Business Services
- Market Assessments
- Feasibility Studies
- Business Plans
Educational Services
Grant Writing
Project Management
Cooperative Development
- Starting a Co-op

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Since 1985, Cooperative Development Services has helped existing cooperatives retain their vitality and plan for future growth opportunities. CDS also actively engages with new cooperatives and organizations operating in a cooperative manner to launch new business ventures and plan for long-term viability.

Whether your organization has been in business for 30 years or is still just an idea on the drawing board, CDS can help with analysis, planning, and educational services customized to meet your organization's specific needs:

Strategic Planning
Feasibility Studies
Market Analysis
Business Plans
Marketing Plans

Financial Packaging
Financial Projections/Budgeting
Organizational Audits
Accounting Systems
Loan and Grant Procurement

Project Management
Development Planning
Board Training
Governance/Policy

News & Views

Dennis Johnson: Proponent of Cooperative Capital and Development

Promoting a national vision for cross-sector cooperation, while holding tight to a grassroots emphasis on co-op development, is quite a balancing act. Dennis Johnson, a 2016 inductee into the Cooperative Hall of Fame, has built his career on creating alliances that allow cooperative solutions to take root and thrive.

CDS Case Study of the Cooperative Local Foods System

Cooperative Development Services has completed a case study of the cooperative food system in the Twin Cities with particular focus on this as a local foods system operating at scale. Authored by Joan Stockinger of CDS and Dave Gutknecht of Cooperative Grocer magazine, the full study is available for download in PDF format. CDS and the authors are available to discuss the findings of the study with interested cooperatives, co-op related groups, and local foods groups. Contact us at info@cdsus.coop with inquiries.

Cooperatives: A Principled Model

In a guest article in Eastside Food Co-op's newsletter, CDS Executive Director Kevin Edberg comments on the effects of "capitalism-run-amok," and recognizes cooperative enterprise as a principled buisness model.

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