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Who’s Who in ESOPs and Employee Ownership

Your guide to a growing field

When the NCEO was founded in 1981, there weren't many other organizations active in the field. Now, however, there are many players, including nonprofits, government agencies, and universities. They may focus on a particular aspect of employee ownership or a particular country or region. This page gives you a current breakdown of the scene. Email suggestions to esoporgfeedback@nceo.org.

National Membership Organizations in the U.S.

The National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO): That's us! We're a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership and research organization founded in 1981, with thousands of members ranging from companies to advisors to academics.

State-Level Organizations and Government Offices in the U.S.

Federal Agencies

The Employee Benefits Security Administration

EBSA is a division of the U.S. Department of Labor. As it states, "The Department of Labor enforces the law by informally resolving benefit disputes, conducting investigations, and seeking correction of violations of the law, including bringing lawsuits when necessary. The Department has benefits advisors committed to providing individual assistance to participants and beneficiaries. Participants will receive information on their rights and responsibilities under the law and help in obtaining benefits to which they are entitled.Contact a benefits advisor by calling toll free at 1-866-444-3272 or electronically at askebsa.dol.gov."

Internal Revenue Service

Other Entities in the U.S.

  • Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program (EOP): Advances employee ownership through research, convenings, and dialogue.
  • Democracy at Work Institute: Created by the United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives to ensure that worker cooperative development in economically and socially marginalized communities is adequately supported, effective, and strategically directed.
  • EO=: A campaign to advocate for employee ownership, overseen by several nonprofits.
  • ICA Group: A nonprofit organized as a worker cooperative that has launched dozens of worker-owned cooperatives and social enterprises, helped dozens of companies convert to worker ownership, and created and preserved over 10,000 jobs.
  • Ownership Works: A nonprofit partnering with investors and public and private companies to expand broad-based employee ownership across corporate America. Ownership Works was founded by Peter Stavros of KKR in 2021.
  • Project Equity: Helps businesses with ESOPs, worker coops, and employee ownership trusts.
  • Tandem Center for Shared Business Success: A nonprofit dedicated to helping businesses use profit sharing and/or direct employee ownership to achieve their goals.

National Organizations Based Outside the U.S.

Equity Compensation-Focused Groups

These entities and their members don't necessarily think in terms of employee ownership, but they do deal with company stock plans for employees.