About New Economy Coalition
What is the New Economy Coalition?
The New Economy Coalition (NEC) is a US-based membership network for the solidarity economy movement. Founded in 2012 on the heels of the Great Recession, NEC organises 150+ member organisations — nonprofits, mission-driven businesses, grassroots community groups, and sectoral associations — into "a more powerful and united force, in order to accelerate the transition of our economic system from capitalism to a solidarity economy."
NEC began as a think tank modelled after the New Economics Foundation (UK), drawing on the "new economics" framework popularised at what was then the E.F. Schumacher Society in Western Massachusetts. The vision is regional solidarity economies: ecosystems where housing, schools, farms and food production, local governance, art and culture, healthcare, and transportation are "controlled and governed by the people, led by those most marginalized by our current economy."
Where will I work?
NEC's direct team of ~14 staff is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts at 130 Bishop Allen Drive — but the network's impact spans the entire US. The work culture supports remote and adjustable schedules; lean team structure and flat governance mean each staff member works across multiple programme areas with visible, tangible community-level outcomes.
What is the NEC team like?
NEC is a worker self-directed nonprofit (WSDN) since 2021 — combining the democratic spirit of a worker co-operative with the legal structure of a 501(c)(3). There is no Executive Director. The General Circle, made up of elected staff representatives and member-elected board representatives, manages most high-impact personnel, finance, and programme decisions. Decisions are made collectively through an adapted form of sociocracy, and each staff member also stewards organisational health and shared administrative tasks.
The organisation has evolved significantly since 2012 — by 2016, NEC had transitioned from being "a largely white, upper class organization to one whose staff and board are majority people of color, and significantly more geographically and socioeconomically diverse." In 2018, leadership shifted from a traditional hierarchical nonprofit to a four-person co-directorship before becoming a fully WSDN organisation in 2021.
Five values guide work: be rooted in history, culture, and tradition; embody a culture of reparations and restoration to self, each other, and the earth; practice responsive, participatory governance; follow the leadership of communities most harmed by the current economic system; be adaptable to crisis and embrace changing conditions.
Work-Life Balance
NEC operates a 32-hour, 4-day work week as part of its broader commitment to the values it advocates for in the wider economy. The worker self-directed model means each staff member has authority to influence both the programmes they work in and the conditions of their workplace, including their own career path and the direction of the organisation as a whole.
Perks and Benefits
- 32-hour work week with worker self-directed governance — staff make collective decisions via adapted sociocracy
- Remote-friendly nationally; HQ in Cambridge MA
- Worker self-directed nonprofit (WSDN) — staff have power to influence programs, conditions, career paths, and the direction of the organization
- 4-person co-directorship model (no Executive Director) since 2018, fully WSDN since 2021
- Standard 15-day paid vacation policy