, Georgia Cooperative Development Center, 4/8/2019 GCDC was invited to the inaugural network gathering of the Southern Reparations Loan Fund (SRLF). SRLF has been an active loan fund in the South for a few years, helping to finance 4 projects to date: the Renaissance Community Co-op in Greensboro, NC, Rebel Threads… Read more: Southern Reparations Loan Fund — Germinate!

Post by Matthew Epperson, Executive Director, Georgia Cooperative Development Center, 4/7/2019 January is a cold month, even in Georgia, and it leaves much room for grimacing and other displeased facial expressions. But take one look at the faces in the photos from SJS 2019 and you’ll see, this was a positively uplifting experience for many,… Read more: Athens Social Justice Symposium 2019 – Stand, Speak, Act!

When buying your holiday gifts this year KEEP IT LOCAL! Head over to our full post to learn more about the first annual Georgia Co-op Holiday Market at Creature Comforts Brewery (271 W Hancock Ave, Athens, GA 30601), Sunday November 25th, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, “Solidarity Sunday”, from 1 – 6pm.

Southern Journeys LLC, a worker-owned sewing company, connects skill, craft and cultural practice to basic needs and basic needs to collective resourcefulness and capacity. The members of Southern Journeys represent a long and revered tradition of hard-working, enterprising women, mothers, community leaders and activists. Southern rural Black communities have survived and thrived due not only… Read more: Co-op Stories: Southern Journeys Collective by Sarah Bobrow-Williams

One of the initial questions for a group forming a cooperative in Georgia is whether the cooperative should be legally organized in Georgia or in another state.  This question most often comes up because Georgia, unlike some other states, has limited options for legally organizing cooperatives.  While other states may have specific statutes for forming… Read more: Legal Corner: In What State Should We Organize Our Co-op? by Roland Hall, Autry, Hall & Cook, LLP

Thank you to everyone who attended our kick-off last night! We look forward to working with y’all towards a more cooperative and just Georgia! Special thanks to Yolande Tomlinson, Gift Economy, Incatepec, and Cicada Rhythm for helping us make this event a success!