The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), recently awarded $60 million over five years (2019 – 2023) for the Cooperative Development Program (CDP).  Ten U.S.-based cooperative organizations will share in the funding that promotes sustainability and self-reliance through local ownership using cooperatives as a proven business model. The CDP fuels the work of OCDC members in the areas of agriculture, finance and health.

Congress created the CDP in 1962, and the program continues to earn bi-partisan support. The program is unique because it links U.S. cooperatives and their members to cooperatives in developing countries. A priority for the CDP is cooperative development research, then disseminating these learnings.

“The CDP is the only program within USAID that focuses on cooperatives,” says Paul Hazen, OCDC executive director, “and the program’s impact has been significant, lifting millions of people from poverty by leveraging private funding to amplify public funds.”

OCDC received $6.9 million in funding through the CDP for the Research Group to design and implement rigorous research into the impact and effectiveness of cooperatives in international development.