NASCO Cooperative Education & Training Institute is widely recognized as one of the most important training and networking opportunities available to cooperative members, directors, staff, and managers. Every year, hundreds of participants from across the United States, Canada, and beyond converge to share ideas, learn new skills, and take an in-depth look at issues affecting the cooperative movement worldwide. This year’s Institute will be held November 13–15 in Ann Arbor, MI.
As the dominant systems in the West require individualism to function, co-opers resist through the daily practices of labor distribution, collective decision making, shared cost of living, and cooking for one another. As the need for mutual aid & direct action rises across the globe, how can co-opers continue learning while weaving our established ways of interdependence into our larger communities? At Institute, we will explore what it means to build—from housing to networks to policy—while confronting the ever-mounting systemic forces working against us. Through skill-building workshops, collaborative discussions, and storytelling, we’ll grapple with the collapse of unsustainable systems and share strategies for growing sustainable alternatives. We’ll connect the act of building with the cooperative values of equity, democracy, and mutual aid, emphasizing the transformative power of collective action in times of crisis. Together, we’ll explore the parallels between dismantling systems of inequity and growing alternatives rooted in these values. We hope you'll support us in providing an opportunity to build cooperative skills, network with co-opers from across the continent, caucus about pressing issues, and collectively work on building an inclusive and accessible cooperative movement.
2026 NASCO Institute: Interdependence as Resistance
As the dominant systems in the West require individualism to function, co-opers resist through the daily practices of labor distribution, collective decision making, shared cost of living, and cooking for one another. As the need for mutual aid & direct action rises across the globe, how can co-opers continue learning while weaving our established ways of interdependence into our larger communities? At Institute, we will explore what it means to build—from housing to networks to policy—while confronting the ever-mounting systemic forces working against us. Through skill-building workshops, collaborative discussions, and storytelling, we’ll grapple with the collapse of unsustainable systems and share strategies for growing sustainable alternatives. We’ll connect the act of building with the cooperative values of equity, democracy, and mutual aid, emphasizing the transformative power of collective action in times of crisis. Together, we’ll explore the parallels between dismantling systems of inequity and growing alternatives rooted in these values.
We hope you'll support us in providing an opportunity to build cooperative skills, network with co-opers from across the continent, caucus about pressing issues, and collectively work on building an inclusive and accessible cooperative movement.
2026 Course Tracks:
- Interdependence as Resistance
- Canadian Co-ops
- Cooperative Fundamentals
- Cooperative Leadership
- Co-op Staff and Member Leaders
- Cooperation Among Cooperatives
We hope you'll support us in providing an opportunity to build cooperative skills, network with co-opers from across the continent, caucus about pressing issues, and collectively work on building an inclusive and accessible cooperative movement.
Become a Sponsor Today!
Keynote $5,000+
- Name, logo, and organization description on NASCO Institute website and print conference program guide
- Exclusive recognition during the Keynote session - Sponsor will be invited to speak for 3 minutes prior to the Keynote and introduce the speaker (if not in attendance we will share a 1-3 minute introduction to your organization).
- Two free conference registrations
- An additional two complimentary tickets to attend the NASCO Institute Banquet & Hall of Fame Ceremony
- Opportunity to be recognized as the sponsor of one of the conference course tracks. See this year's course track descriptions here
Banquet $3,500+
- Name, logo, and organization description on NASCO Institute website and print conference program guide
- Exclusive recognition during the Banquet & Hall of Fame Ceremony - Sponsor will be invited to speak for 3 minutes prior to the Hall of Fame Ceremony (if not in attendance we will share a 1-3 minute introduction to your organization).
- Two free conference registrations
- An additional two complimentary tickets to attend the NASCO Institute Banquet & Hall of Fame Ceremony
- Opportunity to be recognized as the sponsor of one of the conference course tracks See this year's course track descriptions here.
Leadership Circle $2,500+
- This year's Leadership Circle donors will receive recognition as one of the select sponsors of the 2026 Institute theme course track, Interdependence as Resistance, including the Keynote Panel exploring the theme
- The sponsors will be named in the session description of all sessions that are part of the track
- Named recognition during the conference kick-off
- Two free conference registrations
- An additional two complimentary tickets to attend the NASCO Institute Banquet & Hall of Fame Ceremony
Lead Course Track Sponsor $1,500+
- Name and logo recognition on NASCO Institute website and print conference program guide
- Exclusive recognition as sponsor of one of the course tracks. The sponsor will be named in the session description of all sessions that are part of the sponsored track. See this year's course track descriptions here.
- One free conference registration
- An additional complimentary ticket to attend the NASCO Institute Banquet & Hall of Fame Ceremony
Collective Vision Partner $750+
- Name and logo recognition on NASCO Institute website and print conference program guide
- Sponsor a social or quiet room for conference participants that need a moment away from the event OR a morning coffee/tea service during the conference (your organization’s name and logo will be shared in the break room or alongside the coffee service)
- A complimentary ticket to attend the NASCO Institute Banquet & Hall of Fame Ceremony
Movement Partner $500+
- Name and logo recognition on NASCO Institute website and print conference program guide
- A complimentary ticket to attend the NASCO Institute Banquet & Hall of Fame Ceremony
Co-op supporter $250+
- Name recognition on NASCO Institute website and print conference program guide
- A complimentary ticket to attend the NASCO Institute Banquet & Hall of Fame Ceremony
Donors contributing less than $250 will have their name included in our print conference program guide.