EOX State Center Project Grants

Geographic Scope: Virginia-based funder supporting State Centers across the United States

Focus Areas:

• Community-focused initiatives to engage business owners
• Creating new pathways to employee ownership
• Developing tools and resources for the EO ecosystem
• Educational content and training programs
• Research and toolkit development
• Storytelling and narrative infrastructure
• Convenings and strategic events

Funding Details:

• $168,500 total awarded to 10 State Centers (as of February 2026)
• Nearly 70% of funded work creates shared value across state lines
• Project-specific grants designed for bold, innovative initiatives

RMEOC — Building the EOT Toolkit

• Research publication on Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs)
• Practical toolkit for practitioners and policymakers
• Public EOT webinar

TNCEO — Rebuilding Trust With Focused, High-Quality Convenings

• Four strategic regional events
• Reconnection with legacy ESOP advisors
• New relationships with SBDCs and economic developers
• Generated 100+ registrations statewide

OEOC — A Shared Resource for Selling Owners

• Updated "Selling Your Company to Your Employees" book
• Custom, print-ready PDFs for State Centers
• Coverage of ESOPs, worker co-ops, EOTs, and related models

MNCEO — Worker Co. Podcast

• Narrative-focused podcast platform
• Stories from worker-owners, practitioners, and ecosystem partners
• Flexible storytelling channel for education and outreach

ILCEO — People, Profits & Performance Training

• Business training curriculum
• Open-book management and financial literacy focus
• "Great Game of Business" framework
• 50%+ email open rates on outreach
• Reached 200+ partner organizations

NCEOC — Ambassador Program Toolkit

• Full webinar agenda and slide deck
• Process notes for software setup and follow-up
• Guidance on recruiting and supporting Ambassadors
• Cross-state observation and training opportunities

TXCEO — Texas-Sized EO Coalitions

• Dallas ESOP event
• Austin co-op convening
• Purpose Trust Ownership Conference (national-scale gathering)
• 70+ participants in Austin, 25+ in Dallas

VEOC — Early-Stage Owner Readiness Guides

• "Laying the Groundwork" — internal guide for staff and partners
• "Understanding the Journey" — plain-language guide for selling owners
• Targets owners 5-10 years before transition

Strategic Alignment:

• Tied to EOX core Ownership Accelerators
• Strengthening State Centers
• Expanding business outreach
• Supporting real transitions to employee ownership

Contact Information:

• Email: info@eoxnetwork.org
• Phone: (651) 319-1874
• Address: 1405 S Fern Street Box 534, Arlington, VA 22202