In the more than 30 years I’ve been involved with co-ops—student housing co-ops, food co-ops, even a worker-owned collective—almost all of the participants have been white. The same has been true for most of the co-op conferences, meetings, and trainings I’ve attended. Currently I work with food co-ops across the country in which the overwhelming majority of the directors, staff and customers are white. [...]
Key Insights Round up is an extremely successful, simple way of collecting donations for partner organizations. Making the ask mandatory is the best way to ensure cashier compliance and consistency. Incentivizing cashiers and making goal achievement fun and rewarding can make a difference in buy-in and outcomes. Co-ops may want to try every other month or quarterly round ups to test shopper and cashier [...]
As the competitive environment continues to heat up around us, there is increased competition for employees as well as food dollars. By creating a continuously improving workplace environment where all voices are heard and feedback is taken seriously, co-op managers can help ensure that the competition doesn't lure away your talented, passionate and experienced employees. Become a Better Employer An Employee Survey can [...]
