Toolbox
How-to Docs
You can download and save these instructional materials. Feel free to share them with other members of your co-op.
Comprehensive Guides
How to Start A Food Co-op
By the Cooperative Grocers' Information Network
Newly Revised in 2010, this is a good overview of the entire retail co-op organizing process. Everyone on your steering committee should look at this.
A Guide to Starting and Growing a Whole Food Grocery
This is a very nice guide to starting a worker-owned retail grocery assembled by the Unicorn Co-op in England. Use with caution since not everything "translates" to U.S. laws and markets.
Creating a Co-op in Canada
This guide includes a lot of good information for answering questions about co-ops but has less value for understanding the organizing process. Some information will not apply in the U.S.
Specialized Guides
Sources & Uses Template
How much will it cost to start your co-op? Where will the money come from? Bill Gessner's Sources & Uses Template will help you to understand and create this essential start-up budget.
Feasibility FAQ and Checklists
What you need to know to evaluate the feasibility of your plans and gather the information you will need to move forward.
Legal Primer
An overview of incorporation, articles and by-laws, membership and patronage and much more.
Member Equity Toolbox
A thorough explanation of membership program structures, capital planning and more.
Member Loan Toolbox (doc)
Member Loan Toolbox (pdf)
Information you need to plan a member loan campaign, organize the timeline, calculate goals, etc. Available in Word format with customizable templates for your loan documents, or PDF for ease of downloading and reading.
Marketing Strategies for Start-ups (pdf)
Great ideas for how to promote your co-op and create a consistent, recognizable identity. See also the marketing photos, below.
Community Survey FAQ
Survey Manual (pdf)
Food Co-op Interest Survey (doc)
We have assembled a comprehensive guide to community and member surveys and a full survey template that you can adapt or use for inspiration.
Webinars
From time to time Food Co-op Initiative and CDS Consulting Co-op have cosponsored live web presentations on a range of development topics for starting co-ops. Most of them have been recorded and can be viewed or downloaded at your convenience. Handout materials are also available for many of these webinars.
View more information about our webinars »
Templates
We will be adding template documents soon that you can modify and adapt to create your own membership flyers, tracking forms, etc.
Governance
The following materials are of special interest to boards of directors.
Policy Governance Source Document
A description of how Carver Policy Governance is structured.
Golden Rule Guide to the Rules
Robert's Rules of Order primer and clarifier.
Effective and Accountable Organizing Teams
Slides and handouts from a workshop on improving your board or steering team's effectiveness and productivity--by Art Sherwood of CDS Consulting Co-op.
Shared Docs
Share your best ideas here! Contact us to find out how.
Before adopting similar documents or procedures for your co-op, be sure that your situation and legal requirements are well served by what others used. Food Co-op Initiative does not recommend or endorse these materials, but we hope that they can inform and inspire you.
Just Food Co-op Timeline
An example of the actual planning and implementation process from a recent start-up.
Presentations
A Co-op in Your Community (ppt)
A PowerPoint slide presentation that you can use at community meetings or to introduce volunteers to co-ops and their benefits.
A Food Co-op in Your Community (DVD)
This 10 minute presentation features interviews with co-op organizers, shoppers and supporters. Yours free for the asking, or you can view a streaming version on our home page. Watch now »
Photos
Marketing for Start-Ups
Here is a slideshow of marketing ideas and logos from a presentation at CCMA 2010: Open album »
