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Cooperation Buffalo is a community-led resource center, a team of cooperative business developers and educators, and a community-controlled non-extractive loan fund. We mobilize workers to achieve economic security through cooperative business ownership, generating wealth and power in communities most affected by inequality. Learn more

OUR IMPACT

We engage our community in training and education in cooperative economics and do work to grow economic democracy and an ecosystem of cooperatively owned enterprises in Buffalo.

We support the start-up of new worker cooperatives and conversions of existing businesses to worker ownership that meet the criteria of our Values Filter. We offer technical assistance to other cooperatives when we can.

We circulate capital to cooperatives in a non-extractive way through the Seed Commons Community Wealth Cooperative. We are also building out a local loan fund based on the Seed Commons principles.

Cooperation Buffalo is led by Buffalo cooperators: community members with experience launching and working in worker cooperatives, housing cooperatives, and community land trusts. Cooperatives that receive support from Cooperation Buffalo join the governance of the organization and the loan fund, participating in democratic decisions regarding loans, long-term strategy, and what services to provide.

 Join the movement for economic democracy: 

LEARN ABOUT COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS

START A WORKER COOPERATIVE

SELL YOUR BUSINESS TO ITS WORKERS

APPLY FOR A LOAN FOR YOUR CO-OP

Cooperation Buffalo is a member of Seed Commons

30+

Locally Rooted Member Funds

The Seed Commons community wealth cooperative gives the power of big finance to small, community-centered actors, creating a national network that makes local investments that serve people rather than extracting from them. Cooperation Buffalo is one of 30+ member funds.

100+

Non-Extractive Loans

We invest in marginalized communities that have faced the brunt of the extractive economy, deindustrialization, and systemic discrimination, making community-controlled finance available to cooperatively-owned businesses that create jobs, build wealth, and challenge inequality. 

$25M+

Invested In Cooperatives

Seed Commons takes in investment as a single fund, then shares that capital for local deployment by and for communities, lowering risk while increasing impact. Learn about our network of locally rooted member loan funds.

As of December 31, 2021

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