To considering to form a Co-operative, you should be able to answer ‘yes’ to all or most of the following questions.
- will membership be voluntary
- will membership be open to anyone able to maintain an active relationship with the Co-operative
- will the Co-operative run on the basis of one member, one vote (If the Co-operative is a Co-operative group, each member organisation must be represented democratically)
- will financial decisions be democratic
- will surpluses be distributed only for developing the Co-operative? Will this benefit members in proportion to their transactions within the Co-operative, paying a dividend or supporting activities by members
- will the Co-operative be an autonomous, community-focused organisation, controlled by its members
- will there be at least five members who are eligible under the Co-operative’s proposed rules
- if you are forming a Co-operative group, will it contain two or more member Co-operatives?
Where to next?
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