What does SACCO mean in UNCLASSIFIED

The Southern Appalachian Center for Cooperative Ownership (SACCO) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and advocating for cooperative ownership in the South. Our mission is to empower people from all different backgrounds to create and sustain cooperatively-owned businesses, share resources, and create opportunities for economic development and social justice.

We work with communities throughout the South to develop and support cooperatively-owned businesses that can provide new job opportunities, access to shared resources, viable economic activities, and more. We also provide education, training, and other support services to help these businesses thrive. Finally, we advocate on behalf of cooperatives at local, state, and federal levels so that our members get the recognition they deserve as part of a movement towards greater economic and social equity.

A cooperative business is an enterprise owned by members of a community who share an equal say in the decisions that affect their business. Cooperatives often provide essential goods or services to their members at an equitable price while creating employment opportunities within their communities. Cooperatives have been around for centuries in many different forms; from agricultural cooperatives operating in rural areas to housing co-ops providing shelter in urban centers.

There are many examples of successful cooperative ownerships around the world! Examples include ACE Hardware stores in India where farmers joined forces to take control of their marketplace; Mondragon Cooperative Corporation headquartered in Spain which has over 150 separate business units; Worker-Owned Green Cleaning companies like PUENTE based out of Los Angeles; and Park Slope Food Coop located in New York City with over 20,000 member-owners!

Anyone who supports our mission can become a member of SACCO! This includes individuals interested in learning more about existing coops or starting their own coop business as well as organizations looking for more information or guidance on working with cooperatives. We currently serve 10 southern states - Alabama, Arkansas, Florida Georgia, Kentucky Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee - but we welcome members from any region who may wish to join us!

Yes! We offer educational materials such as our "Cooperative Basics" booklet which provides an overview on what it takes to create and sustain coops, as well as various online trainings led by our staff via Zoom or webinar platforms. Trainings cover topics such as financial sustainability for cooperatives start-ups/restructuring models/governance structures/business plans/and more!

At SACCO we prioritize working closely with stakeholders throughout every step of process so that no one feels left behind during transitions into cooperative ownership model -- be it educating stakeholders on existing success stories throughout US history or facilitating exclusive one-on-one organizational analyses tailored specifically to specific needs every stakeholder has unique ideas they'd like incorporated into design/implementation plan --so only solution customized based off multiple perspectives will really guarantee success initaitve pursued.

You can volunteer your time or make contributions financially! Our volunteers usually assist us with projects like research & development on existing coops or developing new initiatives such as online courses & trainings. Financial donations are always welcome too but even small contributions like spreading awareness about what we do make sure everyone accessing internet knows about how valuable tool cooperation offers communities rest South & beyond.