If you are interested in starting or supporting a cooperative, here are publications and organizations that may help!
Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs Cooperative Publications
Rural Research Reports
- Community Supported Businesses: Grassroots Entrepreneurship (2015)
- The Cooperative Business Model as an Economic Development Tool: Lessons from Nebraska (2014)
Other IIRA reports
- Patterns of Local Intergovernmental Cooperation in Illinois School Districts (2014)
- Legal Structures for Investment Cooperatives in Illinois (2016)
- Bibliography of Cooperatives and Cooperative Development (2012)
- Directory of Closed-Membership Producer Cooperatives (2007)
Other Cooperative publications
- Democracy at Work Institute resource library
- Democracy Collaborative – Community-Wealth.org project
- eXtension.org cooperatives page
- US Small Business Administration (SBA) cooperatives page
- USDA Publications for Cooperatives
- UW Center for Cooperatives Resources
Cooperative Organizations
Cooperative development centers & related organizations
- Illinois Cooperative Development Center
- Cooperative Development Foundation
- Indiana Cooperative Development Center
- Iowa Alliance for Cooperative Business Development
- Keystone Development Center (PA)
- Nebraska Cooperative Development Center
- Ohio Employee Ownership Center
- UW Center for Cooperatives (WI)
- CooperationWorks!
Cooperative councils for Illinois & neighboring states
- Illinois Cooperative Council
- Mid America Cooperative Council (IL, IN, KY, MI, & OH)
- Cooperative Network (WI & MN)
- Iowa Institute for Cooperatives
- Missouri Institute of Cooperatives
Other Illinois & national cooperative sector organizations
- Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives
- Illinois Credit Union League
- Midwest Association of Housing Cooperatives
- Credit Union National Association
- National Association of Federal Credit Unions
- National Association of Housing Cooperatives
- National Cooperative Business Association
- National Co-op Grocers
- National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
- National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
- National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA)
- US Federation of Worker Cooperatives