A climate-media and technology cooperative

Publishing with thecommons.ai:

• Offering: The Commons Cooperative provides a platform for Climate Journalist to publish their work. thecommons.ai, integrated with Habitat, enables them to distribute and be paid for their content within the cooperative’s network and beyond.
• Benefits: Journalists are worker-members and are entitled to vote, to receive a year-end dividend and can opt in to worker-member stock options. Journalists can develop their following independently, can use the built in newsletter platform and can use our integrated newsletter campaign software.
• Co-op Integration: The publishing platform is a shared resource, but the journalist maintains control over their content. They can use it to reach a larger audience while contributing to the cooperative’s overall mission of spreading climate knowledge.

Research and Interaction with Habitat:

• Offering: Coop Climate Journalist will have access to Habitat, the local language model developed by The Commons Cooperative. This tool will enhance their research by providing region-specific data and insights. Habitat serves as a knowledge base that the journalist can tap into for in-depth climate research.
• Co-op Integration: As a worker member, journalist’s research contributes to the cooperative’s broader mission by expanding the collective knowledge base. In return, they gain the tools and support needed to conduct high-quality research.

Newsletter Marketing and Outreach:

• Offering: The cooperative offers tools and support for creating and managing newsletters, crucial for building a readership. The Climate Journalist can leverage the cooperative’s resources to market their content effectively.
• Co-op Integration: While the journalist benefits from increased visibility, their outreach efforts also help to promote the cooperative’s broader climate initiatives. The success of their newsletter can attract more members and funding to The Commons Cooperative.

Funding and Revenue Model:

Attracting Funding for Projects:

• Mechanism: The cooperative provides a framework where the journalist can attract funding through grants, subscriptions, or donations. Part of this funding supports their individual project, while a portion contributes to the cooperative’s general fund.
• Benefit: This model aligns individual success with the cooperative’s financial health, ensuring that both the journalist’s project and The Commons Cooperative grow sustainably.

Contributing to Cooperative Funding:

• Mechanism: A percentage of the revenue generated from the journalist’s work (e.g., subscriptions, donations, or sponsorships) is directed back into the cooperative. This creates a cycle where successful projects support the cooperative, which in turn supports more projects.
• Benefit: This ensures that the cooperative remains financially robust, allowing it to continue providing resources and support to all members.

Real-World Models:

The Correspondent (Netherlands)

• Overview: The Correspondent (now defunct) was a member-funded journalism platform where journalists focused on deep, investigative pieces. Members contributed financially to support specific journalists, and in return, received access to their work.
• Relevance: Like The Commons Cooperative, The Correspondent aligned individual success (journalist funding) with the platform’s overall mission. This model demonstrates how independent journalism can thrive within a member-supported framework.

Substack (Global)

• Overview: Substack is a platform that allows writers to publish newsletters and directly monetize their readership through subscriptions. Writers have control over their content and audience, while Substack provides the infrastructure and tools needed to grow their newsletter.
• Relevance: Substack’s model is similar to what The Commons Cooperative offers: a way for journalists to build and monetize a direct relationship with their audience, with the cooperative providing infrastructure, and language model support and publishing resources.

Developer Framework within The Commons Cooperative

Integrated Development with Habitat:

• As worker-members, developers contribute directly to Habitat's core infrastructure and applications.
• They work on projects defined by cooperative needs, enhancing the platform's capabilities for all members.
• Developers receive dividends and stock options based on their contributions and the cooperative's success.

Cooperative-Owned Projects:

• All development work is owned by The Commons Cooperative. (It is possible under our intrapraneurial program to spin off a start-up. See below.)
• Projects are part of an integrated ecosystem, designed to work seamlessly with Habitat and other cooperative tools.
• Developers are credited for their work, enhancing their professional profile within the cooperative.

Collaborative Development Process:

• Developers work in teams, fostering knowledge sharing and collective problem-solving.
• Regular meetings and workshops ensure alignment with the cooperative's goals and community needs.
• Code reviews and quality assurance processes maintain high standards across all projects.

Skill Development and Career Growth:

• The cooperative invests in ongoing training and education for developers.
• Worker-members can rotate through different projects, expanding their skills and contributing to various aspects of the ecosystem.

Intrapreneurship Program:

• Developers can propose innovation projects through the intrapreneurship program.
• If approved, they lead a team within a "subordinate coop or cadre" structure.
• These projects use The Commons' infrastructure (GitHub, thecommons.ai) and legal/service support.
• There's a clear path for projects to potentially spin off, with terms negotiated to benefit both the developer(s) and the cooperative.

Funding and Revenue Model:

Cooperative-Based Compensation:

• Developers receive a base salary as worker-members.
• Additional compensation comes through dividends based on the cooperative's overall performance.
• Stock options provide long-term investment in the cooperative's success.

Project-Based Bonuses:

• Successful projects that significantly contribute to the cooperative's mission or financial success can lead to bonuses for the development team.
• These bonuses are structured to reward both individual and collective achievements.

Intrapreneurial Project Funding:

• The Innovation Fund supports approved intrapreneurial projects.
• Revenue sharing for successful projects follows the 70-20-10 model outlined in the bylaws.

Real-World Models

Mondragon Corporation (Spain)

• Overview: Mondragon is a federation of worker cooperatives, including those in high-tech sectors.
• Relevance: Like Mondragon, The Commons integrates various projects under a cooperative structure, with workers as owners contributing to a shared mission.

W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)

• Overview: W3C develops web standards through a collaborative process involving member organizations.
• Relevance: While not a cooperative, W3C's model of collaborative development for a shared infrastructure (the web) mirrors The Commons' approach to developing climate knowledge tools.

Enspiral (New Zealand)

• Overview: Enspiral is a network of professionals and companies working on socially impactful projects. It has a core infrastructure with various ventures operating within its ecosystem.
• Relevance: Enspiral's model of a core platform supporting various initiatives, some of which may spin off, is similar to The Commons' approach, especially with the intrapreneurship program.

This cooperative development framework emphasizes the integrated nature of development within The Commons Cooperative, highlighting how developers are integral worker-members contributing to a shared mission and benefiting from the collective success. The intrapreneurship program provides a structured way for innovation within the cooperative model, allowing for potential spin-offs while maintaining strong ties to the core organization.