Who We are
CPA currently operates in the D.C. metro area and Massachusetts, with some programs offered in Connecticut, Illinois, New York, and Ohio.
The Community Purchasing Alliance (CPA) is a cooperative that leverages the buying power of community institutions to accelerate progress towards sustainability, equity, and justice.
Our story begins after hearing the same story over and over again from local houses of worship in DC: “We spend more money on electricity bills than our clergy’s salary.”
What started as a 12 party collective energy purchase in 2011 grew to become a full-fledged cooperative in 2014. Today the Community Purchasing Alliance is a successful purchasing co-op in Washington DC that supports over $20 million in annual purchasing, with more than half supporting local small businesses and those owned by people of color. Schools, retirement communities, housing co-ops, and other non-profits add their purchasing power to the congregations who continue to benefit from the savings, insights, and solidarity our group purchasing programs provide.
