Cooperative
Another way in which the Foundation is attempting to address the problems of unemployment and the gross inequalities in wealth and incomes, is by promoting cooperatives. The Foundation offers information, assistance and financial support to help those who might want to establish housing or worker cooperatives, so that those groups may have more control over the fruits of their labor and may keep for themselves more of the economic surplus they produce.
In carrying out this objective, the Foundation has provided assistance and financial support to various groups and organizations. The Foundation has given advice and guidance to groups seeking to establish cooperatives, such as:
THE CALTRANS TENANTS UNION
The Caltrans Tenants Union, who were seeking to establish a housing cooperative.
THE CARACOLES COLLECTIVE
Also known as the Bungalows Art Collective, is an arm of the Eastside Café committed to developing an art collective and providing a space where it can promote art, culture, and education for the El Sereno community of Northeast Los Angeles. For this purpose, it has been trying to purchase several bungalows in El Sereno, owned by CalTrans. The Caracoles has consulted the Foundation several times regarding the best approach to acquire those bungalows and develop cooperatives to accomplish its objectives. The Foundation has provided advice and guidance on several approaches to acquire the bungalows and on preparing an action plan to develop the proposed cooperatives.
EASTSIDE CAFE
The Eastside Café is a community organization devoted to the general concepts of community self-determination and autonomy. Its work includes actions to protect against the impact of gentrification in Northeast Los Angeles. To accomplish this, it relies on developing interlocking community networks in the areas of housing, community security, health education, self-sustaining micro-businesses, and art and culture. In an effort to ensure its long-term viability, the Café has been trying to purchase the building where it is currently housed. The Foundation has provided support and guidance in this endeavor.
This Foundation has also provided financial assistance in the form of grants to some organizations who are involved in promoting the development of cooperatives.
ARROYOSECO
The Foundation gave one such grant to the Arroyo Seco Sustainable Economies Community Organization (“ASECO”). ASECO shares the Foundation’s commitment to building an economy that is fair, democratic, and sustainable, and it promoting the development of workers cooperatives as means to accomplish this objective. The Foundations grant was earmarked as a contribution to a Community Revolving Loan Fund to make available micro-loans to fund worker-cooperatives. The Fund prioritizes loans to women, the economically distressed, and the excluded. These loans help its members to market and brand their business, increase sales and production, upgrade equipment, and/or purchase materials and supplies.