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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Anatomy of a Motion
A MOTION is a statement proposed by a qualified member of the board or committee to propose action or take a position. Motions recorded in the minutes indicate whether a...
Anatomy of a Policy Statement
POLICIES supplement the governing documents of an organization. They represent the recommended course of action set by an organization's governing body.
Anatomy of a Succession Plan
A SUCCESSION PLAN is a document that guides the governing board in the planned or emergency departure of the chief executive officer or other key positions.
Anatomy of Consent Agenda
The CONSENT AGENDA is a concept to save board time. It is a single line on the regular agenda.
Anatomy of Meeting Minutes
MEETING MINUTES are the permanent record of what took place at official meetings of a board or committee. They report on the actions, or lack of actions, of the board.
Annual Meeting Checklist
Fostering community economic development through the cooperative business model
Annual Review for Non-Profit Housing Boards
Note: additional requirements may be in place by specific funders/funding agreements
Appraisals Personal Reviews
The issue of how to conduct appraisals and personal reviews arises as a common theme among worker co-ops.
Are You Ready for a Thunderstorm
Here’s what you can do to prepare yourself and your family
Are Your Board Committees Working Well
No board’s committee structure should be set in stone. Every board should pay close attention to the needs of the board and the organization, and ensure that its work groups...
Association Essential Documents
The core documents to maintain a nonprofit organization.
Balance Sheet Cheat Sheet
The balance sheet – also called the Statement of Financial Position – serves as a snapshot, providing the most comprehensive picture of an organization’s financial situation.
Being a Top-Notch Community Association Board Member
How to get the job done without losing sleep, alienating your neighbors, tripling your assessments, and landing in court
Best Practices Board Responsibilities
Topics, techniques, and best practices to improve governance and management of associations, chambers, and nonprofit organizations. Presented by Bob Harris, CAE, chairman of NonProfitCenter.com, instructor, author, and certified association executive.
Better Engaged Boards
How do we keep directors engaged? "They lose steam. A few quit coming to meetings. The passion they expressed has waned," are frequent complaints. The problem may run deeper than...
Better Governance
The concept of board governance is vague. Directors may find themselves on board, but their knowledge of good governance is limited. This guide offers smart practices and takes governance from...
Board Agenda Filter
How does the board know if an agenda item is ready for Discussion?
Board Chair Prep
Are you about to become your organization’s board chair? Congratulations! Here are six things you can do to prepare.
Board Committee Membership Who Should Serve on Which Committee
While determining the membership of your board committees is often more art than science, it pays to take a strategic approach.
Board evaluation Guide-
Volunteers are busy people who contribute great value to the organization. The evaluation process is an approach to ensure the best use of the board’s time, as well as helping...
Board Fiduciary Roles
With board service comes fiduciary roles. Information and orientation will help directors understand the responsibilities. (Circle the best answers.)
Board Governance the Freshmen Class of Directors
Welcome to the board! While you may feel like the new guy on the block, nearly every board has a class of "freshmen directors."
Board Meeting Practices
A compilation of practices offered through the ASAE Executive Section listserv in March
Board Meeting Preparation
Those who report that their board members are prepared for meetings also report positive board culture.