Are you a member of or organizing a cooperative or democratic collective in Detroit, Hamtramck, or Highland Park?

Are you interested in building solidarity and mutual support between other organizations/businesses practicing cooperative economics, towards our collective liberation?

Become a Member of CEND!

Join a network of groups and businesses that believe in building a community and worker-owned economy by working together.

CEND welcomes all Metro Detroit enterprises who fall under one or more of the following categories. Applicants must either fall into:

Member Category A: Fully operational as a co-operative; OR 

Member Category B: A developing co-op, or a business with 3 or more staff members actively seeking support to transition to a cooperative model

Member Category C: A democratic, values-aligned organization with 3 or more team members that participates in some form of pooling a community resource, collectivizing a community resource, or shared ownership and control of a community resource.

What are some of the benefits of CEND membership?

  • Become part of a community committed to supporting one another and sharing knowledge, help shape the future of CEND and join a movement of people working towards a community and worker-owned & controlled economy

  • Access to small grants up to twice annually from a fund sustained by member dues & support from DCWF

  • Get matched with other CEND members that can help your coop/organization solve a problem, meet an unmet need, fill a gap in your supply/production chain, or that align with the type of collaborations you all are looking for

  • Technical assistance

  • High priority access to non-extractive financing from the DCWF loan fund, which is administered by Seed Commons 

  • Access to a supportive network of co-ops and individuals with shared values, plus peer learning & resource-sharing opportunities, and support in creating symbiotic relationships and collaborations with other co-ops 

  • Assistance with forming or joining a union

  • Assistance with researching, enrolling in, and navigating health and retirement benefits

  • Education, mentorship, training, peer learning opportunities around topics such as business & financial literacy, co-op principles & the values of the solidarity economy movement, leadership development, communication & collective decision–making skills, open book management, project management support, strategy development, and more

  • Promotion and publicity, focused on creating access to new customers/participants that care about supporting co-ops

  • Access to electronic resources and planning templates in the Member Resource Library

Complete the form below and we will follow up with you shortly to schedule a 45-minute introduction & interview!