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The Co-op Clinic is the USFWC's technical assistance and training program for worker co-ops. Co-op Clinic provides culturally-affirming services to worker cooperatives and traditional businesses converting to worker-ownership. We do this through our trained staff and a network of Peer Advisors, primarily composed of current or former worker-owners.
Though we can support you in all-around small business areas, we specialize in technical assistance that cooperatives need, specifically: decision-making, co-op finances, boards, bylaws and more.
Our staff and peer advisors can help you…
- Create a roadmap for starting or converting to a cooperative.
- Find the right structure and governance for your democratic workplace.
- Get training in cooperative finances.
- Become loan ready.
- Finish your business plan.
- Create policies that work for your team.
- AND MORE!
Learn More
Complete this short Request Support form, which allows you to instantly book a 30 minute intake meeting with staff.
Lots more info in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) (opens in a new window), and don’t forget to check out the Peer Advisor and Staff Bios, and the Packages and Pricing in the sections below, which can serve as a starting place to find what you need.
- Drafting Bylaws
- Drafting Articles
- Roles and Responsibility for Boards
- Board basics
- Rights & Responsibilities, Decision Clarity
- Strategic planning and member engagement
- Good Meetings and Facilitation
Human Resources
- Development of Accountability Systems
- Communication/Coaching
- Onboarding & Orientation
- Conflict Resolution Training
Financial
- Setting up chart of accounts and accounting filing system
- Providing a draft Bookkeeping Manual
- Setting up Payroll and HR Policies
- Consulting with end of year tax accountant
- Accounting facilitation and training
- Open Book Management
- Help in applying for Loan Financing
- Using Project Management Tools
- CRM tools
- Social Media Tools
- Video editing tools
Marketing
- Digital Marketing and Social Media Strategy
- Brand Strategy and identity
- Business development (market making)
Start-up Support
- Business Model Development
- Business Plans
- Feasibility Studies
- Governance
- Worker Co-op 101
Next level support
- Project Management Training
- Anti Oppression Training
- Preventing Board Burn Out
Our professional and culturally competent Peer Advisors are here to provide you with high-quality technical assistance based on their lived experience working in and developing cooperative businesses.
See the full list of peer advisors here.
Co-op Clinic Staff:
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- Maureen Darras [EN/ES] she/her | Co-op Clinic Training Manager |maureen [at] usworker [dot] coop
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- Matt Feinstein [EN/ES] he/him | Co-op Clinic Technical Assistance Manager | clinic [at] usworker [dot] coop
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- eli tizcareño – [EN/ES] they/them | Director of Education and Training
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- Camila Tapia-Guilliams – [EN] they/them | Training and Education Coordinator | camila [at] usworker [dot] coop
The Co-op Clinic hosts a free monthly Worker Co-op Startup Webinar to help guide the initial process of launching a new Worker Co-op business. Register for our monthly Startup Webinar and other Co-op Clinic webinars at usworker.coop/calendar
For Startup webinar recordings, mini guides and more information, visit our Startup Resources Page.
Our technical assistance services are fee-for-service at a sliding scale rate with discounts available for USFWC members. Pro-bono services are offered when funds are available, particularly for eligible rural areas. Please contact clinic@usworker.coop for more information.
If you’re a USFWC Developer Member or Federation Partner, we’re already looking out for clients to refer your way. If you’re not, consider joining USFWC. Either way, we’re happy to discuss how we can collaborate. Some ideas for collaboration:
- Joint application for workforce development or industry focused funds to support affordable / pro-bono TA to low resource communities.
- Cross-promote our educational events (Reach our Comms team direct messaging USWFC on social media or emailing comms@usworker.coop)
- Shared clients bringing in our unique specialties to the project.
- Co-op Developer networking events with new co-op development tool sharing and troubleshooting sessions.
Please reach out here (clinic@usworker.coop) or set up a meeting with staff to discuss potential collaboration.
Here are some specific benefits of working with Co-op Clinic:
- There are many strengths of the peer to peer model, such as finding advisors with the necessary industry experience.
- In larger co-op development efforts such as municipal projects, Peer Advisors could have an early role showing successful co-ops and later role in specialized TA offerings.
- USFWC’s Co-op Clinic has a national reach.
- USFWC staff and Peer Advisors have a high level of cultural competency and experience in anti-oppression work.
Check out the Staff and Peer Advisor bios and the Packages section to see what we offer. We appreciate any referrals you send our way. Please refer people to this page, usworker.coop/clinic or our email clinic@usworker.coop.
Co-op Clinic Mini Guides
Check out these short guides on the fundamentals of worker ownership prepared by the USFWC’s Co-op Clinic. For more topical guides on conflict, accountability, structure, financing, membership fees, funding for technical assistance, boards and more, visit our worker cooperatives mini guides page here.
Latest Webinar Recordings from the Co-op Clinic
Quotes from Co-op Clinic clients
“Our Peer Advisor had a thorough understanding of cooperatives & best practices for tracking patronage.”
“Our Peer Advisor was so energetic and deeply thoughtful about the topics we wanted to cover. They had a lot of great experience that related to our operations since we are in manufacturing and they worked in a co-op that was production-based. In addition to bringing up relatable experiences and sharing tools they had used in the past, they pushed us to think about our work in new radical and anti-oppressive ways.”
“We gained good connections in the world of financing and gained a better understanding of what documents financial institutions need in order to consider our business for loans.”
“As people who are pretty new to co-ops, Co-op Clinic did a good job helping us understand some co-op basics & helped us imagine how these bylaws would play out in real life.”
“Our Peer Advisor work was intentional and caring and she never lost sight of the goal once it was created.”
“The advising was perfect. Our advisor really created a great space for our collective to think new ideas through. The main thing this clinic did for us was to even get us thinking about how we handle conflict and how we would like to better handle conflict. We have been quite conflict avoidant and this clinic helped us see we could be healthy about conflict when it arises. At other co-ops I worked where we had clinics like this, there were some facilitators who made a lot of incorrect assumptions about groups as a whole (very off putting). We felt that our advisor from Co-op Clinic made no assumptions and truly made room for all of our diversity. It was so refreshing and real. Thank you!”