By Hazel Corcoran
- Finance 201
- Board meeting/mixer
- JEDDI committee
- Conference 2025
CWCF was pleased to have members from several of our worker co-ops participate in Part I of our recent webinar, Worker Co-op Finance 201. Our presenter, experienced co-op developer Russ Christianson, reviewed the participating co-ops’ financial statements and helped them to understand what aspects of ratio analysis would be helpful to better understand their financial situation and to develop management strategies to improve their co-ops. The webinar was a great learning opportunity for all who attended, with one participant observing that “understanding how financials are crucial to co-op business survival & development is easier than one might think when provided with the right information, tools and training.” We look forward to providing further such support during Part II of this webinar in September, and for those who weren’t able to join us this time, we hope to offer Finance 201 again next year.
CWCF’s Board gathered in Montreal last month for our annual in-person meeting, planning for the coming year and meeting with members of the city’s vibrant co-op community at a successful mixer held in collaboration with Reseau Co-op at one of CWCF’s members, Coop BMP. With CWCF’s shift to in-person Conferences every other year, these mixers remain a great way to connect face-to-face and strengthen our ties within the broader movement.
CWCF’s upcoming Conference will offer additional opportunities for networking, as well as the usual compelling speakers and workshops. We received a variety of submissions to our initial call for presenters, and will be working to finalize our program over the coming months. We are excited to feature Juliet ‘Kego Ume-Onyido as our keynote speaker, and know that her presence will make for a kickoff not to miss.
CWCF’s JEDDI Committee remains hard at work, meeting regularly to fulfill our 2025 Action Plan. We recently awarded several racial justice project grants (more information is available here) and look forward to the varied contributions the grantees will make towards a more just and equitable worker co-op movement. The research project underway to identify barriers facing co-ops led by equity-denied groups is another important step in this direction.
Wishing you all a safe and relaxing summer.