Cooperative Development Institute
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
DEVELOP AND TRAIN COOPERATIVES TO CREATE AND SUSTAIN DEMOCRATICALLY OWNED, COOPERATIVE ENTERPRISES AND NETWORKS IN THE NORTHEAST THAT GROW A PROSPEROUS AND EQUITABLE ECONOMY.
- Income
- $6.8 million
- Spending
- $6.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 86%
- Reserves
- 3.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 36%
- Employees
- 42
- Volunteers
- 13
- Highest pay
- $106,888, finance director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 81 out of 100. Higher than 62% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.7 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 21% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 5% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 54% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1586% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 39% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (5)
- $2.2 million spent. NEW ENGLAND RESIDENT-OWNED COMMUNITIES (NEROC):CDI'S NEROC PROGRAM HAS HELPED RESIDENTS OF 66 MANUFACTURED HOME COMMUNITIES ACROSS NEW ENGLAND RAISE MORE THAN $328 MILLION IN CAPITAL TO PURCHASE THEIR COMMUNITIES AND PERMANENTLY PRESERVED MORE THAN 6,634 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.MANUFACTURED HOMES ARE AN ESSENTIAL SOURCE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN NEW ENGLAND. HOWEVER, THEY HAVE INCREASINGLY BEEN TARGETED BY INVESTORS AND PRIVATE EQUITY FIRMS WHO SEEK TO PURCHASE THE PARKS FOR A PROFIT. RESIDENTS IN THESE COMMUNITIES OWN THE HOMES BUT NOT THE LAND UNDERNEATH THEM, MAKING THEM VULNERABLE TO UNAFFORDABLE RENT-HIKES, MISMANAGEMENT, AND DETERIORATING INFRASTRUCTURE. CDI'S NEROC PROGRAM HELPS MANUFACTURED HOMEOWNERS COOPERATIVELY PURCHASE AND DEMOCRATICALLY MANAGE THEIR COMMUNITIES, GIVING RESIDENTS CONTROL OVER THEIR FUTURES AND PRESERVING THE QUALITY AND AFFORDABILITY OF HOMES IN OUR REGION.
- $1.0 million spent. BUSINESS OWNERSHIP SOLUTIONS (BOS):SINCE BOS WAS FOUNDED IN 2013, WE HAVE LED 35 BUSINESSES THROUGH TRANSITIONS TO EMPLOYEE-OWNED COOPERATIVES, CREATING OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE THAN 600 WORKERS AND HELPING THEM SECURE MORE THAN $36 MILLION IN CAPITAL TO BUY THOSE BUSINESSES.IN DECEMBER 2025, CDI'S BOS PROGRAM WAS AWARDED A $900,000 GRANT FROM JP MORGAN CHASE TO HEAD UP A REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP THAT WILL EXPAND SERVICES AND AWARENESS OF EXIT PLANNING FOR BUSINESS OWNERS AND EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP THROUGH A MASSACHUSETTS-FOCUSED FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM AND RESEARCH INITIATIVE.ACROSS THE U.S., A WAVE OF AGING BABY BOOMER BUSINESS OWNERS ARE PLANNING TO RETIRE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE A PLAN AND DO NOT KNOW WHO TO TURN TO FOR HELP. THIS POSES A GREAT THREAT TO BUSINESS, JOB PRESERVATION, AND GROWTH IN OUR COMMUNITIES. IN NEW ENGLAND AND NY ALONE, AN ESTIMATED 200,000+ SMALL BUSINESSES HAVE OWNERS WHO ARE LOOKING TO RETIRE OR TRANSITION WITHIN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, BUT ONLY ABOUT 17% OF THEM HAVE A SUCCESSION PLAN. EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP IS A PROVEN STRATEGY TO PRESERVE CRITICAL BUSINESSES AND JOBS AND PROVIDE WEALTH BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORKERS. CDI'S BOS PROGRAM HELPS BUSINESS OWNERS AND THEIR EMPLOYEES EXECUTE CONVERSIONS TO EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP AND PROVIDES PUBLIC EDUCATION TO HELP BUSINESSES UNDERSTAND THEIR OPTIONS TO AVOID THE LOSS OF BUSINESSES AND JOBS.
- $980,554 spent. COOPERATIVE BUSINESS SERVICES (CBS):CBS HAS HELPED TO FORM 190 CO-OPS, REPRESENTING 914 NEW JOBS, AND HAS ASSISTED MORE THAN 221 EXISTING CO-OPS WITH GROWTH AND TRANSFORMATION PLANNING.CBS SUPPORTS COOPERATIVE STARTUPS AND ESTABLISHED COOPERATIVES MEET THEIR NEEDS THROUGH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING. OUR EXPERIENCED TECHNICAL ASSISTANTS GUIDE STARTUPS THROUGH THE PROCESS OF INCEPTION, DESIGN, AND LAUNCH. CBS IS INDUSTRY-AGNOSTIC WITH A FOCUS ON HIGH IMPACT AREAS SUCH AS AGRICULTURE, CHILDCARE, AND MANUFACTURING AS WELL AS HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED RURAL COMMUNITIES. WE ALSO SUPPORT EXISTING CO-OPS TO REACH THEIR GROWTH AND RE-DEVELOPMENT GOALS.
- $546,357 spent. WATER INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT PROGRAM (WISP):SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN MARCH 2023, WISP HAS HELPED 64 MANUFACTURED HOME COMMUNITIES OBTAIN $39.7 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING AWARDED FOR NEW ENGLAND COMMUNITIES' INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.IN 2025, WISP SUPPORTED THE COMPLETION OF FOUR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, INCLUDING THE REPLACEMENT OF AGING WATER, WASTEWATER, AND/OR SEWER SYSTEMS AFFECTING 315 NEW ENGLAND HOMES.WISP PROVIDES FREE TECHNICAL AND MANAGERIAL SUPPORT TO CONNECT ELIGIBLE MANUFACTURED HOME COMMUNITIES ACROSS NEW ENGLAND WITH AVAILABLE FUNDING SOURCES FOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS INCLUDING DRINKING WATER, SEPTIC, AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS IMPROVEMENTS. MANUFACTURED-HOME COMMUNITIES ARE AN ESSENTIAL SOURCE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR NEW ENGLAND. HOWEVER, THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE IS OFTEN AT THE END OF ITS USEFUL LIFESPAN AND MAJOR INVESTMENT IS NEEDED TO SUSTAIN THESE AFFORDABLE COMMUNITIES FOR THE LONG TERM.
- $783,885 spent. IMMIGRANT SERVICESSINCE THE PROGRAM'S INCEPTION IN MAY 2023, IMMIGRANT SERVICES HAS EMPOWERED 54 COOPERATIVES FOUNDED BY NEW AMERICANS IN NEW YORK, RHODE ISLAND, CONNECTICUT, MASSACHUSETTS, AND MAINE, IMPACTING 390 INDIVIDUALS. CDI'S IMMIGRANT SERVICES PROGRAM HELPS GROUPS ESTABLISH NEW COOPERATIVES, FORTIFY EXISTING CO-OPS, AND FORGE VITAL ALLIANCES.IMMIGRANT SERVICES UNITES WITH OVER 95 REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING ECUMENICAL CHURCHES, UNIONS, AND WORKERS' CENTERS, CREATING A POWERFUL NETWORK OF COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 1995.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
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