The Philadelphia Citizen profiles Seed Commons member organization PACA (Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance):

What can be life-changing about co-ops, proponents usually focus on, is how they build wealth, rather than how much wealth they build — which is done in a way that’s fair, equitable and transparent for workers.

However, worker co-ops do confront unique challenges, especially when it comes to funding. For example, the Small Business Administration has rules that strictly prevent the federal agency from helping out co-ops. Other forms of government support require a single signer on paperwork, especially for loans, which can exclude co-ops as well. “That’s really not great for a cooperative, because it creates a power imbalance when one person takes on the debt,” says Reidy [Development Director for PACA].

It’s one reason why a large piece of PACA’s work is assisting members with capital. They partner with Seed Commons, a national financial organization that specifically supports co-ops. They also offer a range of technical assistance for entrepreneurs who want to either start a co-op or convert their existing business into one.

Read the article, "Can Worker Co-ops Fix Our Busted Democracy?" (Malcolm Burnley, February 27, 2025)