Form 990 for tax year 2023

Totals

Total revenue

$842,972

Total expenses

$795,108

Contributions and grants received

$798,821

Grants paid

$128,420

Program service revenue

$14,704

Investment income

$48

Other revenue

$29,399

Total assets, end of year

$283,227

Total liabilities, end of year

$5,058

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$278,169

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$755,540

Management and general expenses

$34,617

Fundraising expenses

$4,951

Program service expenses (Part III)

$755,540

Program services were 95.0% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Mission and programs · 2023

• WE FOSTERED COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH 3 COURSES: POWER IN NUMBERS CO-OP U, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO ENABLE BLACK-LED TEAMS TO LAUNCH SUCCESSFUL CO-OP BUSINESSES, OUR AGRICULTURAL CO-OP U FOR REFUGEES, AN ACCELERATED CO-OP U STUDY GROUP.IN RESPONSE TO LONG-STANDING RACIAL AND ECONOMIC INEQUALITY, CO-OP CINCY CONTINUED TO SUPPORT CO-OP ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR BY OFFERING OUR 4TH POWER IN NUMBERS CO-OP U. IN ADDITION, WE PLANNED OUR 5TH COURSE AND PROVIDED ASSISTANCE AND MENTORING TO THE CO-OP BUSINESSES THAT GRADUATED FROM THE PREVIOUS COURSES. IN TOTAL, WE SUPPORTED THE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF 15 BLACK-LED CO-OP BUSINESSES. IN OUR 4TH POWER IN NUMBERS COURSE, WE GUIDED 6 BLACK-LED TEAMS THROUGH THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING AND REFINING CO-OP BUSINESS PLANS. OUR 4TH COHORT FROM POWER IN NUMBERS FEATURED AN ARRAY OF TALENTED TEAMS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE MENTORED SOUTHERN BEE COLLECTIVE, A BIRTHING AND HEALING JUSTICE IN SOUTH CAROLINA; PARABLE OF THE SOWER FROM CALIFORNIA; THIRD WARD CHILDCARE FROM HOUSTON; CRENSHAW BAKERY IN LOS ANGELES AND WOODHILL COOPERATIVE IN CLEVELAND, OH. WE LAUNCHED THREE NEW CO-OPS, COMP.COOP, A WORKER-OWNED TECH COMPANY; OLD GROWTH, A REGENERATIVE LANDSCAPING AND DESIGN COOPERATIVE; AND TOPIA COFFEE COOPERATIVE. THREE OF THESE NEW COOPERATIVES, COMP.COOP AND OLD GROWTH WERE PARTICIPANTS IN OUR CO-OP U ACCELERATED STUDY GROUP, ALONG WITH ROSE ELECTRIC FROM COLUMBUS. WE PROVIDED CO-OP TRAINING THROUGH OUR AGRICULTURE AND CO-OP DEVELOPMENT COURSES FOR REFUGEES PROGRAM. WE COMPLETED OUR WORK WITH OUR COHORT #4, WHICH WAS COMPOSED OF 14 BHUTANESE AND EAST AFRICAN REFUGEE HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS AND FINISHED WORKING WITH COHORT 3 WITH 8 BHUTANESE AND EAST AFRICAN REFUGEE STUDENTS. IN THE SPRING OF 2024, WE WORKED WITH AND COMPLETED COACHING FOR CO-HORT 5, CONSISTING OF AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS (GRADES 9-12). THIS COHORT CONSISTED OF 10 STUDENTS HAILING OR DESCENDED FROM BURUNDI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, NEPAL, AND CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC. OUR TRAINING INCLUDED DEEPENING SKILLS AND LEARNING TOWARD BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS OWNERSHIP, FACILITATING ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT SUPPORTIVE SERVICES AND OFFERINGS (IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITY PARTNER REFUGEE CONNECT, ALONGSIDE OUR TYPICAL CURRICULUM OF INSIGHTS INTO THE DYNAMICS AND CONCEPTS OF COOPERATIVES AND TIME ON THE LAND LEVERAGING OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR HARVEST.WE EDUCATED THEM ABOUT FARMING AND COOPERATIVE BUSINESS, CULTIVATING CO-OP BUSINESS LEADERS OF THE FUTURE. WE ALSO CONTINUED PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO THEM AFTER THEY GRADUATED. FINALLY, WE SUPPORTED THE ONGOING FARMING AND BUSINESS ACTIVITIES OF OUR COHORT #1, WHOSE MEMBERS FARM AND SELL PRODUCE TO THE BHUTANESE REFUGEE COMMUNITY IN GREATER CINCINNATI. WE COMPLETED A SERIES OF 7 SHORT INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS ON CO-OP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND PRINCIPLES.

  Expenses $202,099

• WE CONTINUED WORKING TO EXPAND OUR BUSINESS LEGACY FUND PROGRAM. WE ENGAGED WITH 13 BUSINESSES IN THE CINCINNATI AND NORTHERN KENTUCKY AREA, WITH 8 OF THEM CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF EXPLORING WORKER OWNERSHIP AS A SUCCESSION STRATEGY. THESE BUSINESSES COLLECTIVELY EMPLOY A TOTAL OF 360 WORKERS. TO DATE, WE HAVE PROVIDED TRAINING TO 7-10 EMPLOYEES, REFLECTING THE EARLY STAGES OF THE TRANSITION PROCESS FOR MANY OF THESE COMPANIES. AS THE TRANSITIONS PROGRESS, WE ARE POSITIONED TO TRAIN SIGNIFICANTLY MORE WORKERS IN THE COMING MONTHS. WE CONTINUED OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH A GARDEN CENTER AND GREENHOUSE, WHICH EMPLOYS 18 WORKERS AND GENERATES.CO-OP CINCY PARTNERED WITH THE GOERING CENTER FOR A WELL-RECEIVED LUNCHEON FOCUSED ON BUSINESS SUCCESSION STRATEGIES, SPECIFICALLY SPOTLIGHTING EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLANS AND WORKER-OWNED COOPERATIVES. THE EVENT PROVIDED ATTENDEES WITH PRACTICAL TOOLS AND INSIGHTS, WHETHER THEY WERE PLANNING AHEAD OR EXPLORING IMMEDIATE SUCCESSION OPTIONS. CHRIS BENNETT, CO-OP CINCY'S BUSINESS LEGACY FUND ACQUISITION PROGRAM MANAGER, PRESENTED AT THE NCEO FALL FORUM IN INDIANAPOLIS. BENNETT CO-LED AN INTERACTIVE SESSION ON THE POWER OF EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP, FOCUSING ON HOW COMBINING FINANCIAL STAKES WITH A PARTICIPATORY CULTURE CAN UNLOCK THE FULL POTENTIAL OF THIS MODEL. THESE INITIATIVES CONTINUE TO ADVANCE OUR MISSION OF EMPOWERING WORKERS AND SUPPORTING BUSINESS OWNERS IN TRANSITIONING TO EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP.THE BUSINESS LEGACY FUND ENGAGED WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS TO EXPAND AWARENESS AND FOSTER PARTNERSHIPS AROUND EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP TRANSITIONS. WE PARTICIPATED IN A WOMEN'S CHAMBER EVENT TO CONNECT WITH LOCAL WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS, AND HELD MEETINGS WITH FIRST FINANCIAL BANK AND HUNTINGTON BANK TO EXPLORE POTENTIAL COLLABORATION ON FINANCING OPTIONS FOR BUSINESS OWNERS TRANSITIONING TO WORKER OWNERSHIP. ALSO, A PART OF OUR OUTREACH INITIATIVES WE HOSTED A BOOTH AT A RECENT SCORE EVENT TO BROADEN OUR AUDIENCE AND NETWORK. WE MET WITH A BUSINESS ADVISOR TO DISCUSS STRATEGIES FOR SUPPORTING BUSINESS OWNERS WE ALSO HAD PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS LAWYERS TO ENSURE LEGAL FRAMEWORKS FOR THESE TRANSITIONS ARE ROBUST. WE DEEPENED RELATIONSHIPS IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND PARTNERED WITH ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS OHIO. THIS INCREASED OUR REACH AND IMPACT IN EDUCATING THE LARGER COMMUNITY ABOUT THE VALUE AND VIABILITY OF WORKER-OWNERSHIP.

  Expenses $182,154

• THROUGH OUR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, STAFF MEMBERS SUPPORTED THE STABILIZATION, DEVELOPMENT, AND GROWTH OF THE 14 CO-OP BUSINESSES IN OUR NETWORK, INCLUDING THE CO-OPS MENTIONED ABOVE. STAFF MET WITH CO-OP TEAMS AN AVERAGE OF 2-5 HOURS WEEKLY, TAILORING MEETINGS TO TEAM NEEDS AND HELPING TEAM MEMBERS TACKLE CHALLENGES. STAFF PROVIDED TRAINING ON OPEN BOOK MANAGEMENT, BUSINESS BEST PRACTICES, FINANCIAL LITERACY, HR SYSTEMS, LEADERSHIP SKILLS, COMMUNICATION AND MARKETING STRATEGIES, AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT. STAFF ALSO CONNECTED CO-OP TEAM MEMBERS TO RESOURCES. THROUGH WEEKLY MEETINGS AND THE OCCASIONAL RETREAT, WE DEVELOPED GOALS AND TRACKED TEAM PROGRESS. WE EVALUATED RESULTS AT LEAST QUARTERLY. IF WE DETERMINED THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT PROGRESS, WE DEVELOPED INTERVENTIONS. IN ADDITION, THROUGH OUR LOAN PROGRAM, WE HELPED REMOVE BARRIERS TO DEVELOPMENT FOR NEW AND EXISTING CO-OPS.THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SEED COMMONS FINANCIAL CO-OP, DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR WE LOANED OVER 2.1 MILLION TO 5 CO-OP BUSINESSES AND A LAND TRUST IN OUR NETWORK.WE CONTINUED HOSTING MONTHLY CO-OP SOCIALS FOR OUR CO-OP NETWORK TO FOSTER DEEPER CONNECTION AND COMMUNITY. THE LEADERSHIP TEAM OF THE CO-OP OF CO-OPS CONTINUED TO MEET EVERY TWO MONTHS AND THE CO-OP OF CO-OPS WAS FORMALLY INCORPORATED.

  Expenses $206,863

• WE OFFERED OUR 3RD COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATE COURSE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE XAVIER UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP CENTER. THE 12-WEEK COURSES HAD A TOTAL OF 8 PARTICIPANTS AND EXPLORED THE POWERS OF COOPERATIVES TO STRUCTURE BUSINESSES IN WAYS THAT MAKE THEM PROFOUNDLY ACCOUNTABLE TO WORKERS, ENVIRONMENTS, AND COMMUNITIES. OUR STATEWIDE OHIO WORKER OWNERSHIP NETWORK WAS FORMED IN 2021 WITH CO-OP CINCY AS THE LEAD ORGANIZER. OWN STRIVES TO EXPAND WORKER-OWNERSHIP IN OHIO BY RAISING AWARENESS, PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND CONNECTING BUSINESS OWNERS WITH RESOURCES. OWN HAS 7 MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND HELD ITS SECOND IN-PERSON MEETING. OWN MEMBERS GATHERED AT THE OHIO EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP CENTER'S CONFERENCE IN AKRON TO CONNECT, DEVELOP COOPERATIVE SKILLS, SHARE BEST PRACTICES, CREATE LEGAL TOOLS AND TEMPLATES, AND DISCUSS STRATEGIES FOR EXPANDING WORKER-OWNERSHIP IN OHIO. IN ADDITION, OWN HELD REGULAR VIRTUAL MEETINGS.

  Expenses $164,424 · Grants $128,420

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.

Grants on this return

• OUR HARVEST COOPERATIVE

  $128,420

  FISCAL SPONSORSHIP

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2023

Filed

5 May 2025

IRS schema version

2023v6.0

Source object

202501359349308290

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