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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WAIT, Why am I Talking
Board meetings are platforms for conversation and deliberation. The room is set so directors can see, listen and converse with each other. An agenda keeps the discussions moving forward to...
Ways Gossip Hurt -Your Community
Gossip is harmful in all organizations and community associations are no exception.
What are Some Common Goals Set During these Meetings
The intensity of today's competitive business market means that it is increasingly important for businesses to host successful, productive, and effective meetings with their partners, employees, clients, and customers.
What is a Co-op_ – UW
Members democratically control their cooperative by exercising the voting rights that come with membership.
What is the right way to approve board minutes
Is it OK to indicate that board meeting minutes are approved based on, “Hearing no changes, let the record reflect that the prior minutes stand as approved?” Or should a...
What makes a good policy manual
Policies are the collective wisdom of the board, passed on to future leaders. Policies interpret the bylaws and articles of incorporation, which are purposely broad in scope.
What Makes a Great Meeting
What makes a great meeting? The best of them leaves us focused and energized because the meeting's purpose was clear; attendees felt engaged.
what to do when EEOC Comes Knocking
Has your co-op ever received a charge of employment discrimination? Such charges are often filed by co-op employees after termination.
What went wrong at Agway
On October 1, 2002, Agway filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Many people are asking what went wrong. This is a hasty attempt by the authors to analyze the situation.
When Guests Attend Board Meeting
Board meetings are called for the purpose of governance in accordance with the bylaws, policies, and state law.
When You Are the President
The mission of a Toastmasters club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every individual member has the opportunity to develop oral communication and leadership...
who runs the cooperative Business
Cooperatives, as a form of business owned and controlled by the people who use it, can be compared to buying a car, in that several parties must come together to...
Why the rent is too damn high- The affordable housing...
If you spent any time in the last few years searching for an apartment in the US, you likely came to the conclusion that current prices are, in a word,...
year of policy manual
The Form asks several questions about an organization’s policies. The aim is to answer the questions affirmatively by the time the form is used in 2009 for the 2008 tax...
YIKES I’m the Treasurer 
Your Board Member Recruitment Package
Here are some tips on what to include in your board’s recruitment package that you give to prospective board members. Deciding to join a board is a significant decision.
Your family disaster supplies kit
Disasters happen anytime and anywhere. And when disaster strikes, you may not have much time to respond.
Your Mission Statement is not a turkey
Boards sometimes create a mission statement, much like how we prepare a holiday turkey. They stuff as much as they can into the mission to satisfy everybody.
Your Timeline for Planning a Successful Annual Meeting-
Whether you are about to plan a meeting or have just hosted one, the following guide explains what your board should do.