Cooperative Purchasing Alliance
The WNC Purchasing Alliance (WNC-PA) is a cooperative bulk purchasing enterprise specializing in large purchase lots of sustainable and regenerative items. The WNC-PA grows out of Cooperate WNC’s regional mutual aid network.
Informed by a diverse historical and current legacy of cooperative purchasing initiatives in the U.S., the WNC-PA is a natural next step for serving and connecting our network of innovative community organizations and regenerative living advocates.
We are already seeing WNC-PA integrate powerfully with our other cooperative economic activities, and add steam and glue to our vision for long-term alliances that put economic power back in the hands of local communities in service to a regenerative culture and climate-resilient future.
After completing a successful first purchase and order fulfillment of 240 commercial-grade outdoor heaters for restaurants and other community gathering spaces in November 2020, we are now offering bulk purchases of organic foods and eco-cleaning supplies, with more offerings to come based on needs of WNC-PA members.
Membership to the WNC-PA is open to individuals and organizations living and operating within the 22 counties of Western North Carolina.
If your organization, community group, farm, or business is a potential purchasing member, we encourage you to apply here.
If you or your business are a potential bulk supplier, and/or community-oriented investor, we encourage you to contact us here.
Benefits and functions of the WNC Purchasing Alliance
Saves significant money (estimated 10-30% depending on purchase type) for participating organizations and households through the power of bulk purchasing.
Creates access to certain goods that cannot be accessed otherwise, including high quality, regeneratively and cooperatively produced, and innovative products based on long-term relationships with producers.
Allows our network to exert social/economic leverage on our region’s future by directing large purchases towards value-aligned producers, such as local, cooperative, Black and Brown-owned, and/or women-owned businesses. Our organizational mentor, the Community Purchasing Alliance in Washington D.C., completed 60% of its $20 million of purchases last year with Black, Brown and women-owned suppliers.
Revenue from WNC-PA profit margin (5-12% depending on each purchase) designed to perpetually fund a large percentage of operating and programmatic costs of Cooperate WNC, making Cooperate WNC’s other programs accessible via low-cost and free offerings.
Catalyzes a larger collaborative ecosystem among WNC-PA members who can then work together in other ways beyond purchasing, based on the trust developed through the Purchasing Alliance.
Develops a concrete aggregation/distribution system to activate participation in multifunctional mutual aid community centers in diverse WNC community locations (a key part of Cooperate WNC’s vision for a regional mutual aid network).