Center for Economic Democracy

What Center for Economic Democracy does

The Center for Economic Democracy (CED) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Jamaica Plain, Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 2012 (originally as the Economic Justice Funding Circle, EJFC) by Aaron Tanaka and incorporated in its current form in 2018. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs spanning four functional tracks: popular education and narrative organizing (e.g., the Economics for Emancipation seven-module online curriculum and the Movement Finance Freedom School); coalition organizing and policy advocacy (e.g., the Coalition for Worker Ownership and Power, the Better Budget Alliance, and campaigns that won Boston Ballot Question 1 in 2020 mandating participatory budgeting and the Massachusetts Office of Employee Ownership in 2022); redirecting capital and resourcing frontline communities (e.g., the Social Movement Investing framework, the Solidarity Economy Incubator cohort program, the Solidarity Philanthropy Learning Circle, and the new People's Portfolio digital tool); and convening work including the Movement Finance Forum, a national network of networks launched in late 2024.

CED serves four primary stakeholder groups: grassroots community organizations (racial and economic justice groups needing coalition infrastructure); policy makers and municipal leaders (seeking democratic governance tools such as participatory budgeting and worker ownership policy); foundations, funders, and aligned investors (seeking frameworks to redirect capital to frontline communities for a Just Transition); and worker cooperatives, unions, and labor organizers (seeking pathways to workplace ownership). Its customer segments are deliberately horizontal — the organization engages grassroots, policy, philanthropic, and labor constituencies on roughly equivalent footing rather than prioritizing a single buyer.

The business model is philanthropic rather than commercial. CED is funded by grants and donations from foundations and individual donors and charges no fees for its programs, services, or resources. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Cost recovery is supplemented through its role as fiscal sponsor for aligned projects (e.g., Center for Cooperative Development and Solidarity, Boston Jobs Coalition). Headcount is reported at 11–50 employees with explicit growth signals in 2024–2025. Geographic footprint is primarily Massachusetts and New England with explicit national expansion through the Movement Finance Forum launched in 2024 and a 2025 product launch extending reach nationally via web tools.

Name

Center for Economic Democracy

Legal name

Center for Economic Democracy

Website

https://economicdemocracy.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Center for Economic Democracy (CED) is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that advances economic democracy through coalition organizing, popular education, policy advocacy, and capital redirection. It serves grassroots community organizations, municipal policy makers, philanthropic funders, and worker cooperatives across Massachusetts and increasingly nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Jamaica Plain

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grants and Donations: CED operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization funded primarily through grants and donations from foundations, individual donors, and aligned investors committed to economic justice and solidarity economy.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CED is a nonprofit that organizes coalitions, delivers popular education, and develops capital strategies to advance economic democracy. Its primary offerings include the Solidarity Economy Incubator cohort program for grassroots projects, the Social Movement Investing framework for redirecting capital to frontline communities, the Economics for Emancipation online curriculum, coalition convening through COWOP and the Better Budget Alliance, and fiscal sponsorship of aligned initiatives. Programs and resources are delivered free of charge to participating organizations, policy makers, and funders.

Product overview

The Center for Economic Democracy operates as a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and initiatives rather than a single product. The core offerings include the Solidarity Economy Incubator (SEI) supporting grassroots liberation projects, Economics for Emancipation (E4E) as an online popular education curriculum, Social Movement Investing as a capital strategies framework, and the Movement Finance Forum as a national convening network. These programs are complemented by coalition-building efforts through COWOP and the Better Budget Alliance, the People's Portfolio digital divest/invest tool, and Movement Finance Freedom School educational programming. Together, these offerings form a comprehensive ecosystem aimed at building economic democracy through education, coalition organizing, capital redirection, and policy advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Social Movement Investing: A capital strategy framework that partners with aligned investors, wealth managers, and community organizers to accelerate democratization of wealth from the 1% to workers and communities.
• Economics for Emancipation (E4E)
• Movement Finance Freedom School
• Solidarity Economy Incubator (SEI)

Products and services

• Solidarity Economy Incubator (SEI) A 2-year cohort program (transitioning to annual) supporting grassroots projects building liberatory initiatives that promote a regenerative economy based on care, cooperation, community control, and ecological/social well-being. Designed for grassroots organizers and movement builders.
• Social Movement Investing A capital strategies framework operating in partnership with aligned investors, wealth managers, community organizers, and others to accelerate democratization of wealth from the 1% to workers and communities who created it. Designed for foundations, impact investors, and movement-aligned funders.
• Economics for Emancipation (E4E) An online popular education portal featuring a seven-module introductory curriculum on building an economy that centers care, relationship, and liberation, covering capitalism and solidarity economy alternatives. Aimed at grassroots organizers, students, and movement learners.
• Movement Finance Freedom School A curriculum engaging grassroots and movement organizers in deepening knowledge about the history and function of finance, exploring how to use financial tools to create a more democratic world. Designed for grassroots and movement organizers.
• People's Portfolio A divest/invest digital tool launched summer 2025 that guides users through steps to divest from harm and invest in life, featuring resources, divestment stories, and tools to move employment-based retirement benefits. Aimed at individual investors and movement-aligned employees.
• Movement Finance Forum A national network of networks bringing together frontline organizing groups, progressive asset owners, and capital strategies practitioners, designed to grow community power through movement-aligned capital strategies. Aimed at organizing groups, asset owners, and capital practitioners.
• Better Budget Alliance A grassroots coalition of community-based organizations and unions in Boston working to increase democratic control over the municipal budget, organizing for participatory budgeting processes that advance racial and economic equity. Aimed at community-based organizations and unions in Boston.
• Coalition for Worker Ownership and Power (COWOP)

Quantifiable outcome

• Won Boston Ballot Question 1 mandating participatory budgeting
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Movement Finance Forum NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024National network of networks anchored by CED, bringing together frontline organizing groups, progressive asset owners, and capital strategies practitioners. Includes Climate Justice Alliance, Chordata Capital, Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, Movement for Black Lives, Neighborhood Funders Group, New Economy Coalition, Resource Generation, Seed Commons, Solidaire Network.
• New Economy CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember-based network of over 200 groups representing the solidarity economy movement in the United States. NEC supports a just transition from extractive to regenerative economy by building scale and power of solidarity economy movement in Black, Indigenous, and working class communities.
• Rising MajoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of BIPOC and multiracial justice organizations convened out of Movement for Black Lives in 2017. Aim is to develop greater alignment and build collective power among organizations working in different arenas of struggle against fascism and authoritarianism.
• Coalition for Worker Ownership and Power (COWOP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide network bringing together worker co-ops and developers, grassroots organizations and labor unions, and funders and investors to resource and coordinate the advancement of worker ownership movement across Massachusetts.
• Better Budget AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrassroots coalition of community-based organizations and unions in Boston working to increase democratic control over the municipal budget. Organized for participatory budgeting process that advances racial and economic equity.
• Samara CollectiveminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWebsite design and development partner that designed and developed the CED website. Also provides accessibility support contact ([email protected]).
• Boston Jobs CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCitywide network fighting to ensure employment opportunities from Boston's construction boom benefit local residents. Fiscally sponsored by CED.
• Center for Cooperative Development and Solidarity (CCDS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-led organization supporting development of worker-owned cooperatives in East Boston immigrant community. Fiscally sponsored by CED.
• Community Movement CommonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrings Boston-based organizers, movement workers, community members, midwives, and healers together. CED is a core partner anchoring CMC, along with Neighborhood Birth Center, Resist, Movement Sustainability Commons, and Sisters Unchained.
• Access StrategiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-created the Solidarity Economy Initiative in 2014 as a hub and community of practice for grassroots organizers and movement funders.
• City Life/Vida UrbanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing justice organization that participated in Boston Community Finance Study Group exploring alternative financial institutions.
• WILLOW Permanent Real Estate CooperativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQueer and trans BIPOC-led cooperative business committed to cultivating healing through community-centered real estate. SEI 2025 cohort member.
• UPTIMA Entrepreneur CoopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorker cooperative providing holistic education and advising for diverse entrepreneurs. SEI 2025 cohort member.
• Families for Justice as HealingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizes women and impacted families to shift resources from criminal punishment system to communities. SEI 2025 cohort member.
• Mutual Aid EastieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork creating community spaces that build unity and solidarity through mutual support. SEI 2025 cohort member.
• H.O.M.E Coalition of Greater BrocktonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Land Trust building permanently affordable, community-controlled housing. SEI 2025 cohort member.
• Participatory Budgeting ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with CED to help design Boston's first participatory budgeting process 'Youth Lead the Change' in 2013.
• Chinatown Community Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReceived $196,000 grant from SEI cohort in 2024. Boston-based community land trust.
• Matahari Womens Workers CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReceived $50,000 grant from SEI cohort in 2024. Women's workers center in Boston area.
• Boston Ujima ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative economics ecosystem connecting small business owners, impact investors, residents and anchor institutions. Incubated by CED in 2015 following Boston Community Finance Study Group.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Solidaire Network: Movement philanthropy network of high-net-worth donors funding grassroots organizing and just-transition work. Co-founded by Farhad Ebrahimi (CED board member); both organizations channel capital to frontline movements and frequently overlap on member and partner relationships.
• Right to the City Alliance: National alliance of 90+ community-based organizations fighting for housing, land, and cultural rights. CED board member Khalida Smalls serves as Organizing Director there, making RTTC a directly adjacent grassroots coalition partner.
• Resource Generation: Organizes young people with wealth to redirect resources to social movements. Directly comparable mission to CED's Social Movement Investing framework, and a CED board member previously directed national leadership retreats there.
• Participatory Budgeting Project: National nonprofit implementing participatory budgeting in U.S. cities; partnered with CED on Boston's 'Youth Lead the Change' in 2013. Both organizations deliver democratic economic-governance infrastructure and frequently co-author PB campaigns.
• Seed Commons: National network of community-governed loan funds for cooperative and community-owned enterprises. A Movement Finance Forum partner; both CED and Seed Commons redirect capital to democratic, community-controlled economic projects.
• Boston Ujima Project: Cooperative economics ecosystem in Boston investing in working-class businesses of color. Incubated by CED in 2015; both organizations operate in the Boston solidarity-economy space with overlapping capital-redirection and cooperative-development mandates.
• New Economy Coalition: National network of 200+ solidarity-economy organizations that CED is a member of. Both focus on building cooperative, regenerative economic alternatives; NEC operates at the network level while CED runs the on-the-ground coalitions and capital vehicles.
• Neighborhood Funders Group: Philanthropy support organization focused on place-based and movement-driven grantmaking. CED founder Aaron Tanaka serves on NFG's board and CED operates as both a funder convener and recipient within the same philanthropic ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Climate Justice Alliance: Member of CED's Movement Finance Forum network; both work on just transition from extractive to regenerative economies. CJA leads on climate-specific organizing while CED operates the broader economic-democracy umbrella that encompasses climate work.
• Movement for Black Lives: National umbrella coordinating BIPOC-led organizing; CED's partner Rising Majority emerged from M4BL. Both operate at the intersection of racial justice and economic transformation, though M4BL is broader in scope and CED focuses specifically on economic democracy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/center4econdem
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8KeKBaMzT6OAoFFSWTts9Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/economicdemocracracy
• Instagraminstagram.com/center4econdem
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-economic-democracy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Center for Economic Democracy