We all have experiences with organizations as consumers and employees, but not all of us have experiences with cooperatives. Co-operatives are a different form of organization where you are not a consumer or an employee but a member. Members co-own and govern together. Since many people don’t have experience interacting with one another and with cooperatives as members, we decided to put together a quick guide to cooperative membership participation.
About Cooperatives: democratic, value-driven, and member-owned
Curbside Farms is a community service cooperative. We do what we do to fulfill a purpose which we all benefit from. We’re not here to make money. In fact, as a non-profit, we can’t make money.
In a cooperative, everyone works together for each other. We all make the decisions together. We figure out what needs to be done and volunteer to do part of it. In a community service cooperative, products and services are not means to an end but the end themselves. Instead of buying products and services from an external organization, we produce the products and services for ourselves. The goal is, then, not to make money but to achieve a common purpose. Any money that Curbside has at the end of the year is reinvested into the co-op in a way that is agreed on by the membership.
Democratic governance
Making decisions together requires a networked organization structure. Each member is treated as an equal, having an equal say in the decision-making process. Every year, every member is invited to a general meeting where the operations of the organization are discussed and members have an opportunity to vote on important issues. Our long-term goal is to create many more opportunities for members to democratically guide the organization than just once per year. This would include semi-regular deliberation circles, as well as committees, and an online platform. The goal is to make the organization accessible to all members and create many opportunities to get involved with governing our burgeoning local food system.
The day-to-day operations of Curbside are overseen by an elected board of directors that is responsible to the members and to upholding the mission/vision. The board is elected by the members at the annual general meetings. Any member can run for the board. As the organization grows, we want members to have many more opportunities to be involved in the operations of the cooperative. We want them to be able to have direct democratic control over the cooperative, and to co-design it. In order to accomplish this, we will need to build a networked organization system that can connect all members in real time. This will require the development of an online platform. The governance of a cooperative through an online platform is known as a “platform cooperative”.
The cooperative is legally owned by all members. Each member has an equal vote in the cooperative.
Cooperative principles
Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.
The cooperative principles are guidelines by which cooperatives put their values into practice.
1. VOLUNTARY AND OPEN MEMBERSHIP
Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political, or religious discrimination.
2. DEMOCRATIC MEMBER CONTROL
Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions on the principle of one member one vote. Members serving as elected representatives are accountable to the membership.
3. MEMBER ECONOMIC PARTICIPATION
Members contribute to and democratically control the capital of their cooperative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the cooperative. The cooperative’s surplus is either distributed to its members in proportion to their transactions with the co-op, or directed to other activities approved by the membership.
4. AUTONOMY AND INDEPENDENCE
Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their cooperative autonomy.
5. EDUCATION, TRAINING AND INFORMATION
Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives. They also strive to inform the general public – particularly young people and opinion leaders – about the nature and benefits of co-operation.
6. COOPERATION AMONG COOPERATIVES
Cooperatives serve their members and strengthen the cooperative movement by working in solidarity with other co-ops and national, regional, and international cooperative organizations.
7. CONCERN FOR COMMUNITY
Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.
Source: https://bcca.coop/knowledge-centre/co-op-business-model/co-op-principles/
Curbside’s Rules
https://www.curbsidefarms.ca/rules/