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Cooperative Basics

What a housing cooperative is, how co-ops are organized, their history and mission, affordability, and starting a new co-op.

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Cover Image Cooperative societies were created long before the advent of the fair trade movement Cooperative societies were created long before the advent of the...

Cooperative societies were created long before the advent of the fair-trade movement to help workers improve their livelihoods and protect their interests.

Article  Coop History
Cover Image Cooperative Startups & Education Cooperative Startups & Education

The cooperative form of business is a unique model that focuses on delivering services needed by its owner-members, rather than generating profits for investor-owners.

Article  Coop Starting a Coop
Cover Image Cooperative Theory New Approaches Cooperative Theory New Approaches

This report comprises nine papers on cooperative theory, covering operations, market behavior, decision-making, finance, and other aspects of farmer cooperation. These papers were written as part of an ACS project...

Reports  Coop What Is A Coop
Cover Image Cooperative Unification Highlights From 1989 To Early 1999 Cooperative Unification Highlights From 1989 To Early 1999

Cooperative Unification Highlights From 1989 To Early 1999

Reports  Coop History
Cover Image Cooperative-Principles-–-UW-Center-for-Cooperatives-–-UW–Madison Cooperative-Principles-–-UW-Center-for-Cooperatives-–-UW–Madison

Cooperatives trace their roots to the Rochdale pioneers, who established the first modern cooperative in Rochdale, England, in 1844. These principles have been refined, adapted, and reinterpreted over time.

Article  Coop 101
Cover Image Cooperatives A Housing Alternative for Rural America Cooperatives A Housing Alternative for Rural America

In a housing cooperative, people join to form a cooperative corporation that owns the buildings in which they live. Purchasing a share in the cooperative entitles each member to lease...

Guides  Coop Affordable
Cover Image Cooperatives and the Millennium Development Goals Cooperatives and the Millennium Development Goals

The United Nations Millennium Declaration and its goals set out issues that must be addressed if we are to strengthen the foundations of a more peaceful, prosperous, and just world.

Reports  Coop 101
Cover Image Cooperatives and the Sustainable Development Goals Cooperatives and the Sustainable Development Goals

A consensus on goals, targets, and indicators for sustainable development must be reached by the end of 2015. The big questions revolve around the ways the international community will respond...

Reports  Coop 101
Cover Image Cooperatives in Economic Development Cooperatives in Economic Development

A survey of Economic Development Professionals in Minnesota and Wisconsin

Guides  Coop 101
Cover Image Cooperatives in Wisconsin The power of cooperative action Cooperatives in Wisconsin The power of cooperative action

Members who use the cooperative own their co-op because they finance it in a variety of ways. They share both the business risks and the business profits. Each cooperative determines...

Reports  Coop What Is A Coop
Cover Image Cooperatives Principles and Practices on the 21st Century Cooperatives Principles and Practices in the 21st Century

Examples of Cooperative or collective action can be traced back to our prehistoric predecessors, who recognized the advantages of hunting, gathering, and living in groups rather than individually.

Reports  Coop 101
Cover Image Cooperatives Theory Principles and Practice Cooperatives Theory Principles and Practice

Cooperatives are typically based on the cooperative values of "self-help, self-responsibility, democracy and equality, equity and solidarity" and the seven cooperative principles.

Reports  Coop 101
Cover Image Cooperatives What They Are and the Role of Members, Directors, Managers, and Employees Cooperatives What They Are and the Role of Members, Directors,...

This is an educational guide for teaching basic information about cooperatives. It explains what cooperatives are— their business, principles, and structural characteristics, as well as the responsibilities and roles of cooperative...

Reports  Coop Guidebook
Cover Image Coops 101An Introduction to Cooperatives Coops 101 An Introduction to Cooperatives

This booklet introduces you to the attributes that distinguish a cooperative from other ways to organize and conduct a business. Its purpose is to help you understand what makes cooperatives...

Reports  Coop What Is A Coop
Cover Image Corporate Governance - Board of Directors Corporate Governance – Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is ultimately responsible for ensuring the credit union is operated in a safe and prudent manner and for ensuring adherence to standards of prudent and sound...

Reports  Coop Guidebook
Cover Image Counting Limited-Equity Co-ops, Research Update, UHAB Counting Limited-Equity Co-ops, Research Update, UHAB

Thus far, we have accounted for just over 300,000 units of the 425,000 estimated to have been produced, 166,608 of which are still limited equity. In the document below, we...

Article  Coop Affordable
Cover Image Creating a Shared Vision Creating a Shared Vision

“The world is such a changeable place that you need to have a well-articulated long-term sense of where you’re going, which gives you the base, the confidence, to take on...

Article  Coop Mission
Cover Image Decision Making in Cooperatives with Diverse Member Interests Decision Making in Cooperatives with Diverse Member Interests

Members of a cooperative typically have diverse economic interests. These may encompass the size, type, and location of farm enterprises, as well as the length of membership. Maintaining cohesiveness to...

Guides  Coop Mission
Cover Image Deep Uniquely American Roots of Our Affordable Housing Crisis Deep Uniquely American Roots of Our Affordable Housing Crisis

Nearly half of all renters can't afford rent, and over half a million Americans are homeless on any given night. How did we get here?

Article  Coop Affordable
Cover Image Defining Cooperatives Defining Cooperatives

A cooperative can be defined in various ways; no single definition is sufficient for our study.

Reports  Coop What Is A Coop
Cover Image Dermographia International Housing Affordability 2022 EDITION Dermographia International Housing Affordability 2022 EDITION

Housing affordability is particularly critical due to the strong increase in remote working (telework) during the pandemic, which is accelerating the movement to more affordable places. It will likely also...

Reports  Coop Affordable
Cover Image Developer Toolbox Developer Toolbox

There will be presentations included that describe the financing process in detail, and describe the information that will be required for the application process, to help streamline the process

Guides  Coop 101