Cooperative Development Fund of CDS

For four decades, CDS has been a vital convener and collaborator in our region's cooperative ecosystem. We've been a go-to resource, helping hundreds of cooperatives—of all sizes, and across agricultural, housing, worker, and food sectors—to develop their businesses, secure capital, and navigate challenges. The foundation of our approach is an unwavering belief that where cooperation is at work, communities prosper.

Cooperative Development Services (CDS) was created 40 years ago by the cooperative community of the Upper Midwest to strengthen existing co-ops and support the development of new co-ops. Our mission is to help people start and grow cooperative enterprises. We envision a world where people, working cooperatively and responsibly, achieve their economic and social well-being through organizations they own and control.

Food Access: We have a rich legacy with food co-ops, and deep expertise in capital access, organizational development, and governance of community-owned grocery stores. CDS staff and consultants also developed the startup model that has helped 180 food co-ops open in the last 20 years.
Agriculture: We research and promote local food networks that connect producers, co-ops, and communities and support entrepreneurs in building member-owned co-ops, including emerging farmers in niche markets.

This donation would specifically support our newly reinvigorated Small & Strong program, which focuses on small food co-ops, typically in rural Minnesota, that are resource constrained but are an important source of fresh and local food in their communities. Through Small & Strong, we provide training, peer networking, and business development to these small co-ops, helping them to address challenges, access capital, and better serve their communities.

Back in the late 1990s, co-op legend and pioneer Bill Gessner was part of CDS and helped Eastside's founders in their long work to open the co-op. In this, our 40th year, we would welcome the Eastside Food Co-op community's support to help us help "the little guys," much as Bill always did.