Description of Figure A:
Key Elements of the Worker Cooperative Project Model:
Stewards: A start-up worker cooperative business that would begin as a project supported by several community partners, but according to a pre-determined schedule, be spun off as an autonomous for-profit business, owned and controlled by its own workers.
Roles: Cooperative members would be responsible for: Understanding and agreeing to the terms of the partnership that could eventually lead to owning and controlling their own business; satisfactorily performing their duties as employees of the business; learning the responsibilities, behaviors, and skills necessary to own and operate the worker cooperative business; and repaying any indebtedness incurred during the start-up process (with personal liability limited as per stipulations of corporate law).
Partners: Membership of the cooperative might include workers who have disabilities; support personnel (e.g., personal care attendants, interpreters, readers); and workers who do not have disabilities.
Key Elements of the Incubator Organization Model:
Stewards: An entity that would serve as overall project manager and deliver, or coordinate delivery of, various forms of technical assistance and training.
Roles The incubator organization would provide overall project management; approve the business idea; conduct the feasibility study and prepare the business plan; approve the business parent; assist in making financing arrangements; raise funds for the loan guarantee trust; and provide education and training.
Partners: The incubator organization might be an existing business incubator; an independent living center; a mental health center; or a community economic development center.
Key Elements of the Disability Service Provider Model:
Stewards may be a government, a non-profit, or private provider of disability support services.
Provider roles could include: Coordinating referrals of potential workers with disabilities to the incubator entity; making an equity contribution to the loan guarantee trust fund on behalf of each consumer; consumer support and monitoring; benefits management consultation; and lease of capital equipment.
Partners could include: An RSA VR office; independent living center; a mental health center; or the Social Security Administration.
Key Elements of the Job Developer Model:
Stewards are a government or non-profit organization whose purpose is to prepare workers to be successful in the job market.
Roles include referring potential workers who may not have disabilities to the incubator entity; assisting in the employee screening and hiring process; and providing training in basic job skills.
Partners might be a Job Service office or a Job Training Partnership Act (now WIIA) entity.
Key Elements of the Lending Institution Mode:
The Steward is a lender that is committed to supporting community development.
Roles include loaning start-up capital; subjecting to an approved business plan, and full or partial loan guaranteeing by balances in a loan guarantee trust fund.
Partners might be a credit union; a community development financial institution, or a bank.
Key Elements of the Loan Guarantee Trust Model:
The Steward would be a qualified individual or organizational trust administrator.
The trust administrator's roles would include establishing a loan guarantee trust (funding from provider agencies and other benefactors); and legally and competently managing contributions to the fund and disbursements from it.
Partners might be an attorney or a financial institution.
