cooperative governance – Page 2

Governance for Co-op and Nonprofit Boards Part 1

By Thane Joyal|2023-05-05T20:04:50-04:00October 10th, 2022|

Often challenges within the board stem from a lack of agreements about governance. Cooperatives and nonprofit organizations differ in key ways from private corporations. Perhaps most importantly, operating within a defined social purpose requires skillful and conscientious governance by the board of directors—and the board’s leadership is felt throughout the entire organization. Governance is the act of steering an organization toward success. It consists of answering key questions, defining roles and responsibilities, and establishing processes for setting expectations and ensuring accountability.

Cooperative Board Leadership Development: Mid-Year Report

By Mike Houston|2023-05-05T20:04:56-04:00August 22nd, 2022|

The Columinate Cooperative Board Leadership Development (CBLD) program provides annual board support that includes monthly consulting, facilitated board retreats, board training, and resource development. CBLD helps boards take advantage of their collective knowledge and talents, identify their annual goals, and connect with specific resources for their challenges of the moment. The program is run and staffed by industry professionals with experience and expertise in a variety of areas, and it can help to broaden the knowledge base each co-op has to draw upon to meet their goals.

Hiring a General Manager

By Carolee Colter|2023-05-05T20:04:58-04:00July 18th, 2019|

Updated in 2017-18, this manual is the result of a collaboration between Columinate and National Co+op Grocers. It guides boards of directors of food cooperatives through the steps needed to ensure a clear and professional process, resulting in the hiring of a well-qualified manager. Those steps are: Arrange for interim management Set up a committee to coordinate the hiring process (the Search Committee) Define [...]

A Process for Board Appointments

By Michael Healy|2023-05-05T20:25:46-04:00June 28th, 2019|

By Michael Healy Do you have a mid-term vacancy on your board? Are you considering appointing someone to fill that position? Here is a suggested process that has worked well for a number of boards: Collect names of potential candidates. Sources may include your existing pool of candidates suggestions from current directors suggestions from the GM or membership manager or other staff people who [...]

Deliberative Improvements: Facilitation Techniques for Meeting Success

By Thane Joyal|2023-05-05T20:25:53-04:00January 30th, 2019|

From a director’s perspective, what are the core ingredients of a great board meeting? Starting and ending on time probably top the list for most people, followed closely by everybody arriving prepared to do work that’s worth doing. A bit of dinner or at least a communal bar or two of chocolate, shared in a comfortable and welcoming space, can also be a make-or-break [...]

Good Governance Makes Community Stronger

By Columinate|2023-05-05T20:25:57-04:00December 12th, 2018|

Maple City Market Goshen, IN Year founded: 1976 Membership investment: $100 Number of members: 3,000 Number of employees: 25 Recently, Goshen, Indiana was named “Community of the Year” by the state’s Chamber of Commerce. For many years, this northern Indiana town on the border of Michigan held many undiscovered charms. No longer. It’s an increasingly diverse town recognized for its civic pride, hosting many [...]

Building Board Capacity to Lead Through Multimodal Governance

By Leslie Watson|2023-05-05T20:27:04-04:00October 14th, 2018|

Imagine that your co-op’s board of directors simply disappeared for a year or two. What would happen? Certainly, the absence of a functioning board would violate a key legal requirement for a cooperative business. Members would also lose an important point of connection to their co-ops and one avenue to raise questions and concerns. And the risk of errors, oversights, and poor performance could [...]

Using Marketing to Build Success: Making Cooperative Ownership and Governance Real

By Rebecca Torpie|2023-05-05T20:05:14-04:00July 22nd, 2018|

By Rebecca Torpie, Thane Joyal 196 May-June 2018 What does it mean to be an owner of a consumer cooperative? At the most fundamental level, cooperative ownership means that we are in business together. And for the owners of a cooperative that is under substantial market pressure (and what business isn’t?), everything the business does needs to match the needs and aspirations of the community that [...]

Leaders in Democracy: Seeking Win-Win through Assertive Cooperation

By Arthur Sherwood|2023-05-05T20:05:41-04:00March 18th, 2018|

By Art Sherwood 191 July-August 2017 If we created opportunities in meaningful participation by seeking win-win, it would be a game changer—in our relationships, in our customer service, in our strategies, in our partnerships, and in our innovative approaches to solving pressing social problems. Democracy is hard. And because it is hard, it takes skills and practice and a willingness to work with others. Why [...]

Autonomy and Independence: What’s Up with Principle Four?

By Ben Sandel|2023-05-05T20:05:53-04:00December 28th, 2017|

By Ben Sandel Cooperative principle four: Autonomy and independence. What do you think about it? Or perhaps a better question is—do you ever think about it? In my consulting practice, I sometimes lead activities designed to get people thinking and talking about cooperative values and principles. I’d never accuse my clients of having forgotten a cooperative principle, but based on the lack of interest, perhaps principle [...]

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