PACA helped launch an economic impact survey designed to assess the contribution of cooperatives to the regional economy. The survey was sent to over 100 cooperatives of all varieties in the greater Philadelphia area. It consists of questions pertaining to employment, revenue, taxes, and products and services being offered, as well as questions about organizational values. The survey can be taken on-line, as a Word document, or through a person-to-person interview. This survey, which is being administered by Craig Borowiak (Associate Professor and Chair, Political Science Department, Haverford College), is one part of a larger study of the solidarity economy in the mid Atlantic region.

For PACA, the data from this economic impact survey will be crucial for estimating the size of the cooperative economy in Philadelphia and for building awareness and support for cooperatives among policy makers, the broader public, and fellow cooperatives. We expect it to build on the momentum towards making Philadelphia a model city for cooperative development. Surveys, however, are only as good as the responses are reliable. Given the survey’s significance for the local cooperative movement, it is vitally important that we get a good response rate from individual cooperatives. For this we need assistance. We ask for everyone’s help in ensuring that representatives from the different cooperatives fill out the survey questions to the best of their abilities. Filling out the survey takes some time (approximately 35 minutes), but the results should be worth it. Anyone interested in learning more about the survey or in getting directly involved should contact Craig at cborowia@haverford.edu, 610-896-2988.