Who is Sourcewell?

  • Sourcewell is a Minnesota Service Cooperative governed by Minnesota Statute 123A.21. Legislation passed in 1976 established nine educational cooperative service units (ECSU, pronounced "ex-sue") across the state to support schools.
  • Legislators later renamed ECSUs to service cooperatives and expanded their constituents to also include cities, counties, and other units of government.
  • The Region 5 service cooperative is now named Sourcewell. We serve Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena counties.
  • We are governed by publicly elected officials from the five counties we serve, and we are funded almost exclusively through program service fees. These fees, generated through our cooperative purchasing program, serve as our main source of revenue.
Map of Minnesota service cooperatives

What does this mean?

As a government organization, we share a common commitment to improve the lives of the people we serve. As a Minnesota-based organization, we want to help all our communities grow and thrive. By offering a dynamic hub of solutions, we help public agencies operate more efficiently and effectively, enabling them to better serve their communities.

How does it work?

Today, we partner with education, government, and nonprofit agencies to boost student and community success — as well as help other public agencies do more with less.

What’s in it for your community?

  • We provide professional development, contracted services, funding, internship reimbursement, facility construction, and other needs identified in collaboration.
  • We invested more than $18.5 million into local communities and school districts in 2023-2024, with $29.8 million budgeted for 2024-2025. These funds support goals and needs identified by the public leaders within our five-county region.

See some of the great work we've done together! Learn more

Common questions

    Yes. Sourcewell is a service cooperative created by the Minnesota legislature as a local unit of government (Minn. Const. art. XII, sec. 3). Sourcewell is governed by local elected municipal officials and school board members. Minn. Stat. § 123A.21 Subd. 4 (2017). As a public agency, all Sourcewell employees are government employees.

    All education and government entities, as well as nonpublic schools and nonprofit organizations, can register with Sourcewell as a participating agency by completing a simple online registration form.

    A Board of Directors governs Sourcewell, and is elected by full-voting members from a pool of county commissioners, city council members, mayors, or school board members from our five-county service area.

    The nine service cooperatives are geographically distributed across the state and serve members in their respective areas. Each service
    cooperative has a unique understanding of the strengths and needs of their members and use these insights to
    positively impact and improve outcomes.

    Learn more about the Minnesota Service Cooperatives.

    Leadership & governance

    Board of Directors

    sourcewell-mn.gov

    Board of Trustees

    sourcewell-mn.gov

    Senior Leadership

    sourcewell-mn.gov

    We're dedicated to service

    Every offering is guided by: 

     

    Vision

    We provide leading solutions that empower community success.

    Mission

    We are a force multiplier.

    Values

    • Seek.  We embrace curiosity by listening to the needs of others, professionally challenging ideas, looking for effective solutions, and promoting innovation and individual growth.
    • Empower.  We are accountable and liberate others by maximizing individual strengths, encouraging transparency, removing barriers, promoting self-awareness, and expecting high standards of conduct.
    • Impact.  We make a difference by providing exceptional service, transforming potential into action, fostering a positive culture, and acting with integrity.

    References & quick links

    Register to participate

    It's 100% free, and easy to join

    Career opportunities

    Join the growing Sourcewell team

    MN service cooperatives

    Access all nine MN cooperatives

    Annual report (PDF)

    An overview of 2024 and what’s planned for this fiscal year.

    Training & Event policies

    Registration, cancellations, and other event notices

    Publicity & recognition guidelines

    Tips on how to boost your public relations opportunity.