Developing a Strong and Equitable Ecosystem across the Mid-Atlantic since 1999.
Welcome to the Keystone Development Center
Keystone Development Center (KDC) has been working with emerging, start-up and established cooperatives and businesses throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region for many years. We provide quality research and business development support. Our experienced team of cooperative and business development specialists can support you and your group from development through to operations.
If you are new to cooperatives, we suggest you begin with our Introduction to Co-ops primer. At any time, feel free to fill out our request for assistance form and someone will contact you directly to answer questions and provide additional information.
What We Stand For
KDC’s Values
As a values-guided enterprise, KDC embodies the idea that how we act matters as much as what we do, and in fact the two cannot be separated.
Cooperative economy is central to KDC. To us, this means that we care for one another, we are transparent and accountable, and we are in solidarity – we trust others to express how they need us to act in ways that further their aspirations for well-being.
Some of the ways that these values look in action are to listen and consider the voice of each stakeholder; to continually work to innovate; to cultivate a culture of inclusion and belonging; and to practice effective collaboration.
The Keystone Development Center (KDC) mission is to sustain communities, economies, and resources through cooperatively owned businesses.
- Increasing understanding of and support for cooperatives through education.
- Providing quality locally controlled technical and research assistance.
- Providing technical assistance and resources to groups forming and sustaining cooperatives.
- Establishing a sustainable cooperative development center.
There’s a Co-op for that!
Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others