Cooperative Fund seeking US$ 600,000 to support post-crisis recovery and peacebuilding
The Fund for International Development, a multistakeholder cooperative headquartered in the United Kingdom, was founded in December 2024 to provide financial support for cooperatives affected by conflicts, natural disasters and other global emergencies
LONDON, July 9, 2026 — A global cooperative fund established to promote peace and support cooperatives recovering from crises is seeking to raise more than US$ 600,000 by the end of 2026 as it expands its international membership.
The Fund for International Development, a multistakeholder cooperative headquartered in the United Kingdom, was founded in December 2024 to provide financial support for cooperatives affected by conflicts, natural disasters and other global emergencies.
The initiative was created following discussions within the global cooperative movement on the need for coordinated responses to worldwide challenges, including conflicts, natural disasters and pandemics.
Speaking about the initiative, Dr Sarah Alldred, who leads the Fund’s day-to-day operations, said the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the need for a permanent cooperative mechanism to respond to global crises and help rebuild communities through cooperation.
She said the Fund is currently in its “build phase”, with membership open to cooperatives of all sizes and sectors worldwide.
“We’re actively seeking to grow The Fund to over US$ 600,000 by the end of 2026 to help reinforce cooperative-to-cooperative solidarity on a global scale,” she said, adding that membership is open to cooperatives, cooperative federations and cooperative support organisations, while individual membership will begin in 2027.
According to the Fund, contributions from members will be pooled and redistributed to support recovery projects selected through a democratic decision-making process by contributing members.
Dr Alldred stressed that the initiative differs from traditional development aid programmes because funding decisions will be made collectively by member cooperatives rather than by an external grant-making body.
She said the Fund aims to strengthen mutual support within the global cooperative movement while advancing inclusive and democratic development.
The organisation says its objectives are aligned with the International Cooperative Alliance’s 2026–2030 strategy, which focuses on promoting cooperative identity, improving access to capital and strengthening cooperative networks worldwide.
Although based in the UK, the Fund has attracted international members, including CLIMBS Life and General Insurance Cooperative in the Philippines and the Malawi Federation of Cooperatives Limited [MAFECO].
Dr Alldred, whose academic research focuses on post-conflict peace and reconciliation, said cooperatives have an important role to play in building peaceful societies by fostering trust and shared ownership within communities.
The Fund is chaired by Debbie Robinson, Chief Executive Officer of OurCoop, while the secretariat is provided by Co-operatives UK. Its board also includes representatives from cooperative organisations in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
https://thecooperator.news/cooperatives-key-to-achieving-sdgs-global-leaders-say/
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