A demand co-op is a cooperative that pools and directs the spending power of its members. Demand determines what gets built, who survives, and where wealth flows. Most communities already have enormous spending power, but because that demand is unorganized, the value created from it is captured by outside businesses and investors. A demand co-op coordinates that spending so economic activity can build communal businesses, assets, and long-term ownership instead of constant leakage.
This reminds me of open source bounties. I’ve been thinking a lot about to aggregate the small nonprofits served by TechSoup turn philanthropy into negotiating power. Group buying, mutualism, are all a part of the answer. I will add this to the list.