Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things!
As indicated in our mission statement, one of the tenets of PPN is community revitalization and poverty alleviation. As a nonprofit organization, nonprofits are not permitted to act as for-profit or other organizations that work solely on a for-profit basis. To meet PPN’s mission objective, PPN works with affiliates, other nonprofits, or for-profit organizations, including business incubators, to achieve its mission. This is where the fight for change begin.
Poverty in itself is fought by job creation but generational poverty, on the other hand, is a different story. Unlike generational wealth, generational poverty means family members, of the next generation, have to start from scratch. We believe that a self-directed worker’s cooperative is an effective tool in combating both problems.
Using business incubators to get community projects off the ground is not a new idea. Some incubators operate as non-profit organizations.
Self-directed worker cooperatives operate on the principles of one worker, one vote, one share. It creates a democratic approach to job creation, an environment of cooperation, and a path forward economically, and provides assets that can be passed on to the next generation. More importantly, all share in the profits generated by the cooperative.
Worker Cooperatives
What are they, and how do they work?
A worker cooperative is a cooperative owned and self-managed by its workers. This means that every worker-owner democratically participates in decision-making, or management is elected by every worker-owner who each has one vote. Worker cooperatives are values-driven businesses that put worker and community benefits at the core of their purpose. Worker members at worker cooperatives participate in the profits, oversight, and often management of the enterprise, using democratic practices.