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Co-operative Bonds

Co-operative Bonds is a cooperative development consultancy structured as a cooperative itself. Founded by Antony McMullen, Clare Fountain, and Paul Saeki, it provides education and development services to help purpose-driven member-based organisations build financially viable and sustainable models.

McMullen presented the economic democracy case at a 2020 Designing Open Democracy podcast on moving beyond Corporate Social Responsibility toward structurally democratic economic institutions.

What they do

  • Governance consulting and framework design
  • Business model development and economic modelling
  • Adult learning and cooperative education
  • Corporate strategy for member-driven enterprises

Co-operative Bonds notably co-drafted the Co-operative and Mutual Enterprise (CME) governance framework for the Australian Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM) in 2018 — a best-practice governance standard for the sector.

Cooperatives they have supported

The consultancy has supported the development of several cooperative ventures, including:

  • bHive (Bendigo) — Australia's first platform cooperative for neighbourhood resource and skill sharing
  • Cooperative Power Australia — renewable energy cooperative
  • Earthworker Co-operative — worker cooperative ecosystem including Redgum Cleaners Cooperative
  • ORICoop — Organic and Regenerative Investment Cooperative

About the founder

Antony McMullen is a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia (FGIA) and the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA). He also co-founded 888 Co-operative Causeway and the (now closed) Co-op Incubator.