"an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-controlled enterprise"
The legal structure of a cooperative is different from that of a traditional business. Cooperatives are often structured as non-profit organizations or limited liability companies (LLCs) and are governed by a board of directors elected by the members.
The Cooperative Model: Understanding the basic principles of the cooperative business model, including member ownership, democratic control, and shared benefits.
Cooperative Governance: Exploring the structures, processes, and systems employed by cooperatives to govern their operations, including boards of directors, member meetings, and decision-making processes.
Cooperative Management: Examining the roles and responsibilities of management within cooperatives, including hiring, training, and supervision of staff, and the development and implementation of business plans.
Cooperative Legal Structure: Understanding the legal framework governing the formation and operation of cooperatives, including state and federal cooperative statutes, cooperative bylaws, and cooperative agreements.
Cooperative Marketing: Identifying the unique marketing challenges and opportunities faced by cooperatives, including effective branding, messaging, and member engagement.
Cooperative Finance: Understanding the financial management of cooperatives, including capital raising, budgeting, accounting, and financial reporting.
Cooperative Membership: Identifying the rights, responsibilities, and benefits of membership in a cooperative, including how to become a member, how to participate in the cooperative governance process, and how to access cooperative benefits.
Cooperative Social Responsibility: Exploring the ethical and social responsibilities of cooperatives, including environmental sustainability, fair labor practices, and community engagement.
Cooperative Networking: Developing and engaging in networks of cooperative stakeholders, including other cooperatives, suppliers, customers, and government agencies.
Cooperative Succession Planning: Preparing for leadership transitions in the cooperative, including succession planning for board members, managers, and staff.
Worker Cooperatives: These are businesses that are owned and democratically controlled by their employees, who share in the profits of the company.
Consumer Cooperatives: These are businesses that are owned and controlled by their members who are also the primary consumers of the products or services provided by the cooperative.
Housing Cooperatives: These are communities that own and manage the properties they live in, sharing the costs and benefits of living in a cooperative community.
Agricultural Cooperatives: These are organizations that are owned and controlled by farmers who come together to collectively market and distribute their agricultural products.
Credit unions: These are financial cooperatives that are owned and controlled by their members who use the services offered by the credit union.
Producer Cooperatives: These are businesses that are owned and controlled by the producers of a particular product or service who come together to collectively market and distribute their products.
Worker-consumer Cooperatives: These are businesses that are owned and controlled by both the workers and the consumers who share in the decision-making and profits.
Artisanal Cooperatives: These are collectives of skilled artisans who work together to create and distribute their products.
Energy Cooperatives: These are organizations that are owned and controlled by their members who come together to generate, distribute and use renewable energy sources.
Multi-Stakeholder Cooperatives: These are businesses that are owned and democratically controlled by multiple stakeholders including employees, consumers, producers, investors, etc.
Social Cooperatives: These are organizations that aim to provide services or employment opportunities to disadvantaged groups in society.
Platform Cooperatives: These are digital platforms that are owned and controlled by their users who participate in the platform's activities.
"Cooperatives are democratically controlled by their members, with each member having one vote in electing the board of directors."
"consumer cooperatives, producer cooperatives, worker cooperatives, purchasing cooperatives, multi-stakeholder cooperatives, second- and third-tier cooperatives, and platform cooperatives."
"in 2012 approximately one billion people in 96 countries had become members of at least one cooperative."
"The turnover of the largest three hundred cooperatives in the world reached $2.2 trillion."
"twice the number of co-operatives (80%) surviving their first five years compared with other business ownership models (41%)"
"the Mondragon Corporation ... has been in continuous operation since 1956."
"in 2013, retail co-operatives in the UK invested 6.9% of their pre-tax profits in the communities in which they trade"
"through the use of a .coop domain"
"the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA) introduced the Cooperative Marque, meaning ICA cooperatives and WOCCU credit unions can also be identified through a coop ethical consumerism label."