Thoughts and success stories

Community Investment Co-ops are an exciting way to support community development. They allow people to invest their money in local businesses and initiatives. A CIC…

  Every co-op is governed by a board made up of member shareholders, and these directors generally bring different skills and experience to the table. Typically,…

Collecting charitable donations is a popular way to raise funds. Money is always better when you don’t have to pay it back, right? Maybe. But…

Very few people look forward to attending an Annual General Meeting (AGM). Unless you’re part of a small employee-owned co-operative, the percentage of member shareholders…

Having to refer to “The Act” is often an unpleasant (but necessary) process for those starting or running a co-op. Let’s look at how to…

Starting a new co-op is exciting, rewarding, and can have far-reaching benefits. It also takes a lot of work. Many business ideas struggle to get…

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Yes, the holiday season — but it’s also time for co-ops to think about audits. Okay, maybe…

“[Incorporating a co-op] was a process that really was not that difficult once we had some guidance.” – Maggie Bluewaters, the Food Forest and Learning…

In this episode, Kyle, Dan, and Aasa discuss what membership engagement looks like for co-operatives, given how many different types of co-ops – and different…

This episode kicks off our four-part series on co-operative governance with Co-operatives First’s Executive Director Audra Krueger. Kyle, Aasa, and Audra talk about why people…

Most co-ops have, at some point or another, encountered difficulties getting their members involved in the organization. Low engagement can reveal itself in a variety…

Naming a co-operative can be one of the more enjoyable parts of incorporating a co-operative. The naming process sometimes even piques the interest of those…

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – AGM season! Co-operatives and credit unions will soon be issuing notices to shareholders and members of…

Set aside personal biases As a director, all the decisions you make at the board table should be in the best interest of the organization….

Opportunity costs Taking an opportunity from idea to reality requires time and resources. It also shuts the door on what might have been had you…

If you are interested in buying into co-operative housing, you may be wondering how it works. Affordability is one of the key characteristics of co-operative housing….

A few things shareholders, members and directors can do to help make their co-op more successful.

Co-operatives have a proven track record of being more sustainable than other forms of business. But, like other business models, co-operatives can fail. Here’s 5 reasons why.

Who OWNS a co-operative may be very different from those that USE its services.

Three ways groups and communities can structure a housing co-op.

While it’s true that some co-operative businesses prioritize services over profits/dividends, they are generally still motivated by producer-consumer interaction, trade, revenue and competition – all things that benefit an economy and business environment.