Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Project Grants support substantial and mutually beneficial projects that foster extended relationships between the UW-Madison and collaborators across the state and beyond. These projects are driven by innovative ideas and shaped by the priorities, needs, and interests of the communities they serve.
The University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives (UWCC) has been a national leader in co-op development, education, and research since 1962. In the past five years, UWCC has started 26 co-ops and supported countless existing ones. During this time, it has also managed the Madison Cooperative Development Coalition (MCDC), an initiative to form worker-owned cooperative businesses. MCDC works to build meaningful relationships among campus and community partners that serve entrepreneurs and provide business development education.
With support from the Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Grant, UWCC and MCDC will partner with WJW, MadWorC, the Madison Public Library, and the UW Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic, among others, to provide linguistically and culturally relevant cooperative education and technical assistance. This partnership will support WJW in incubating cooperatives within their predominantly Latinx and immigrant worker community, creating democratic workplaces and dignified employment opportunities for those who could benefit the most.