Cooperative Development Hall of Fame - Jason Dixson Photography - 190508 - 185804 - 1038.j

Our Sponsors

Thank you for your support of the 2022 Cooperative Hall of Fame. There is no better way to tell the cooperative story than through the life experiences of our cooperative heroes - individuals like Ella Jo Baker, Allan Gallant, Paul Hazen, Gary Oakland, and Dan Waddle. We are proud to host the Cooperative Hall of Fame, which not only recognizes the cooperative movement's genuinely heroic leaders, but also raises funds to support CDF's economic and cooperative development work. Now on its 77th year, CDF continues its commitment to support new and expanding cooperative enterprises to increase public awareness of the significant contributions made by cooperatives to the nation's and world's economies.

Hall of Fame Sponsor

Unsung Heroes

Capital Impact Partners

Capital Impact Partners - part of the Momentus Capital family of organizations, along with CDC Small Business Finance and Ventures Lending Technologies - is proud to support the Co-op Hall of Fame again! We work to bolster the efforts of cooperatives nationwide by working to foster an economic system that respects and uplifts all peoples' right to achieve the dreams they have for themselves, their communities, and generations to come.

In particular, we are excited to be the inaugural sponsor and presenter of the Unsung Heroes Award, which recognizes Ella Josephine Baker. Ella Baker was a prominent leader of the civil rights movement, and helped to power a new Black cooperative movement in this country. Having grown up around co-ops and seeing how they supported the survival of Black communities after the Civil War, she deepened her knowledge of cooperatives, which led to her co-founding and leading the Young Negroes’ Co-operative League (YNCL). Over the course of many years, she helped communities pursue the cooperative model and see the links between self-determination and economic and racial justice. Baker’s roughly 45 years of cooperative organizing created lasting change and exemplifies the qualities of a cooperative hero. We salute her and her work to foster thriving communities.

We are also excited to celebrate our 40th anniversary this year. Born out of the co-op movement, we help build inclusive and equitable communities by providing people access to the capital and opportunities they deserve. We believe that residents from all walks of life should have equitable access to the things that contribute to their health and wealth: a vibrant local economy with good jobs; high-quality social services; and a voice in what happens in their community. Cooperatives have long been a prime example of how communities can achieve those goals. We look forward to another four decades of fostering cooperative development nationwide.

Hall of Fame Sponsor

CoBank

CoBank, a national cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America and member of the Farm Credit System is pleased to sponsor the 2022 Cooperative Hall of Fame. The success of Farm Credit - a national network of cooperatively organized banks and lending associations specifically chartered to serve agriculture and rural America - depends on the leadership of committed, far-sighted men and women who understand the challenges and opportunities facing the country's rural communities. We congratulate the 2022 inductees for the extraordinary contributions they have made to the cooperative community.

Hall of Fame Sponsor

National Cooperative Bank

National Cooperative Bank is proud to sponsor the 2022 Cooperative Hall of Fame. We would like to congratulate Ella Josephine Baker, Allan Gallant, Paul Hazen, Gary Oakland, and Dan Waddle on this prestigious honor. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to the cooperative community.

National Cooperative Bank (NCB) provides comprehensive banking products and services to cooperatives, their members, and socially responsible organizations throughout the country. What makes NCB unique is that the bank was created to address the financial needs of an underserved market niche — people who join together cooperatively to meet personal, social, or business needs, especially in low-income communities. Customers that choose NCB create an impact in the areas they care about — affordable housing, access to healthy food, small business, community health care, and renewable energy. Your choices reflect your values. Your bank should, too.

Hall of Fame Sponsor

National Co+op Grocers

National Co+op Grocers (NCG) celebrates the achievements of all five 2022 Cooperative Hall of Fame inductees and in particular wishes to congratulate two of our food co-op heroes, Allan Gallant and Paul Hazen. As with all co-op heroes, Allan and Paul have provided invaluable support, guidance and leadership to food co-ops over the past 35 years. Their work and support has helped make healthy food, good jobs and strong cooperative businesses accessible to more members of more communities across the United States.

Our gratitude to Allan and Paul and congratulations on this well-deserved honor in recognition of the enduring impact you’ve both had on food co-ops and our entire cooperative sector.

Congratulations to all five Cooperative Hall of Fame Inductees. Our cooperative movement and community benefits every day from the leadership, inspiration and dedication you’ve provided and will inspire many generations of cooperators to come!

Hall of Fame Sponsor

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association

Congratulations to 2022 Cooperative Hall of Fame inductees Ella Josephine Baker, Allan Gallant, Paul Hazen, Gary Oakland, and Dan Waddle.

These exemplary leaders embody the cooperative principles in the fields of cooperative economics, food distribution, public policy, financial services, community development, and global electrification. NRECA especially recognizes the leadership of our long-time colleague and friend Dan Waddle and his unyielding commitment to introducing electricity and its societal benefits to hundreds of communities around the world.

NRECA is the national trade association representing nearly 900 local electric cooperatives. From growing suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve as engines of economic development for 42 million Americans across 56 percent of the nation’s landscape. As local businesses built by the consumers they serve, electric cooperatives have meaningful ties to rural America and invest $12 billion annually in their communities.

Hall of Fame Sponsor

National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation

CFC proudly salutes Ella Jo Baker, Allan Gallant, Paul Hazen, Gary Oakland, and Dan Waddle on their induction into the Cooperative Hall of Fame. Created and owned by America’s electric cooperative network, CFC, a nonprofit finance cooperative with approximately $27 billion in assets, provides capital and industry-leading financial products to serve the needs of our member-owners—America’s 900-plus not-for-profit, consumer-controlled electric cooperatives.

CFC operates under the seven cooperative principles and our core values of Service, Integrity and Excellence. By delivering unparalleled industry expertise, flexibility and responsiveness, we help our members maintain a sophisticated system of generation, transmission and distribution resources that spans 75 percent of the United States. This infrastructure provides a safe, reliable and affordable flow of power to 42 million consumers each day and plays a critical role in boosting the nation’s economy and rural quality of life.

Hall of Fame Sponsor

Nationwide®

Nationwide is proud to be a long-standing sponsor of the Cooperative Hall of Fame and celebrates the outstanding 2022 class of inductees.

As a company founded on cooperative principles and with several former leaders as Hall of Fame members, Nationwide remains committed to supporting the ideals of the cooperative movement and the Hall of Fame.

In 1926, Nationwide was started by innovative thinkers with the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation. These visionary leaders knew the importance of cooperative enterprise when they formed the company to provide affordable automobile insurance for rural farmer members. One of those early leaders, Murray Lincoln, eventually helped spread cooperative ideals across the globe.

Today, cooperative principles remain an important part of Nationwide’s culture and foundation. The company continues to be guided by farmers on its board of directors and remains owned by its policyholders. As a part of the cooperative family, Nationwide is proud to be here to protect people, businesses and futures with extraordinary care.

CHS Inc.

CHS Inc., a leading global agribusiness owned by farmers, ranchers and cooperatives across the United States, is pleased to sponsor the 2022 Cooperative Hall of Fame. Diversified in energy, grains and foods, CHS is committed to helping its customers, farmer-owners and other stakeholders grow their businesses through its domestic and global operations. CHS is committed to extending the positive impact of the cooperative system to make a meaningful difference in agriculture and our hometown communities.

Congratulations to this year’s Cooperative Hall of Fame inductees; we applaud you for your innovation and strong leadership in advancing the cooperative business model.

DotCooperation

We aim to unite and empower cooperatives online – our mission, our singular goal that drives everything we do.

Since 2001, DotCooperation has united the cooperative community through a shared online identity and platform where cooperative organizations can participate, inform, educate, and pioneer a path for others to join and support the cooperative movement.

We empower cooperatives to participate and thrive in the digital economy with identity tools and resources. Identity tools include .coop domain names and the Cooperative Marque, and. creditunion sector domain names. Resources include the .coop Global Directory and the Digital Empowerment Learning Hub.

Every cooperative that uses a .coop domain name as the primary address for their website elevates their cooperative identity, principles, and purpose. It unites the cooperative movement online with a shared identity. It transforms an organization’s value from a lone contributor to an active participant of a global online network of cooperatives.

DotCooperation is jointly owned by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) and NCBA-CLUSA (National Cooperative Business Association-CLUSA International), two non-profit organizations with a mission to develop the global cooperative movement.

Foundry UMC

Foundry United Methodist Church, a historic, diverse congregation in downtown Washington, DC, is pleased to sponsor the Cooperative Hall of Fame. Foundry is a congregation that welcomes all, worships passionately, challenges the status quo, and seeks to transform the world through God’s love. Drawing upon the traditions of our faith, we aim to be innovative in our efforts to be a place of positive change within Christianity, within ourselves, and in the world.

Under the banner of “Sacred Resistance” Foundry is deeply engaged in mission and advocacy for the poor, marginalized, and oppressed. We work to address housing and education inequity in D.C., issues of eco-justice, and support for our immigrant neighbors. We are leading within the UMC to champion intersectional justice and an end to policies that discriminate against LGBTQIA people and are committed to being an inclusive, anti-racist, anti-colonial church.

Foundry UMC extends our congratulations to all this year’s inductees to the Cooperative Hall of Fame and are especially proud to celebrate longtime Foundry member, Paul Hazen, who is among them. Paul has created positive change and inspired growth in Foundry Church in countless ways over many years. His leadership and vision are gift to all.

U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council

The U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council (OCDC) is honored to sponsor the Cooperative Hall of Fame. We congratulate all the 2022 inductees, including our own Executive Director Paul Hazen, as well as our member, NRECA International’s Senior Vice President, Dan Waddle. Thank you to all inductees for your commitment and strong leadership in advancing the cooperative business model domestically and globally.

OCDC brings together 10 organizations committed to building a more prosperous world through cooperatives. Our members’ international activities are powered by grants from the Cooperative Development Program of USAID. Our mission is to champion, advocate and promote effective international cooperative development.