Name one documented need in your community (food access, childcare, housing, education, healthcare, business services): _______________________
How many households in your community approximately share this need? _______________________
Cooperative name: _______________________
What it does (one sentence): _______________________________________
Who can be a member (what is the membership criteria)? _______________________________________
How decisions are made (one member = one vote — describe how voting works): _______________________________________
How surplus is distributed (what percentage goes back to members based on participation vs. what goes to reserves): _______________________________________
For each principle below, write one sentence explaining how your cooperative design applies it:
Principle 1 (Voluntary and open membership): _______________________________________
Principle 2 (Democratic member control): _______________________________________
Principle 7 (Concern for community): _______________________________________
Name one documented cooperative from Black American economic history (research at federation.coop or jstor.org): _______________________________________
What documented need did it address? _______________________________________
A corporation distributes profit based on how many shares you own. A cooperative distributes surplus based on how much you participated. Write one sentence about what documented economic difference that distinction makes for a family with limited capital: