Central Community Partners Program

Each year, Central Co-op chooses several Central Community Partners, and through financial contributions and outreach, we support their work to sustain, nourish, and empower healthy communities in and around Seattle and Tacoma.

• Cooperative Principle 7: Concern for Community

Central Co-op provides up to $3,000 toward Partner programs and events, and we actively promote our Partners to our owners. Partners may use the Co-op community bulletin board to promote events, and may provide materials and do outreach tabling at Co-op events. Partners receive preferential access to the Rochdale Room, the Co-op’s meeting and community space, for meetings and events.

Our Partners are local, small-to mid-size organizations making a big impact in their communities, who may find non-traditional and smaller funding sources especially beneficial. We engage these partnerships to uphold our values; promote strong healthy communities; build just and sustainable local food systems; and feed resilient and regenerative ecosystems.

Partnership is a two-way relationship! Partners connect to the Co-op online, share key Co-op information with their networks, and provide opportunity for Central Co-op to do outreach at Partner events when appropriate.

 

Our 2018 Community Partners!

Nourish of Pierce County:  Serving all over the county in 17 locations, Nourish Pierce County provides nutritious food and support services to people in need with compassion, dignity, and respect. No one in need is turned away. Since starting in the early 1970s, it has grown to serve over 70,000 clients in 2016 – that’s more than 4.6 million nourishing meals! 

The Center for Food Preservation Arts: The Center for Food Preservation Arts (CFPA) works locally to re-center the food system by addressing food insecurity and waste at the grassroots level; and to grow community through education and shared food activities.  

Food Action: Food Action is an advocacy organization working to create a healthy, just, and sustainable food system for all. The goal is to reform our food system so that all people have access to good food — food that is affordable, clean, healthy, delicious, and ecologically and socially regenerative. They want to create a movement of good food advocates to enhance our impact, adapt to current political realities, and promote the voice and power of those who want a sustainable and equitable food system. 

Community Lunch on Capitol Hill:  Community Lunch on Capitol Hill provides hot, nutritious meals and survival services to hundreds of homeless and low-income people of Seattle. They welcome people as guests in an atmosphere of hospitality, comfort and support to create community together.

 

Community Donations

Central Co-op also makes small contributions to community organizations and events throughout the year via our Community Donations program.

• More: Community Fundraising and Donations

Donation and Partnership Criteria

We build relationships with organizations that promote cooperative community in these ways:

• Serve Seattle and Tacoma's communities.
• Provide access to healthy food.
• Promote food sovereignty, food security and food justice.
• Promote access to land for holistic urban agriculture and the local food economy.
• Promote ecological sustainability.

Preference is given to neighbors, co-ops, and nonprofits.

Central Co-op does not give to organizations that discriminate on the basis of identity or status including race, language, creed, sex, class, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or disability. Central Co-op does not give to political candidates or for religious purposes, but programs of religious organizations may qualify.