What if we decided together where money goes in our community? What if economic power here was shared, not concentrated? What if the people closest to the problems got to design the solutions?
In Tompkins County, nearly 60% of renters are cost-burdened. Nearly two-thirds of Black workers earn below a living wage. And almost half of all workers in the county earn less than what it costs to meet basic needs.
The Tompkins People's Project is building something different: a model where working-class residents, small businesses, grassroots organizations, and other local stakeholders set the priorities, shape the process, and direct community-controlled capital to locally owned businesses and cooperatives.
A membership structure where every person gets one vote, regardless of how much they invest. Decisions about where capital goes are made by the community, not behind closed doors.
Capital deployed to locally owned businesses and cooperatives, building wealth that stays in Tompkins County and creating jobs for the people who live here.
Ongoing education and organizing that builds our shared understanding of how money moves, who benefits, and how we can shift those patterns together.