Download Center
Welcome to our Cooperative Housing Download Center — your gateway to a vast collection of educational materials.
Use the search box to explore and filter downloads by book type (Articles, Guides, Books, Reports, and Journals) or by category to quickly find the information that best fits your needs.
Our Portal Library is a comprehensive resource curated from trusted cooperative and housing organizations. It brings together a wealth of articles, guides, books, reports, and journals focused on cooperative housing, governance, leadership, and community development. Each publication is selected for its relevance and practical value, helping cooperative board members and leaders strengthen their knowledge in areas such as:
Governance and Legal Frameworks –
Understand your duties, responsibilities, and ethical obligations.
Financial and Business Planning
Learn strategies to keep your cooperative strong and sustainable.
Operations and Maintenance
Gain insights into maintaining property value and community trust.
Marketing and Member Engagement –
Explore proven ways to build community participation and satisfaction.
Sector-Specific Studies
Dive into focused research on housing, agriculture, finance, and more.
Whether you’re seeking research-based insights or practical management tools, our Download Center serves as a one-stop hub for cooperative knowledge—supporting informed decisions and effective leadership across all cooperative communities.
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When you click on an item below, you’ll be taken to a page with a quick overview of that resource so you can learn more before downloading it. At the bottom of each page, you’ll see a five-star rating section — please take a moment to rate any items you’ve looked at! Your feedback helps me know which resources people find most useful and which ones might need to be updated or removed.
Executive Director Position Description
Seeking to identify a dynamic association executive prepared to build upon the current successes of the Association.
Executive Sessions
Some boards believe that executive sessions are a way to hold discussions without staff present and without liability for discussions held.
Fact Sheet-Shelter In Place
One of the instructions you may be given in an emergency where hazardous materials may have been released into the atmosphere is to shelter-in-place.
False Starts – 13 ways to blow Strategic Planning
Boards can be resistant to thinking strategically. Some find it easier to focus on short-term thinking and safe topics.
Family Disaster Plan
Being prepared before a disaster strikes is one of the best ways to make your family and home safer. Taking preparatory action now is a way to exert a measure of...
family-disaster-plan
What would you do if basic services–water, gas, electricity, or telephones–were cut off? Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach...
FCM Sustainable Affordable Housing Fund
FCM’s Sustainable Affordable Housing Initiative is delivered through the Green Municipal Fund (GMF), backed by the Government of Canada.
feasibility study outline
A feasibility study is an important step in business development.
Finance Self-Audit of Common Standards
The nonprofit community in the United States is well established with commonly accepted practices and government-required standards.
Financial capital replacement reserve plans
A capital replacement reserve plan is a strategy for keeping your co-op in good repair into the future.
Financial examples of action plan goals
The goals listed below are not mandatory and are meant to provide an example of the types of activities you might already be doing that could be included in your...
Financial Literacy for Nonprofit Boards
Nonprofit boards need up-to-date financial information to make informed decisions. But not every board member arrives with a deep appreciation for, or even a passing familiarity with, financial reports.
financial special assessments
In most cases, an association's board of directors has the authority to adopt special assessments without requiring a unit owner vote, subject to limited veto rights for unit owners.
Financial Standing Orders
The objective of this policy is to outline various standing orders related to the organization's finances.
Financing cooperatives
A cooperative uses capital to finance its operations, cover operating expenses, and invest in fixed assets, such as buildings and equipment.
First Bite Conflicts of Interest
I had read the organization's governing documents. The board had signed a code of conduct prescribing their role as serving all members and advancing the mission.
Focused Board Meetings
Several factors can detract from effective board meetings, including inadequate room setup and a poorly designed agenda.
Four Pillars of Cooperative Governance
Great leaders demonstrate how to be a force for good in local communities and beyond.
From Tactical to Strategic Thinking
This training workshop is designed to provide Cooperatives (board and staff) with guidance on where to begin, how to get started, and ultimately to develop a Strategic Plan.
Fundamentals of Good Governance
Board discussions should be visionary, and directors are considered as thought leaders.
Gaining Altitude at Board Meetings
An association board should advance its cause or mission, serve its stakeholders, and make the best use of its resources.
General Board Guidelines Board governs and the staff manages
The board acts and thinks strategically, setting goals and strategies for the future with input from members, stakeholders, and committees.
Got the Agenda Now What
The purpose of an agenda is to ensure that a meeting is conducted in an orderly manner and that discussions lead to results.
Give Yourself a 100