Bylaws basics
How Do We Know If We Have the Bylaws We Need? To meet our needs, bylaws must allow for smooth functioning of the coop's internal governance processes while being consistent with both our owners' [...]
Building a Positive Board Performance Culture 2 of 2
Building a positive board performance culture takes continuous work and vigilance on the part of the board. Part I explored the vital concepts of Shared Understanding of the Job of the Board & Shared Expectations [...]
Audits & Reviews
An essential part of a co-op board’s fiduciary duty is the annual external monitoring of their co-op’s finances and financial systems. This Field Guide introduces a process for making important board-level decisions about the two [...]
Board Compensation
UPDATED: September, 2018 Directors of food cooperatives have a position of great responsibility. Should directors be reasonably compensated for shouldering this responsibility on behalf the co-op’s owners? What counts as reasonable compensation? What is the [...]
Elections
Was your last Board election a thoughtful exercise in democracy in which members chose a well-qualified set of directors that add value to the Board and to the co-op? More than anyone else in the [...]
Board Leadership Illustrated
Board Leadership Illustrated
Great Idea: Evaluating Staff Treatment Policies
Board president David Woo of Weaver’s Way food co-op in Philadelphia, Penn. said that while the staff treatment policy is part and parcel of all the management limitation policies, he thinks that this particular policy [...]