last updated 07/1/2020 9:45am ET / 8:45am CT / 6:45am PT
To our members and the wider cooperative community. We are thinking about you and strategizing about how best to support your businesses and people during the evolving situation. We know that at this point, many of us are receiving information from a multitude of sources, which can feel overwhelming. The USFWC is actively working to curate resources for your businesses to access in the easiest way possible.
We know this is a critical time, and that having organized resources at your fingertips will make a difference in your planning. We encourage all of our members, partners, and allies to prepare their workers and track their losses so that it is as easy as possible to access relief assistance. We will be here along the way to inform, organize, strategize and fight back. We will update information on this page regularly, so be sure to check back for updates.
Do you have resources or samples you would like to share? Do you have a plan for your cooperative you think other coops could benefit from? Please e-mail them to covid19@usworker.coop.
With solidarity and care,
The U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives team
This online folder includes guidance for business owners, posters, and emergency planning checklists.
Have a question that you don't see here? Email us at covid19@usworker.coop
Worker Co-ops during COVID-19
- How is your co-op pivoting during this crisis?
- What is your team doing to adapt and connect?
- Did you receive relief funding through the SBA or otherwise?
Share your experiences with us, to aid the USFWC's advocacy efforts and programming.
Here's a list of needs and offers from our USFWC members across the country.
Have an opportunity to add? Add it here.
Click here to read the report Worker Co-ops: Weathering the Storm of COVID-19 and Beyond
Quick Resources
- July 1, 11am-12pm ET/10-11am CT PPP Changes for Business Webinar by Wegner CPAs
CooperationWorks! Office Hours
CooperationWorks! members are offering daily office hours on Zoom, so co-ops across the country can log on and consult with a real live co-op developer in this time of crisis. CW will hold office hours by appointment. If you are a member of a cooperative business looking for assistance and advice on surviving the pandemic, please join their office hours.
- COVID-19 and the Cooperative Business Community | NCBA CLUSA
- Managing your finances during a crisis | Shared Capital Cooperative / NCBA CLUSA / USFWC / Southern Federation of Cooperatives / NCB
- COVID-19 Business Q&A | Wegner CPAs
- COVID-19 Response Call | Network of Bay Area Worker Cooperatives (NoBAWC )
- Disability considerations during #COVID19 | World Health Organization
- Coronavirus and Employment Law | Dorsey & Whitney LLP
- Coronavirus and Contract Performance | Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Cooperative Development Foundation Disaster Fund
The Disaster Recovery Fund helps cooperatives and cooperators get back on their feet after disasters or other emergency hardship situations.
Emergency Loan Fund | Shared Capital Cooperative
Is your co-op facing challenges due to COVID-19 business disruption or closure? Shared Capital is offering emergency loans to cooperatives.
Cooperative Fund of New England | COVID-19 Co-op Emergency Fund & Resources
The Cooperative Fund of New England is making available a $1M Emergency Cooperative Enterprise Relief Loan Fund for cooperatives in New England and parts of New York State who are seeing a dramatic loss of customers and revenue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are also offering a 60-day suspension of payments to our borrowers that are at highest risk and greatest need. If your co-op is struggling as a result of the pandemic, please reach out to us. To support the fund, donate here or request a prospectus.
Find our COVID-19 FAQ for Cooperatives Here for Information about PPP and EIDL
Applications for the Paycheck Protection program are closed. HOWEVER, on June 30, the Senate passed an extension for the PPP until August 8. We anticipate the PPP application will reopen once the extension passes through the House of Representatives and is signed by the President. If you hope to receive PPP funds, work with your lender to prepare your application for when the application reopens.
Is your lender unfamiliar with worker co-ops? Here's a few resources from the USFWC:
- USFWC Lender and Provider Guide for Worker Co-op Support during COVID-19
- Letter to clarify eligibility of cooperatives for the EIDL and PPP
- Letter to support workplaces whose workers report earnings using the Schedule K-1 or Form 1099
The Small Business Owner’s Guide to the CARES Act from the U.S. Senate
For information specific to farms, check out the National Young Farmers Coalition FAQ
Paycheck Protection Program
Read this blog from Wegner CPAs on the PPP as well as their frequently asked questions
Watch this video on how to apply from Post Growth Institute
Read this article from the Philadelphia Business Journal on next steps after you received a PPP Loan
Economic Injury Disaster Loans
6/19/20: EIDL is OPEN to new applicants. Existing applications will be addressed on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Here's information on the loan and how to apply (Para español, haga clic aquí)
Application forms on the SBA website (Para español, haga clic aquí)
Click here for additional relief fund resources
Small Business Development Center Support
We also suggest you check with your local Small Business Development Center - these local staff will have the latest information for your state and region, and the most up-to-date information from the SBA.
Here’s a map of all SBA 7(a) lenders from Oscar Perry Abello of Next City
Pro-tips:
- Look for the orange "FA$TRK (Small Loan Express)” markers for mostly community banks & credit unions.
- Or look for the purple “Community Advantage Initiative” markers for nonprofit lenders.
- The darker the underlying green dot, the more active that lender has been.
Still can’t find another 7(a) lender near you?
On this map, look for the yellow credit union dots or the blue banks, all authorized PPP lenders as of today if they weren't on the first map already.
All that said, smaller banks, smaller credit unions & nonprofit lenders do face a lot of constraints to rapidly ramping up their lending. Not impossible to overcome, but something to bear in mind.
Resources are available for download or are linked in English and Spanish in our Resources Hub
Click in the "i" icon to read a brief description of the resource.
Click here for state-by-state links to various unemployment programs for employers, workers, and freelancer/self-employed/gig workers. Programs include workshare, unemployment insurance, and pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA).