As a funder of groups developing new cooperative education materials, The Cooperative Foundation commissioned a study to answer the following questions:
How do we assess that the materials are being produced by the best available source?
How do we assure that the materials are available for use beyond the local or regional organization?
How do we assure that there is not unnecessary duplication of effort among these organizations?
Major lesson: Need for materials “in the middle.”
Basic information – plenty of documents and websites that provide basic information on what is a co-op, the seven co-op principles, the different types of co-ops.
Research information – a variety of academic level information provided by researchers in peer reviewed journals. (These materials can only be used among a well-educated audience.)
Mid- level information – Need for practical information beyond the introductory level.
Specifically, what should the mid-level materials cover?
Human resources specific to co-ops
Leadership challenges in the co-op setting
Conflict management
Cooperative finance
Co-op financial structure
Internal capital accounts for worker co-ops
Financial decision making for members and boards
Co-op law
State specific
Incorporation options (LLC, L3C, nonprofit vs. for profit)
Operations and governance specific to co-ops
alternatives to Roberts Rules of Order and Carver model of policy governance
Read and download the full report from the Cooperative Foundation
Go to the GEO front page
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