Providing leadership support to mission-driven...
bensandel@columinate.coop
540-421-6976
So much is changing so quickly right now, and our co-ops are uniquely positioned to serve our owners and community today, and be practical alternatives to 'business -as-usual' in the future. We don't have a crystal ball to see that future, but we can discuss together how our co-ops can have a larger role and how we can talk about our co-ops as important parts of a better society.
How can co-op operations leaders begin to be innovative about what it will take to manage finances wisely during and after the COVID-19 pandemic – whatever “after” will look like? No one can accurately predict what the future of the co-op grocery world will look like, but Columinate consultants are on the leading edge of figuring out what can stay the same and what [...]
UPDATED: March 2016
Our culture has a lot of beliefs about money that range from its worship to seeing it as the root of all evil. Food cooperatives especially have been historically conflicted about capital, once seeing it as the cause of destructive economic practices, to the point that raising money was once practically shunned. This left many cooperatives under-capitalized and some of them had to close [...]
Raising capital is especially important for cooperatives, which don’t have a typical ownership structure that banks or lenders are used to. Mobilizing the co-op’s membership to raise funds through an owner capital campaign can be an excellent strategy.
The Co-op Principles Song! Music and Lyrics by Shawn Furst and Mykle Hansen, with animations by Sarah Mirk See ALL the Co-op Cafe videos. Read about the Co-op Cafe in the Columinate Library Co-op Cafe 2022 Videos The [...]
Popular searches: Popular searches: TOPICS What's New Read More >> Impact Stories Read More >> Cultivate Your Community Read More >> Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion [...]
The democratic structure of cooperatives allows people the opportunity to have a real influence on business goals and outcomes through their investment, patronage, feedback, and aspirations. It’s one of the most defining features of cooperation, especially compared to other business models where social or environmental impact may be considered incidental. In cooperatives, concern for community is one of our principles and purpose. In 2012, [...]
The town of Astoria, Oregon has a strong independent streak. While other nearby areas are overrun with chain stores, their town has not sustained that level of attention or development. That doesn’t mean the 10,000 people who live there don’t want nice amenities, efficiency and convenience. The difference is that they are willing to create those opportunities for development from within their own community.
