Fostering community economic development primarily through the cooperative business model since 1979!

NWCDC is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3), organization devoted to assisting new and existing cooperative businesses, from daycare centers to credit unions.

NWCDC primarily supports cooperatives in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho but has also supported projects as far away as Alaska and Hawai’i.  Founded by cooperatives in 1979, the Center has grown into the Northwest’s leading provider of services for co-op business development.  We have a long history of collaborating with communities, governments, economic development agencies and other cooperatives, sharing expertise and building cross-sector support for new and existing cooperatives

We understand that when consumers, producers or workers become business owners of a cooperative, their individual and collective responsibilities greatly increase.  New owners face significant challenges to organize, get started and stay on track with a new cooperative business.

To help with these challenges, NWCDC provides facilitation, advising, analysis and access to information and tools for cooperatives.  Our pre-development work with startups helps to build business ownership, sound management practices, and economic health.

NWCDC is an active member of the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA), and CooperationWorks!, the cooperative development network, and the US Federation of Workers Cooperatives (USFWC)