Giving back to the community has been a commitment of Seward Co-op for nearly four decades. It is demonstrated through community donations, sponsorships, grants and outreach events. To ensure the long-term viability and growth of our contributions to the community, we launched the Seward Cooperative Community Fund (SCCF), a program for community giving.
The establishment of the SCCF embodies Seward’s commitment to continue to grow not just as a business, but also as a resource that takes the concerns of our community to heart and to action.
Seward Co-op launched the SCCF in 2005 as an endowment fund to which individuals may donate money that will, in turn, earn interest. The fund is sponsored by Seward Co-op and administered by Twin Pines Cooperative Foundation (TPCF). TPCF invests the assets primarily in cooperative development funds, credit unions and local community-owned banks that support cooperatives.
As the fund continues to grow, the interest earned is given to nonprofits and/or cooperatives in our community. The program provides grants up to $2,000 to projects that protect the environment, support organic and/or local food cultivation, promote co-ops or promote community development and capacity building. In 2009, the SCCF stands at more than $25,000 and, of the donations made to the Seward Grant Recipients, nearly $1,000 came from interest on the SCCF.
New to the SCCF this year, the fund will now be supplemented by the Seward Co-op Visa credit card, which was launched in 2009 in partnership with SPIRE Credit Union.
Every time a Seward Co-op member uses the card (at Seward Co-op or anywhere else), a percentage of the transaction monies is delivered to the SCCF in the form of a quarterly contribution.
Seward Co-op has established a process whereby members can make a donation to the SCCF. Just let the cashier know you would like to make a donation to the fund, and he or she will process your cash contribution at the register.
2823 E Franklin Ave • Minneapolis, MN 55406Tel: (612)338-2465 • Fax: (612) 338-6267 • www.seward.coopback