The COOL Cooperative

What The COOL Cooperative does

The COOL Cooperative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered at 800 Richard Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, founded in 2014 to deliver hands-on film industry training to youth from 6th grade through high school graduation. The organization runs a five-program portfolio: the Cohort (weekend and after-school film education), COOL Academy (curriculum and tools for teachers and students), COOL Camp (a 4-week intensive summer program capped at 35 campers producing a short film with industry mentors), the two-year Film Tech Fellowship (six fellows per cohort, each specializing in a distinct film discipline), and the Heritage Documentary Project (HDP, a workforce development program embedding documentary filmmaking into Louisiana schools). Approximately 1,000 students have completed COOL programs since inception, and student-produced films have earned recognition at professional festivals and IMDb credits for participants. The technology base is professional film production equipment, a gear rental locker, and a YouTube channel for content distribution rather than a software platform.

The cooperative is governed by a board and operates with a 5-6 person core team (Interim Executive Director/Program Director, HDP Administrator, Cohort Leader, Cohort Intern, and Marketing & Office Manager). It serves three segments: middle and high school students as the primary audience, partner schools and educators as institutional customers, and local film professionals and educators who rent equipment or volunteer as guest instructors. All student programs are free; students aged 16+ receive hourly compensation. The organization has a structural relationship with the Louisiana Motion Picture Tax Credit program, enabling certified film productions to satisfy workforce development requirements through financial contributions or in-kind activities routed to the cooperative.

Revenue is derived from individual donations, government grants (notably a $470,800 Louisiana Economic Development grant awarded August 2024 and a prior $49,000 LED grant in January 2021), corporate giving and tax-credit-channeled contributions, and equipment rental fees. Specific annual revenue is not publicly disclosed; financial transparency is maintained through publicly available audits and IRS Form 990 filings on the cooperative's website.

Name

The COOL Cooperative

Legal name

The COOL Cooperative

Website

https://thecoolcooperative.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The COOL Cooperative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in New Orleans delivering free hands-on film industry training to Louisiana youth from 6th grade through high school graduation across Cohort, COOL Camp, Fellowship, HDP, and Academy programs, funded primarily through donations, grants, and Louisiana's Motion Picture Tax Credit workforce channel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Film Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI)

Keywords

• Youth film education
• Filmmaking workforce training
• Documentary heritage projects
• Film production mentorship
• After-school media programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute through one-time or recurring donations (weekly, monthly, yearly). Current fundraising campaign shows $4,436.42 raised toward $30,000 goal with 15 donations.
2. Government Grants: Louisiana Economic Development awarded $470,800 grant to expand middle and high school film production training program. This represents significant government funding for workforce development.
3. Equipment Rentals: Professional gear rental program for local filmmakers, students, and educators. Rental fees support student projects. Special pricing offered for teachers in New Orleans community.
4. Corporate Giving & Partnerships: Corporate donations and charitable matching programs. The organization partners with film productions to fulfill Louisiana Motion Picture Tax Credit workforce development requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The COOL Cooperative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers a progressive portfolio of free film education programs for Louisiana youth from middle school through high school graduation. Core offerings include The Cohort (weekend/after-school training), COOL Camp (intensive summer filmmaking), The Fellowship (two-year professional training), the Heritage Documentary Project (school-based documentary filmmaking), and COOL Academy (teacher/student curriculum support), complemented by community events and equipment rentals.

Product overview

The COOL Cooperative is a nonprofit youth film education organization offering a portfolio of five core programs: The Cohort (weekend/after-school film education), COOL Academy (teacher and student support), COOL Camp (intensive summer filmmaking), The Fellowship (two-year professional training), and Heritage Documentary Project (cultural documentation). These programs are complemented by city-wide events including the Film Slam Showcase and NOFF Student Takeover. Together, they form a progressive pipeline from middle school through career preparation, providing technical training, mentorship, and hands-on production experience in the film industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Cohort A premier weekend and after-school program for middle and high school students that provides a professional environment for young creators to transition from fans to filmmakers through structured, hands-on curriculum with classes, workshops, and monthly productions. Free to students.
• COOL Camp An intensive 4-week summer filmmaking program where students work alongside industry professionals to produce a short film. Limited to 35 campers, 6 counselors, and 6 dedicated teachers ensuring low camper-to-counselor ratio. Films produced have won awards at professional festivals and earned campers IMDb credits.
• The Film Tech Fellowship A two-year Film Tech Fellowship offering hands-on instruction in all aspects of film production using industry-standard equipment, one-on-one mentorship, and real-world experience through professional projects. Welcomes a cohort of six fellows each specializing in a distinct film discipline.
• Heritage Documentary Project (HDP) A workforce development program that empowers youth to document and preserve cultural heritage, oral traditions, and regional historical landmarks through engaging classes, workshops, and hands-on documentary production activities. Currently serves 121 students across 5 partner schools in Louisiana.
• COOL Academy A program that supports teachers and students by providing tools, curriculum, and support needed to tell their own stories through film.
• Equipment Rental Program Professional gear rental service for local filmmakers, students, and educators. Special pricing offered for teachers in the New Orleans community. Rental fees support student projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 students have completed COOL programs since 2014
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• IATSE Local 478majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Union collaborator for MUA (Makeup Artist) Workshops and other specialized training programs. Partnership provides vital workforce training for production departments and connects students with union professionals.
• New Orleans Film Festival (NOFF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Annual Student Takeover partnership where COOL Cooperative curates interactive workforce film installations for 300+ students. Students view special screenings of Heritage Documentary Projects and curated films. Partnership engages underserved communities around New Orleans and River Parishes.
• Son of a SaintminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Nonprofit hosting venue for the third annual Student Film Slam, where cohort films 'Gloves Up' and 'A Broken System' premiered to standing-room-only audience.
• Louisiana Film Productions (Tax Credit Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOOL Cooperative fulfills the workforce development requirement for state-certified productions receiving Louisiana Motion Picture Tax Credits. Productions can fulfill requirements through financial donations (.25% of tax credit filing) or activities like set visits, classroom visits, equipment donations, and facility rentals.
• Second Line StagesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm production facility that opened its doors to host the 2nd Annual Film Flea Market, supporting COOL's community event and film equipment trading.
• University of New Orleans Film DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCamp field trip destination where students learned about film production and explored professional equipment and workflows.
• Sideshow PropsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional prop-making facility that hosted camp field trip to help students prepare props for their upcoming production and provided behind-the-scenes look at professional prop-making.
• WYES StudiosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTelevision production facility that hosted camp field trip where students toured facilities and learned about television production and broadcasting.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Youth FX: Albany, NY-based nonprofit offering free media arts education to youth ages 10-24. Directly comparable as a youth media/film education program with progressive training and mentorship.
• Reel Works: Brooklyn-based nonprofit offering filmmaking mentorship and training to youth. Directly comparable as a free youth film education program with one-on-one mentorship and professional production experience.
• Inner-City Filmmakers: Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing filmmaking training, mentorship, and internship placement to underserved youth. Directly comparable as a youth film education nonprofit with a workforce pipeline into the entertainment industry.
• Ghetto Film School: New York-based nonprofit providing free film education to high school students from underserved communities. Directly comparable as a youth-focused film education nonprofit with similar mentoring and workforce pipeline mission.
• Latino Film Institute (Youth Cinema Project): National nonprofit running the Youth Cinema Project, which brings filmmaking education into K-12 schools serving Latino and underrepresented youth. Directly comparable school-based film education nonprofit model.

Broad incumbents

• Sundance Institute: National nonprofit with established youth and emerging filmmaker labs. A broader incumbent in film arts education and workforce development, serving a more national footprint.
• SFFILM: San Francisco-based film nonprofit operating the SFFILM Festival and robust youth education programs. Broader incumbent offering film education alongside festival and exhibition programming.

Regional players

• New Orleans Film Society: Regional nonprofit that runs the New Orleans Film Festival and youth programs in the same metro area. Comparable as a regional film nonprofit with youth engagement, and the COOL Cooperative's NOFF Student Takeover partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@coolcooperative
• Facebookfacebook.com/thecoolcooperative
• Instagraminstagram.com/coolcooperative/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-cool-cooperative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The COOL Cooperative