SEI Cooperatives Coalition Organizer Consultant

The Solidarity Economy Initiative (SEI) is a Massachusetts-based grassroots and funder organizing collaborative that creates space for grassroots organizers in working class communities of color to lead a Just Transition to a Solidarity Economy. 

SEI is governed by a grassroots leadership committee composed of leaders from organizations in Massachusetts and coordinated with staff support by the Center for Economic Democracy (CED) and Access Strategies. The Co-op Working group of the Solidarity Economy Initiative (SEI) comprises leaders within SEI whose organizations are engaged in building and supporting cooperatives. 

The Co-op working group is developing a BIPOC focussed movement co-op program. This program will bring together training, relationships, and funding to support co-ops led by Black and brown folks, undocumented immigrants, young people and those returning and healing from incarceration and detention as a tool to meet our needs and build collective power. The goals of the program are to  facilitate political education, peer to peer learning, values aligned cooperative business development and more to 1) support our existing and budding cooperatives 2) align our work and build power together and 3) help us collectively plan for the support of existing coops within our ecosystem. 

The pilot for the program will first build within the thirteen Black and brown cooperatives associated with SEI organizations. In Phase I (October 2021- March 2022) of the project, the focus is on building collective vision, values and points of unity amongst the pilot groups. Phase II (April 2022- August-2022) will focus on political education for cooperative leaders, values aligned technical assistance and implementing collective strategy to ensure the success of movement cooperatives. 

SEI is currently seeking to hire a part time consultant for Phase I of the project and would ideally like to extend the contract to Phase II at the end of the initial six month engagement . This consultant will support the build out, resourcing and launch of the co-op program. The consultant will carry out the work under the direct guidance of and in close consultation with SEI Co-op working group. 

SEI is currently seeking to hire a part time consultant for Phase I of the project and would ideally like to extend the contract to Phase II at the end of the initial six month engagement . This consultant will support the build out, resourcing and launch of the co-op program. The consultant will carry out the work under the direct guidance of and in close consultation with SEI Co-op working group. 

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

1. Movement Co-op Arc Design and facilitation:

   1. Design and facilitate visioning sessions for SEI co-op working group leadership. 

   2. Support leadership in creating “points of unity” for local cooperative movement. 

   3. Design, coordinate & facilitate strategy sessions to outline the work of the Movement Co-op Program. 

2. Project Management:

   1. Manage the calendar for the project including meeting schedules and communication between meetings. 

   2. Manage documentation and materials for the program.

1. Familiar with the state-wide and national co-op ecosystems. 

2. Skilled at organizing and supporting grassroots and BIPOC coalitions.

3. A thorough and diligent project manager.

4. Have an understanding of  the challenges BIPOC led cooperatives face.  

5. Have experience working in or engaging with cooperatives in the community. 

6. Passionate about worker democracy and racial justice. 

DETAILS: 

1. Commitment: The expected time commitment of the Cooperative Movement Development Consultant is to work upto 100 hours in Phase I. It will be important for all involved to be flexible - some weeks the Consultant may need to work more, and some weeks less.

2. Budget: SEI’s expected budget for the Cooperative Movement Development Consultant is $50-$75 per hour for contracted services, to be invoiced and paid monthly.

We strongly encourage people from the communities we work with to apply, especially: Black,  Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC); people with disabilities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and Two-Spirit people; immigrants; women and feminine-identified people; and genderqueer, trans, and gender non-conforming people.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.