Toolshare: NEC’s Solidarity Funding Library

On March 6, the New Economy Coalition (NEC), a membership-based network representing the solidarity economy movement in the US, launched a robust, open-source funding library to support the work of those working to create “more cooperative, transparent, and reparative practices” of economy in their communities.

In launching the library, NEC aims to “open the black box of funding, investing, & fiscal sponsorship for our movements, and organize funders toward and organize ourselves to collectively resource our work.”

What is Solidarity Economy?

The 2021 NPQ series on Solidarity Economy defines solidarity economy “a theory of economic organization that prioritizes relationships between people.” This people-powered global movement has many definitions and also encompasses many approaches including Just Transition, Community Wealth Building, and Next Systems. New Economy Coalition emphasizes three key elements of solidarity economy:

  • A global movement that brings together many organizing efforts – all rooted in participatory democracy, mutual aid, cooperation, repair, solidarity, and respect for the earth.
  • A set of values, practices, and institutions that provide real alternatives to racial capitalism.
  • An economic system where all of the things a community needs are controlled and governed by everyday people.

You can learn more about the Solidarity Economy in Emily Kawano and Julie Matthei’s article System Change: A Basic Primer to the Solidarity Economy.

 

About the Library

Currently, the library includes information on the following types of opportunities:

  • Foundations—public, private, community, and family
  • Fiscal sponsors
  • City, county, state (and some federal) agencies and community and economic development corporations and/or other public/private partnerships
  • Investors, including non-extractive investors, community loans, impact investors, angel investors, and some collaborative/integrated funds
  • Banks—mostly community banks, including CDFIs, credit unions, financial cooperatives, and other lending institutions
  • Financial services organizations
  • In the future, we hope to incorporate other types of less traditional (e.g. donor-advised funds, fellowships, awards, accelerators, incubators) and more community-governed (e.g. giving circles, membership dues, etc.) funding opportunities.

 

Explore the Library (& Related Resources)

Below, you can find the funding library as well as resources for navigating it and sharing it with others.

View the NEW ECONOMY FUNDING LIBRARY.

Below are additional resources and calls to action to help navigate this tool and learn more about its background.

 

To get started, check out the video recording to learn more about the library and how to navigate it to find support for your own project. You can also learn more about the NEC and apply to be a member here.

 

Going Further:

About the Lead Author

April Doner
April Doner
April Doner is a community connector, artist, and mother who is passionate about igniting the intersection between re-weaving neighbor relationships, strengthening local economies, and healing / reconciling inequities and injustices. She is a Steward at the ABCD Institute DePaul University and, while not practicing neighboring in her own neighborhood, she trains, coaches, and consults in Asset Based Community Development. April also documents local resilience as well as group processes through various creative means including writing, photography, video, and graphic recording. Since 2020, she has curated content for AbundantCommunity.com.

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