July 4th is our annual celebration of the birth of the USA and our independence from England. The Declaration of Independence sets forth the founding principles of our democracy, just as the seven co-operative principles form the foundation for our co-op. So how do the 4th of July and Principle #4 align?
As you may already know, co-ops operate following the seven cooperative principles:
- Voluntary and Open Membership
- Democratic Member Control
- Member Economic Participation
- Autonomy and Independence
- Education, Training and Information
- Cooperation among Cooperatives
- Concern for Community
Principle #4 stresses that co-ops are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled and governed by their owners. By retaining owner control, we are not beholden to any government, ideology, or other potential influences. We maintain our independent, democratic governance (principle #2) and work to serve the needs of our owners.
How do we maintain our independence and autonomy? Our policy is, one owner, one vote. This prevents anyone from taking undue advantage. When our store opens, we will work with several local suppliers rather than becoming overly dependent on just a few large suppliers. Our Board maintains ongoing participation in development and educational offerings (principle #5).
We also don’t raise capital through IPOs (initial public offerings) or venture capital investments. Those type of funds come from people who may not ever patronize the co-op and are just looking for a high return on their dollar. Worse, they may want to influence the direction of the co-op and insist on having a seat on the Board of Directors. In order to maintain our independence, we raise our funds through owner shares, owner loans, and capital campaigns, which keeps full control with our owners. In addition, we will pursue loan funds and grants which are available specifically for cooperatives.
So as you continue to celebrate during the month of July, you can also celebrate being part of the independent and autonomous Cultivate Community Food Co-op!
Source: https://columinate.coop/autonomy-and-independence-whats-up-with-principle-four/