In the 2014-2015 fiscal year, NASCO provided free development assistance to 30 groups across the United States. We are currently working with existing and forming co-ops in Chicago (IL), Houston (TX), East Lansing (MI), Athens (OH), Lawrence (KS), Minneapolis (MN), and Ann Arbor (MI). It is exciting to see so many groups making progress toward purchasing properties.
NASCO Properties has concluded its RFP process and is actively engaged in purchasing new properties for The Vine Co-op and the University of Kansas Student Housing Association.
The NASCO Staff and Managers Conference was held March 30 and 31, 2015, in Austin, TX - there were 24 attendees from 12 cooperatives, which was the highest conference attendance in over a decade.
Out of a pool of forty-four applicants, the Cooperative Internship Network matched eight interns with seven hosting organizations. The hosts include Boulder Housing Collective, College Houses, Cooperative Development Institute, Twin Oaks, and the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance.
The west coast regional co-op conference, WestCo, was held from April 24-26, 2015 in Berkeley, CA. The conference was hosted by the Berkeley Student Cooperative (BSC) and, for the second consecutive year, NASCO provided organizing and logistical support for this conference.
NASCO staff rounded out the fiscal year with a flurry of member visits, supported a cohort of youth attending the NCBA Annual Conference, and presented at the Austin Co-op Summit.
We are now shifting our attention toward planning NASCO Institute 2015, which will focus on the theme of “Common Interest: Co-ops Investing in Community Wealth” and will be held in Ann Arbor October 30 - November 01. Additional details, along with a request for workshop proposals, will be posted online in the coming weeks.
All three NASCO Family boards met in-person in March and approved their annual budgets. They are currently preparing for their summer in-person meetings.