Washington, D.C. · Nonprofit
COOPERATIVE LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
COOPERATIVE LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (Washington, D.C.) receives grants from 9 organizations whose IRS filings report $15,521,805 to it, the largest being MASTERCARD FOUNDATION ($7,226,605). 7 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2025
- $20M
- Funders on record
- 9
- Grants received
- $16M
- Net assets
- $16M
What Cooperative League of the United States of America does
Mission
Ncba clusa is the apex association for all co-ops in the u.s. With a mission of developing, advancing, and protecting cooperatives. It realizes its vision of helping more people use cooperatives to build a more inclusive economy by engaging in advocacy, public awareness, education, and cooperative development.
As stated on its FY2025 Form 990.
Programs
On its FY2025 return the organization reported starting a significant new program and a significant change in how it conducts a program.
Financial inclusion for youth and msmes: a project led by a kenyan based organization (mespt) and funded by master card foundation. Ncba clusa acts as implementation partner under a sub-agreement signed with mespt (signature was on dec 2025). The project focuses on helping small and mid-size business iniitiatives led by youth associations to grow and thrive. It focuses on 28 counties within kenya. Its implementation started in dec. 2025.
Its own explanation, from Schedule O of that return (Part III, line 2).
Ncba clusa had significant changes in its program portfolio due to us federal government decision on terminating its financial support to international cooperation projects. In the course of 2025 ncba clusa terminated 12 projects within its international program portfolio (cdp, f2f, dom002, drc002, ecu01, gua005, ina016, mad009, per001, pue001, tls012, tls013) -all these projects focusing on technical support to help improving and/or strengthening local producer / farmer associations, cooperatives, organizations, and helping them to achieve better income generation, organizational capacity, etc. Due to this situation, ncba clusa heavily focused in 2025 on services related to program closure, and on strengthening its domestic program portfolio, which had more opportunities for development through funding from private sector / foundations.
Its own explanation, from Schedule O of that return (Part III, line 3).
People, nature and spices partnership (pens):originally, this was planned as a five-years project (sep.2022-sep 2027) funded by usda/food for progress ($23 m) to sustainably increase the productivity and trade of three spices (ginger, oregano and turmeric) produced in peru and following a cost-effective model. The program was terminated in june 2025 as part of the us federal government's decision to end financial support to international cooperation innitiatives. Despite its shorter implementation period, this program had a positive social, economic and environmental impact, which included: the use of environmentally friendly production practices by farmers, strengthening local associativity capacity -including farmer associations and cooperatives led by women. The project directly benefitted over 6,000 producers within the ginger, turmeric, and oregano value chains, close to 70 producer organizations and cooperatives, particularly in the geographical areas of piura, lambayeque, junn, moquegua, and tacna. Project actions were grouped into seven clusters, as follows: cluster 1 facilitating access to financial services; cluster 2 training of agricultural extension agents with focus…
The usda-funded indonesia spice trade alliance (ista): project was a seven year (2019-2026) innitative implemented by national cooperative business association clusa international (ncba clusa) and funded by usda. With the termination of federal government's funding to international cooperation innitiatives, the ista project had its closing in june 2025. The project collaborated with leading organizations in spice sector including u.s. Companies such as mccormick & company, leading indonesia agribusinesses as well as local cooperatives and farmers to increase productivity and efficiency in three indonesian spice value chains (black pepper, cinnamon, and vanilla) through strengthening the capacities of farmers, cooperatives, and other private entities; and to improve and expand the production of these crops through improving quality to meet international standards; strengthening cooperatives; strengthening public-private partnerships; connecting farmers and cooperatives with indonesian and u.s. International spice traders; improving environmental resiliency, sustainable certifications, and spice crop diversity; and linking recent university graduates to careers in extension…
Tudituale:this 5-year (nov 2023-sep 2028) funded project was led by the catholic relief services (crs) and ncba clusa provided technical support services as subawardee with approved total budget of $10.1 m. The project was expected to support local communities and authorities in the drc (specifically localted in the kasai central region) to address food, nutrition and economic insecurity, as well as lack of resilience to climate-related shocks. Within this context, ncba clusa led technical work related to the strengthening of producer organization's governance and capacity, the development of small businesses, the access to market opportunities (for farmers), the improvement of the conditions needed for sustainable agricultural production, as well as those for access to quality food by local communities, specially those in vulnerable conditions. In 2024 ncba clusa carried out technical assistance through activities that included: workshops for local community members, representatives of local inspection for rural development (local authority) and small-business owners, to exchange on opportunities and challenges for business opportunities development. Also work sessions focusing…
Advancing food systems and nutrition:this usaid funded project ($15 m) was expected to be implemented in timor over a five-year period (sep 2023 to sep 2028). However, in januaruay 2025 received a stop work order, and subsequently in february a cancellation notice, as part of the us federal government's decision to cancel funding for several international cooperation innitiatives. The main goal of this project was to strengthen the country's food systems by increasing the availability, access, affordability, desirability, and consumption of healthy diets that are safe, diverse, and made up of nutritious foods, particularly for women and children. It developped work in four target locations (emera, aileu, ainaro and dili) in partnership with the local cooperative "cooperativa cafe timor" (cct) and hamutuk ita ajuda malu (hiam) health. The work carried out in 2024 helped to register 1,040 farmers keen on learning and growing nutritious foods for home consumption as well as for local traditional markets (farmer distribution: aileu: 269, ainaro: 284, dili: 235, ermera: 252). It also organized in collaboration with the ministry of health a community outreach event focusing on…
Usda climate-smart commodities:this 4.5-year project ( april 2023 - sep 2027) is funded by usda/natural resources conservation service (nrcs)'s pertnership for climate-smart commodities ($15.6 m).it was temporaly paused in 2025 as part of the us federal government's termination of several us funded projects, and re-activated in 2026/first quarter. It's main goal is to build markets for climate-smart commodities and invest in america's climate-smart producers to strengthen u.s. Rural and agricultural communities. To achieve this, the project develops work around supporting, through technical and financial assistane, underserved puerto rican farmers in adopting climate-smart agriculture and forestry practices (csfa) meeting nrcs' practice standards for the production in 10,000 acres of land of climate-smart commodities -namely: rust/climate change resistant varietals of arabica coffee, shade, hardwood, and citrus. The project provides voluntary incentives to producers and landowners, including early adopters, to implement cimate-smart agricultural production practices. It also works in measuring/quantifying carbon and greenhouse gas benefits associated with those practices; and…
Wadata:this 7-year (oct 2018-sep 2025) funded project was led by save the children (save) and ncba clusa provided technical support services as subawardee with approved total budget of $7.1 m. With the us federal government's decision of terminating funding for several international cooperation innitiatives, this project was paused in 2025/ist quarter, and re-activated at later stage. Ncba clusa's subaward ended 30th sep. 2025. Wadata was a usaid food for peace / food security activity that helped over 600 villages in the zinder region of niger to enhance collective actions addressing food, nutrition and water security, as well as to develop local-level innitiatives to better manage natural ressources, and plan for villages development. Ncba clusa played a key rol by leading technical implementation of activities focusing on water management, natural resources management, local-level development plans, and strengthening community-based organizations, as well as community-level committees in their composition, planning, and work execution.
Strengthening the cooperative ecosystem: this 5-year (2022-2027) $4.6 m project funded by usda national institute for food and agriculture (nifa) looks at strengthening the cooperative ecosystem for historically underserved farmers, ranchers, cooperatives, and their communities. It operates in the united states, and in puerto rico. The project is focused on providing access to usda services, including preparing grant applications, increasing capacity and technical assistance opportunities for farmers and cooperatives to create business plans and conduct feasibility studies for their cooperative. This project provides small grants to cooperatives for programming and educational resources. Our main objectives include increasing awareness of the cooperative model among historically underserved farmers, ranchers, foresters, and the organizations that assist them; creating culturally appropriate resources to develop and run cooperatively owned businesses; providing educational and training opportunities to develop a cadre of cooperative developers with economic and cultural ties and experience with historically underserved communities; and researching policy and regulatory factors that…
Cooperative ecosystem and social inclusion:this usaid funded project ($9.4m) was expected to be implemented over a five year period (oct 2023 to sep 2028). However, in january 2025 received a stop work order, and subsequently in february a cancellation notice. It included work with local subawardees in peru and in madagascar, as well as with cooperatives in guatemala and kenya. Its main goal is to contribute to advance cooperatives in countries where usaid engaged, as part of its cooperative development program, to improve cooperatives' capacity, enabling environment, and resources generation and management. The project had as target beneficiaries 49 cooperatives (10 in madagascar, 16 in kenya, 11 in peru, 12 in guatemala), and about 197,000 members of cooperatives. Technical activities were organized under the following main categories: (I) cooperative capacity strengthening; (ii) cooperative enabling environment; (iii) learning applied to community's development. In kenya, the project supported work to enahnce the cooperative bill as part of enhaning enabling environment for cooperatives, while in peru worked with the cooperatives association in carrying out learning activities…
The 8 programs described on its FY2025 Form 990, listed largest first by expense.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2017, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2017, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2017 to 2018, from $41M to $31M (−25%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
Government-grant reliance: 2017 77% · 2018 79% · 2019 78% · 2020 79% · 2021 74% · 2022 73% · 2023 79% · 2024 84% · 2025 60%. Grants only. Government contracts and fees sit inside program revenue.
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 5 of the last 9 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Chief executive
Douglas O'Brien
President & CEO
Board chair
Jeffrey Connor 1st Vice Chair
Until 6/25, then chair
As listed on its FY2025 Form 990.
Who funds it, year by year
2017 → 2023: the base narrowed from 3 funders to 2 funders, grant income fell $2.9M → $1.8M.
Left out of every figure on this page: $651k from one payer (the payer shares this organization's board, largest Cooperative Development Foundation). These are real filings, and they are not money COOPERATIVE LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA raised.
From the IRS filings of COOPERATIVE LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA’s funders (the co-funder graph). Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
COOPERATIVE LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA leans on a few funders — its largest provides 47% of grant income and the top three 91%; half comes from just 2 funders.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 2 funders to its left
100% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund COOPERATIVE LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2017 79% · 2018 79% · 2019 77% · 2020 52% · 2021 73% · 2022 98% · 2023 99% — growing more concentrated.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How long its funders stay
33% of COOPERATIVE LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA's funders are still giving 3 years after their first grant; 78% give in more than one year at all.
Share of funders still giving k years after their first recorded grant, pooled across every acquisition cohort. A funder counts as retained in a year only if it made a grant that year. Measured to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving — a funder cannot be counted as lapsed in a year most filers have not reached.
Where its funders are
COOPERATIVE LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA draws 85% of its grant income from funders outside Washington, D.C., across 4 states in all.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Organizations like COOPERATIVE LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Washington, D.C.
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Governance
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for COOPERATIVE LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds COOPERATIVE LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?
- COOPERATIVE LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (Washington, D.C.) receives grants from 9 organizations whose IRS filings report $15,521,805 to it, the largest being MASTERCARD FOUNDATION ($7,226,605). 7 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does COOPERATIVE LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA have?
- IRS filings report 9 organizations giving $15,521,805 in grants to COOPERATIVE LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 7 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of COOPERATIVE LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA?
- MASTERCARD FOUNDATION is the largest funder on record, with $7,226,605 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like COOPERATIVE LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Washington, D.C.. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2025 (financials across 2017–2025), and the filings of 9 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing