NEW SURVEY REPORT

2025 ESOP Corporate Governance Survey

The NCEO's 2025 ESOP Corporate Governance Survey report is now available. Thank you to all 556 respondents for providing valuable data on ESOP company corporate governance practices and policies!

See the report

ESOP Corporate Governance Survey

IN-PERSON MEETING

Is Employee Ownership Right for your Business?

Are you interested in using an ESOP as an exit plan or employee benefit but unsure where to start? Join us in Baltimore this October for our "Is an ESOP Right for you?" seminar, a one-and-a-half day event for business owners considering their succession planning options. This seminar will cover financing, transaction structure, valuation issues, investing the 1042 rollover, and more, to equip you for employee ownership success.

February 2 - 3, 2026 | Fort Lauderdale, FL

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Become an NCEO member to access countless resources and benefits that help you navigate employee ownership. Whether you're considering a transition to employee ownership, administering an existing plan, or providing services in the field, NCEO membership connects you to essential resources and a vibrant community.

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Turbulent Times: Managing ESOP Owned Companies Through the Downturns - Key Considerations and Practical Advice

This session will review the estate planning opportunities that are available to business owners who are undergoing an ESOP transaction. These opportunities stem from 1) the capital gains tax deferral offered by Internal Revenue Code section 1042; 2) the unique effect of an ESOP on the value of retained stock ownership; and 3) the structure of the proceeds received after the sale of a company to an ESOP. Some of the opportunities that arise from these circumstances include:

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What is Employee Ownership?

Employee ownership is a term for any arrangement in which a company’s employees own shares in their company or the right to the value of shares in their company. Employee ownership is a broad concept that can take many forms, ranging from simple grants of shares to highly structured plans. The most common form of employee ownership in the U.S. is the employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), a highly tax-advantaged plan in which employees own shares through a trust funded by the company. Other forms of employee ownership include stock options, stock grants, synthetic equity (granting the right to the value of shares but not the shares themselves), worker cooperatives, and employee ownership trusts.

Help us point you in the right direction:

Which of these best applies to you?

Considering employee ownership

If you wonder if employee ownership might be a good fit for your company, learn more about its different forms in our free booklet Who Should Own Your Business After You?. If you already know an ESOP is the most likely candidate, our prefeasibility toolkit and tax advantage calculator can help you decide next steps. For other forms of employee ownership, visit this table for a side-by-side comparison.

In leadership at an ESOP company

The NCEO and the employee ownership community can help you make the most of your ESOP. Our resource toolkits are a good place to start to learn about best practices in corporate governance, repurchase obligation, financing, and more. You can also use our readymade communications resources and join peer networking groups or leadership cohorts.

An employee-owner

We answer common questions about being a participant in an ESOP or you can learn why you might want to work at an employee-owned company. We can also help if you are curious about what the research says or if you are looking for readymade resources to help communicate employee ownership to your coworkers.

A professional advisor

If you are already working with employee-owned companies, our toolkits and communications resources can help you support your clients, and our publications and live and online events can keep your knowledge current (and provide continuing education credits!). If you want to learn about the field, start with What is Employee Ownership? or our ESOP prefeasibility toolkit.