Frequently Asked Questions

What is the RI Political Cooperative?

The RI Political Cooperative, or Co-op, is a non-profit corporation that provides campaign services to progressive political candidates in Rhode Island. All candidates share a common platform that puts people first.

What is the legal status of the Co-op?

The RI Political Cooperative is a non-profit corporation: it has no shareholders or owners and accrues no profit. It is not the type of non-profit organization that is tax exempt. Tax exempt “public charity” or “social welfare” non-profit organizations (designated as 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) organizations) are restricted in their ability to provide campaign services to candidates. Providing those services is essential to the mission of the RI political cooperative. It chooses therefore to forego a tax exemption and pay taxes on any net income.

What support does the Co-op provide campaigns?

The RI Political Cooperative supports candidates and their campaigns in three ways. First, it enables a slate of like-minded candidates who support a common policy agenda and don’t take campaign contributions from corporate PACs, corporate lobbyists or the fossil fuel industry to run together – helping, supporting and learning from each other. Second, it provides comprehensive direct services to each campaign, including candidate training; campaign manager recruitment, training and oversight; campaign plan development; communications support; and developing, training and deploying a statewide volunteer force for canvassing, phone banking and all other volunteer needs. Third, to counter the power of corporate money in politics, it provides a means for participating candidates to build a statewide donor base.

As is required by state campaign finance law, the RI Political Cooperative charges campaigns for the direct services it provides.

Is the Co-op a PAC?

No. PACs (political action committees) are formed to make contributions to campaigns and to make “independent expenditures” on advertising, canvassing and other activities to support campaigns. The RI Political Cooperative does neither of those things. Instead, it provides services to campaigns that pay for those services.

Is the Co-op a worker's cooperative?

No. The word “cooperative” is used in the colloquial sense: a group of people – the candidates and the grassroots members – coming together behind a shared mission. The RI Political Cooperative is a non-profit corporation.

Still Have Questions?

Who is eligible to become a Co-op candidate?

The RI Political Cooperative welcomes candidates running for any elected office in Rhode Island who agree to the shared people-first platform and make a binding pledge to refuse campaign contributions from corporate PACs, corporate lobbyists, and the fossil fuel industry. Candidates do not need prior political experience or access to personal wealth. The Cooperative actively encourages first-time candidates, working people, renters, parents, and residents from communities that have historically been underrepresented in Rhode Island politics to apply.

To join the Cooperative as a candidate, an individual submits an application that includes a statement of values, a description of the office sought, and a commitment to participate in the Cooperative’s training and peer-support process. Applications are reviewed by current Cooperative members and staff, who assess alignment with the platform, readiness to run a grassroots campaign, and willingness to collaborate with other Cooperative candidates. Incumbent officeholders may also join if they adopt the full funding restrictions and platform commitments.

The Cooperative focuses its resources on races where grassroots organizing can change outcomes, including municipal offices such as city council, school committee, and mayor, as well as seats in the Rhode Island General Assembly. From time to time, the Cooperative may also support candidates for statewide office or federal office when those candidates fully meet the same standards and agree to run as part of the Cooperative slate.

How does the Co-op raise and spend money?

All revenue for the RI Political Cooperative comes from individual contributions and candidate service fees. The Cooperative does not accept money from corporate PACs, corporate lobbyists, or the fossil fuel industry, and it does not seek or receive tax-exempt status. Because it is a non-profit corporation that pays taxes on any net income, the Cooperative can lawfully provide direct campaign services without the legal restrictions that apply to 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) organizations.

Candidate service fees are structured to cover the actual cost of shared staff, training, office space, technology, voter data access, compliance support, and other campaign infrastructure. This cooperative model lowers the cost of running for office by spreading fixed expenses across multiple campaigns. Individual donors may contribute to the Cooperative’s general operations, but such contributions are not tax deductible and do not purchase any ownership or control over the organization.

The Cooperative publishes an annual financial report that details revenue sources, operating expenses, and any net income. All spending decisions are made by Cooperative members through a transparent budgeting process. Candidate service fees are set at the beginning of each campaign cycle and are the same for every candidate running for a comparable office, regardless of that candidate’s personal fundraising capacity.

Can I volunteer with the Cooperative even if I’m not a candidate?

Yes. Volunteers are the backbone of every Cooperative campaign, and you do not need to be a candidate, a member, or a resident of Rhode Island to contribute your time and skills. The Cooperative runs a structured volunteer program that matches individuals with campaigns and projects based on availability, experience, and interest. All volunteers receive basic training on voter contact, message discipline, and data handling before being assigned to a campaign.

Common volunteer tasks include:

Door-to-door canvassing and literature drops
Phone banking and text banking to identify supporters
Data entry and voter file updates
Event setup, staffing, and voter registration drives
Graphic design, photography, and social media support
Translation and interpretation for multilingual voter outreach

Volunteers can choose to support one specific Cooperative candidate or work across the entire slate. The Cooperative provides ongoing support, including weekly check-ins, advanced training for volunteer team leaders, and a shared calendar of actions. No financial contribution is required to volunteer, and the Cooperative does not ask volunteers to disclose their personal political party affiliation.

What is the relationship between the Co-op and political parties?

The RI Political Cooperative is not a political party and does not run candidates under its own ballot line. Cooperative candidates run as Democrats, Republicans, independents, or under any other ballot designation permitted by Rhode Island law. In practice, most Cooperative candidates run in Democratic primaries because the Cooperative’s people-first platform aligns closely with the values of many Democratic primary voters, but the Cooperative itself is not affiliated with, controlled by, or answerable to any party committee.

The Cooperative maintains complete independence from party leadership and does not coordinate its candidate recruitment, endorsement, or service decisions with Democratic, Republican, or independent party organizations. This independence allows the Cooperative to support candidates in primary elections where grassroots organizing can shift the composition of the legislature or local government, even when party insiders prefer a different candidate. Cooperative candidates are encouraged to build respectful working relationships with local party committees and grassroots allies, but those relationships do not affect their standing within the Cooperative.

Decisions about which candidates receive Cooperative support are made by Cooperative members based on the candidate’s commitment to the shared platform, refusal of corporate and fossil fuel money, and readiness to run a collaborative campaign. Party loyalty, seniority, or endorsement by party leaders are not factors in the Cooperative’s decision-making process. The Cooperative may support multiple candidates running for different offices in the same party primary, but it never endorses or provides services to candidates who accept prohibited contributions.