The BCI Network of cooperatives provides peer-to-peer training, assists businesses with accounting, tax, and other legal responsibilities, and works with owners to strengthen their internal capacity to manage their business. Network members are operational cooperatives or solidarity economy projects. Members receive annual benefits, including leadership development, training, legal technical assistance, accounting & tax preparation support and loan readiness.
Network members collaboratively guide the direction of the BCI Network through participation in working groups, convenings, participatory action research projects, and deep listening sessions. Members receive annual benefits that include capacity building funds, cooperative and business development, free legal support hours, and annual tax and accounting support.
Our capacity building funds allow BCI Network members to access support for things like language interpretation, conferences or trainings, travel fees or accommodations, rental fees for organizational meetings or retreats, and other outside consultation, facilitation or support services.
BCI Network members participate in a solidarity exchange each year. Solidarity exchanges are activities and other offerings that support or uplift other network members. These exchanges help build a culture of member co-ops supporting each other in our region. Solidarity exchanges include co-hosting events, sharing a co-op’s expertise or knowledge with another group, and running workshops or trainings for the Network.
BCI Network members pay sliding scale dues that range from $200 to $1,500 annually, depending on your business or project’s scale of operations. Our sliding scale model means that solidarity economy projects and worker-owned businesses at various stages of development can partner together and support one another’s work while receiving support from BCI, and low-income worker-owners can access sustainable administrative support. At least half of the BCI Network members are projects led by poor and working class people and/or people of color.
Are you part of a cooperative or solidarity economy project that’s already operating in DC, Maryland, or Virginia? Reach out to us about joining the BCI Network! Contact us here.