NYC Network of Worker Cooperatives Biannual Report: FY 2020 - FY 2021

RESOURCING OUR MOVEMENT

While our membership base increased in numbers, many sectors of the worker coop movement were on the frontlines of the health & economic crises of the past two years. Powered by our base of supporters and allies - we were able to reach new milestones to secure critical resources for our members, our coop businesses, and the wider coop ecosystem in NYC .

1. Emergent: Emergency Fundraising

In response to COVID-19, we conducted our first and largest fundraiser - the NYC Coop Emergency Fund, which launched April 2020. With $104,500, NYC NoWC was able to:

Distribute $500 to 160 immigrant worker-owners in NYC who did not receive state relief | That’s $80,000 directly in the hands of all NYC worker-owners who requested funds, and are committed to strengthening the local cooperative ecosystem and setting a precedent for solidarity economics, globally! Of the 162 recipients:

• 100% are immigrants
• 93% are women
• 75% are caregivers to children or elders
• 75% lost work since COVID-19

Sustained emergent administrative work to sustain what became 200+ hours of NYC NoWC staff time, NYC NoWC collected 8% of donations. That’s $8,350 to enable the behind-the-scenes work such as:

• assessing needs from members
• processing payment methods that were accessible to members
• updating communications and processing infrastructures
• maintaining correspondence with members

Secured funds for cooperative futures Thanks to the grassroots power of our network, we succeeded our goal by $16,040. With this abundance, we moved money to directly support worker coop businesses through expanding the number of coop grants and resources we were able to offer during our 2021 fiscal year.

2. Co-op Resource Programs

In addition to supporting worker coop individuals, NYC NoWC adapted and institutionalized our three key member resources to support worker coops:

MENTORSHIP PROGRAM  helps pair NYC worker cooperatives with experienced small business leaders and industry experts to coach and troubleshoot issues around growing and pivoting your business. We provide mentors a $1,500 stipend to support the cooperatives through a 5 month period to reach their respective goals.

• FY20 Recipients: It Takes a City, Ecomundo, Artisan Sewing Cooperative, Sunlight Ecoservices, Love and Learn, Mi Oh My Farms, Nannybee
• FY21 Recipients: GrooveVSN, Bronx Clay, Nannybee, Algarabía Coop

Cooperative Sustainability Fund covers up to $2000 for a specific service provider. Overall, this fund serves as a flexible grant opportunity whereby coops can identify the support & solutions they need to keep their businesses sustainable.

Starting FY20, we recognized the need to adapt to the demands of our members. With an overwhelming interest in this fund over others - we moved Emergency Funds (as well as budgets originally for Principle 6 & Mentorship) to support this fund so we share more resources with more coops.

• FY20 Co-op Recipients: BKLYN Cleaning Cooperative, Training Collective, Cards by Dé, It Takes a City, Nannybee, Ecomundo, Ampled, Custom Collaborative, Sunlight Ecoservices, Maharlika Cleaning Cooperative, Trusty Amigos, City Roots Contractors Guild, Trainers Collective, Meerkat Media, Third Root Cooperative
• In summary: Through this program, we moved $11,625.00 directly toward 7 coops, with 60% receiving services from fellow worker co-ops.
• FY21 Co-op Recipients: Apple Eco Cleaning, Ecomundo Cleaning, Trainers Collective, En Camino Media, Bioclassic Cleaning, Progressive Cleaning Solutions, Brooklyn Packers, Bronx Clay, RAFT Coop, Hopewell Care, Brightly, Pa'lante Cleaning, Breadfruit, Happy Family Night Market
• In summary: We moved $26,229 directly toward 14 coops, with 81% receiving services from fellow worker co-ops.

3. Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative (WCBDI)

As the backbone organization, NYC NoWC plays a critical role in coordinating to secure the Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative. With the passage of the initiative in 2014, New York City became the first city in the country to receive municipal investment towards worker cooperative development organizations. Since then, NYC NoWC have advocated effectively to grow the Initiative over the years under NYC City Council discretionary spending — a sum of money in the City’s expense budget that the Council or Council Members are able to allocate to eligible nonprofit organizations on a year by year basis.

Like many other important community services, WCBDI too was subject to the austerity measures that accompanied COVID-19. In fact, as an initiative, we saw a 15% cut– totaling $541,350 for the initiative as whole, and $89,598 for NYC NOWC, – which impacted the resources and services of 13 organizations across the previous fiscal year from July 2020-June 2021.

As the backbone organization leading the coordination of said initiative, it has been an eventful two years for NYC NoWC to say the least. However, after a year of NYC NoWC advocacy under budget cuts, we are pleased to report that WCBDI funding has been restored to the pre-COVID award, and even enhanced by a small amount for this current fiscal year from July 2021-June 2022. That means full support has been restored to initiative partners –including NYC NoWC, Green Worker Cooperatives, ICA Group, Democracy at Work Institute, Urban Upbound, Take Root Justice, CUNY Law, Business Outreach Center, Bronx Cooperative Development Institute, Center for Family Life, The Working World, Workers Justice Project and CAMBA.

Together as an initiative, we aim to continue to advocate for the rightful resources needed to deepen and strengthen our worker coop movement.

ADVOCACY

In order to advance futures where frontline worker coops have what they need to survive and thrive, NYC NoWC drives advocacy efforts that demand bolder commitments to a solidarity economy from our city officials & movements for justice. As a member-led organization, these efforts are grounded by our base, namely through our Advocacy Council.

1. Advocacy Council

Advocacy Council is an elected body of worker owners selected by NYC cooperatives. Trained in advocacy and policy for the worker coop movement, members move on to participate in critical city & state policy spaces & organizing.

From FY20-21, NYC NoWC did not hold elections in light of the pandemic and the cancellation of our annual member gatherings where elections are normally held. This provided an opportunity to deepen our relationships and invest in cohorts whereby we:

1. increased hourly rates to $25/hr for the labor AC members
2. provided home-stipend & training to ensure digital access in the transition from in-person to remote meetings
3. deepened our relationships within the cohort and across a number of emergent campaigns advancing our local solidarity economy.

See our latest Advocacy Council members here!

2. Campaign Work

The Advocacy Council members are bringing solidarity economy principles to critical movement spaces across NYC and NY state.

• NY Budget Justice |  Local & national coalition of over 200 organizations that demanda $1B cut of the NYPD's expense budget and the reallocation of those monies to core service programs and infrastructure for Black, Latinx and other communities of color.
• Campaign for NY Health | Statewide coalition dedicated to passing and implementing legislation for universal healthcare in New York State.
• Greenlight New York | Statewide campaign to ensure equal access to driver’s licenses, regardless of immigration status. 🎉Win
• #CancelRent: NY Housing Justice for All | A statewide movement of tenants and homeless New Yorkers united in our fight for housing as a human right.
• Equity Agenda | Solutions-oriented coalition & platform to transform how New York State approaches economic development policy, by putting people before profit and communities before corporations.
• United Small Business NYC | a coalition of community organizations across New York City fighting to protect small businesses and non-residential tenants from the threat of displacement, with a focus on owner-operated, minority-run businesses that serve low-income and minority communities.
• Start SMART NY – (Sensible Marijuana Access through Regulated Trade) | campaign dedicated to ending marijuana prohibition in New York state. 🎉Win: With the passage of MRTA, marijuana became legal in NY State. With this came the passage of 10 licenses, including the first cooperative license in the country, to cultivate, process, and manufacture.
• Fund Excluded Workers (FEW) Coalition | a campaign of over 200 New York advocacy groups 🎉Win: After one year of actions across the state, we won a first-in-the-nation $2.1 billion Excluded Workers Fund!

3. NYC’s Future is Cooperative: A Policy Platform for and By Worker Cooperatives

With the anchoring support of Advocacy Council & key partners, we celebrated the launch of NYC’s Future is Cooperative: A Policy Platform for and By Worker Cooperatives.

The policy platform explores five key areas related to:

• Direct Financial Support
• Space & Infrastructure
• Education & Technical Assistance
• City Procurement &
• Movements for Racial & Immigrant Justice

Grounded in our relationships with our base of coops and supporters of the solidarity movement, we released this platform on the eve of local elections with the endorsements of over 60 partners including worker coops, organizations, and local candidates.

See our policy website to learn more.