Cooperationworks
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
To strengthen America's cooperative movement by building and empowering a network of skilled cooperative development practitioners.
- Income
- $189,825
- Spending
- $196,193
- Reserves
- 13.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- other income, 53%
- Highest pay
- $100,000, executive dir.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 78% of charities in its peer group (employment, under $250k).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 13.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 (1)
- $132,998 spent. Members of CooperationWorks, a network of 40 cooperative development centers and 20 individual developers, work together to revitalize communities through effective cooperative enterprise development. Members provide expertise across all aspects of cooperative development, including feasibility analysis, business plan development, and training and education. CooperationWorks provides the network for developers to connect, engage in peer learning, share resources and expertise, and collaborate. CooperationWorks organized four ongoing collaborations for CooperationWorks members, including Intake and Outreach Pipeline, Rural Food Systems, Worker Cooperatives, and Real Estate Investment Cooperatives. These collaborations support members in community-driven learning, developing tools and shared best practices, and as spaces for peer workshops and case studies. We held an annual meeting in Austin,Texas which was attended by 29 individuals from 22 organizations and 14 states. This 3-day program included professional development training for building strong cooperative ecosystems, effective messaging and communications, and ensuring development services are accessible to all community members. This also included a day of tours - one focused on the urban cooperative development in Austin, which visited consumer, food, and worker cooperatives, the other focused on the surrounding rural areas, which visited producer, meat processing, and consumer cooperatives. CooperationWorks introduced the revised CooperationWorks Principles for Cooperative Development (formerly the Madison Principles) during this meeting, where they were voted on and accepted by membership. These principles provide ethical and professional guidelines for this work. CooperationWorks also offered all three sessions of its flagships training for cooperative developers - The Art and Science of Cooperative Development. Toolkit Implementation and Finance Fundamentals were offered as virtual trainings, while Building Blocks was offered as a hybrid training with virtual and in-person components. These programs provide foundational training for new cooperative developments, including Co-op Business 101, Feasibility, Group Dynamics, Cooperative Governance, Cooperative Sectors, Market Research and Business Planning, and Developing Cooperative Ecosystems. The in-person component of Building Blocks included a tour of five different cooperatives, including a producer and worker owned food hub, two worker owned grocery stores, a worker owned bakery, and a group equity housing cooperative. In Toolkit Implementation, participants engaged in hands-on skill-building through the use of case studies, scenarios, and peer clinicals. In Finance Fundamentals, participants learn how to engage in feasibility analysis and build a pro forma. The Art and Science of Cooperative Development had 50 distinct participants across all three sessions coming from 25 states and 34 organizations. We also completed its Strengthening the Cooperative Economy Mentorship program, which connected 4 mentors with 8 mentees to develop connections, skills, and expertise in the field of cooperatives.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 October 13, 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 December 2024.
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 April 2016.
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 October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.