A Message About DAWI's Work in Uncertain Times

"The worker cooperative sector needs your ambition to be not merely a tool or an alternative, but the bones, blood and muscles of a just and healthy economy." Dear colleagues, I’m writing to share some changes in the works at DAWI, to reconnect about our shared work, and see what’s possible in uncertain but critical times. 2020 has a way of showing us stark realities about ourselves. The multiple overlapping crises in our public health, our economy, and our democracy have caused widespread acute pain, but in reality we’ve been running a fever for awhile. The economy is sick, it… more

Co-op Month 2017 — let's build and grow together

The Democracy at Work Institute is happy to celebrate co-op month with the rest of the movement! As we continue to see the growth of worker-owned businesses and a widespread understanding of the model, we renew our commitment to training and equipping leaders in the sector and being the “think and do” tank that helps the worker cooperative movement to grow strategically. We are at a tipping point in awareness of the… more

Data Support Contractor – Data & Research Team

Data Support Contractor – Data & Research Team


Democracy at Work Institute (DAWI) seeks a detail-oriented, collaborative, and data-savvy contractor to support our Data & Research team. Our work centers on expanding democratic employee ownership of business as a strategy for racial, gender, and economic equity. The Data Support Contractor will work closely with the Data & Research Strategist and the Director of Research & Impact to strengthen data quality, support reporting, and maintain core data systems across the organization.

Employee Ownership Cities

We have launched the Employee Ownership Cities program to accelerate the national adoption of employee ownership by local governments.

There are over 19,500 cities, towns, and villages in the US and less than 1% include employee ownership in their policies or plans. Despite proven benefits, few cities are aware of how they can deploy employee ownership strategies to address local priorities. 

Portada: Estado del Sector de las Cooperativas de Trabajadores y los Lugares de Trabajo Democrático

Estado del Sector de las Cooperativas de Trabajadores y los Lugares de Trabajo Democrático

Year :

El Estado del Sector de las Cooperativas de Trabajadores y los Lugares de Trabajo Democrático es un reporte sobre cooperativas de trabajadores y lugares de trabajo democráticos en Estados Unidos, co-producido por el Democracy at Work Institute y la U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives. El informe se basa en datos recolectados a través del Censo de Empresas de Cooperativas de Trabajadores y Lugares de Trabajo Democráticos, con información del año fiscal 2024.

2025 Worker Cooperative State of the Sector Report Cover

2025 Worker Cooperative State of the Sector

Author(s) : Democracy at Work Institute and U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives
Year :

The 2025 Worker Cooperative State of the Sector is a report on worker cooperatives and democratic workplaces in the United States, co-produced by the Democracy at Work Institute and the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives. The report draws upon data collected through the Enterprise Census of Worker Cooperatives and Democratic Workplaces, based on data from Fiscal Year 2024. The census is the only national, comprehensive opportunity to capture trends across worker cooperatives an democratic workplaces, and is conducted every two years.

2024 CGRI survey cover

Findings From the Cooperative Governance Research Initiative 2024

Author(s) : Courtney Berner and Dr. Yanni Liang
Year :

The 2024 CGRI survey, the second in the series, gathered responses from 436 cooperatives spanning diverse sectors including retail, financial services, agriculture, and insurance. This report presents descriptive statistics on board composition, governance practices, management structures, member participation, and board and cooperative performance. 

Find the report here.