Organizing Stage
Vision
Build a shared vision:
•Identify the needs to be met
•Visit Co-ops
•Find a mentor co-op
•Gather Information:
•"How to Start a Food Co-op"
•FAQ's (CDS Consulting Co-op)
•"Cooperatives, A Tool for Community
Economic Development" (UWCC)
•Cooperative Grocer archives
•View "A Co-op in Your Community"
PowerPoint presentation
•Contact regional cooperative
development centers
•Communicate your ideas
Links:
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Food Co-op Directory List
Food Co-op Initiative Website
Food Co-op Initiative Contact List
How to Start a Food Co-op
Cooperative Grocer Articles Archive
Webinar: Orientation to Development
Webinar: Developing a Shared Vision
Webinar: Organizing Stage Skills & Tools
Food Co-op FAQ's
A Co-op in Your Community PPT
CDS Consulting Co-op
Conduct community meetings
•Introduce the idea of a food co-op
•Recruit others who share the vision
and are willing to dedicate time to
development of a food co-op
•Build awareness and support
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A Co-op in Your Community video
Request a DVD of this presentation via
[email protected]
Identify potential members
•Among others, consider:
•Natural food shoppers
•People who want good food in a
community atmosphere.
•Supporters of the co-op model
•Local producers and their
customers
•People with special diets (glutenfree, vegan, etc.)
Identify community leaders
•Look for:
•Recognized voices in your
community
•Visionaries & Change Agents
•Politically connected
•Organizations with social missions
Organizing Stage
Talent
Create an effective
organization
•Recruit/identify leaders
•Act on behalf of the future
members until a board of
directors is elected
•Promote the vision
•Recruit and direct other
helpers
•Create a structure for ongoing communication and
meetings with members
Links:
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Webinar: Governance &
Accountability
Set up task forces
•These are smaller groups of
steering committee
members and volunteers
•Ensure clear expectations
and accountability
•Areas to cover may include:
•fundraising
•membership
•community outreach
•incorporation
Find people to help
Set up basic
office/administrative support
• Recruit volunteers (in
addition to those on the
board & steering
committee) for task force
activities and special events
•potential members
•civic promotors
•Identify talents and
resources within your
membership & community
•Phone/fax line(s)
•E-mail address
•Website
•Person or persons who will
keep track of decisions,
reports, etc.
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.coop domains
Google Voice
Find someone to do
graphics/web design
•Volunteer or paid person
who can create effective
presentations
Organizing Stage
Capital
Determine organizing
budget
•Initial budget for the
organizing stage
includes:
•copying/mailing
costs
•Costs for public
meetings
•Communications
•Preliminary Sources
& Uses Budget
Commit Resources
•Use founder
donations
•Define acceptable
use for membership
investments
Set up financial
accountablility systems
Find resources for
organizational costs
•Assign check-writing
responsibility and
oversight
•Create auditable
tracking systems
•Designate spending
authority and
budgets
•Seek out local
community
development grants
and other grant
opportunities
Links:
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Sources & Uses Template
Webinar: Developing A Budget
For A Food Cooperative
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USDA Rural Development
Seed Grants
Other grant links
Raise money locally to
meet required
matching funds
•Approach strong
supporters of the coop's mission (food
justice groups, local
producers, etc.)
•Collect donations
from organizers and
public meetings
•Use funds from early
memberships
Organizing Stage
Systems
Create a development
plan:
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Incorporate
Budget
Timeline
Create task forces
Concept Policy & Parameters
• File Articles of Incorporation
• Seat Founding Board
Implement
Communication Systems
Conduct
Customer/member survey
• Survey community at large
• Helps bring recognition to the
effort
• Identify the range of goods and
services desired
• Helps to refine store concept
and vision
• Set up a web site
• Create informational flyers
• Develop a steering committee
communications system
• e-mail groups
• records of decisions,
members, leads, etc.
Set up accounting systems
and checking account
Create a contact list
• Open a checking/savings
account for co-op funds
• Set up an accounting system
sufficient for tracking member
equity and loan investments,
other income and
organizational costs
Define steering committee
roles and decision-making
process
Research member
programs, & by-laws
• Discuss and agree on roles and
responsbilities of the steering
committee
• DOCUMENT them
• Set policy on how decisionmaking will occur
• Create systems of reporting
and accountability
• Assign responsibility for
keeping records
• This should be a database that
includes names, phone
numbers, e-mail, and notes
about the person's interest in
the co-op
• Include all inquiries, attendees
at public meetings, volunteers,
members, and anyone else
whose interest is known
• Consider the member benefits,
education and outreach options,
discounts (if any) that you would
like to offer
• See: Best Practices for
Membership and Marketing in
Food Co-ops
• Review by-law options and
determine member equity and
loan requirements
Conduct a preliminary
FeasibilityStudy
• Begin to asses feasibilty for a
successful store
• Identify market segments
• Review initial indicators of
store size and product mix
Links:
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Sources & Uses
Template
Developing and
managing a
timeline
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Legal Issues in Stage 1
Legal Primer
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Community Survey FAQ
Food Co-op Interest
Survey
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Co-op Technology
Toolkit
Decision Point
Are your cornerstones: Vision, Talent, Capital, and Systems solid and strong enough to support a successful organizing effort?
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Webinar:
Governance &
Accountability
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Member Equity
Toolbox
Webinar: Member
economic
participation
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Feasibility
FAQ and
Checklists
Webinar:
Evaluating
feasibility and
planning for
success