The Brooklyn Student Credit Union
We will learn to build a sustainable cooperative business, which will be a student run and owned credit union. It will address economic justice issues like student debt and green community development.
Leader
Kimberly and Eric White-Carlsen
Location
Bedford Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11210
Impact areas
About the project
We have decided to leave the campaign up till we reach our goal. Our team wants to lay the groundwork for what will be the Brooklyn Student Credit Union (BSCU), the first step of which is attending the Green Worker Cooperatives “Coop Academy.” The BSCU will be a nonprofit consumer cooperative, the first of its kind being founded, managed and owned by students. The BSCU, the first part of the long term project called the New York City Student Credit Union (NYCSCU), will be launched within the CUNY university system. As a community of students working together with shared experience, this credit union will have the kind of understanding and sensitivity needed to best serve its special membership. As a nonprofit it will be a model for true community investment and shared success. As a democratically governed organization the members of the credit union will decide together how best to use their combined resources.
The environmental mission of the organization will be to promote the greening of our campuses, as a living model and investor. The union will be founded with rules governing its sustainable life, including sourcing its energy from renewable energy providers, using green administrative products, and composting any food and paper waste that is generated by operations. The organization will also be founded on the value of investing in community grassroots initiatives, guiding the use of its collective financial power to influence sustainable change in its surrounding area.
The Steps
- One-on-One mentoring with a successful entrepreneur
- Legal assistance with business incorporation and structuring
- Web site and promotion strategy development
- Greater visibility and name recognition for our cooperative
Why we‘re doing it
UPDATE: Our team has grown by one! So we have extended the campaign one more week, have grown the budget a bit. We will be accepting tax deductible contributions until January 25th!
The Project: