Some 48,000 cooperatives are celebrating National Cooperative Month across the country in a variety of ways, including the release of new national survey results on public perception of corporate business structures and consumer preferences for cooperatives. This year’s co-op month
Some 48,000 cooperatives are celebrating National Cooperative Month across the country in a variety of ways, including the release of new national survey results on public perception of corporate business structures and consumer preferences for cooperatives.
This year’s co-op month theme, “Cooperatives…Businesses People Trust,” reflects the survey findings, emphasizing the fundamental principle of democratic structure and member-ownership and control as more trustworthy. The findings are especially relevant at this time of heightened attention to corporate accountability.
“Cooperatives are different from other forms of business because of the principles that guide every cooperative, define their unique democratic structure and express their direct accountability to their member owners,” said Sheldon Petersen, this year’s chairman of the National Cooperative Month Planning Committee and CEO and Governor of the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation.
“The survey confirms what co-ops have long known, consumers trust cooperatives and prefer to do business with them.”
Petersen said the lives of more than 120 million Americans are improved daily by cooperative private businesses that generate more than $500 billion in annual economic activity.”
“A cooperative is a business. In many ways it’s like any other business; but in several important ways it’s unique and different. A cooperative business belongs to the people who use it – people who have organized to provide themselves with the services they need. A cooperative operates for the benefit of its members,” said Alton Miyamoto, President and CEO at KIUC, Hawai‘i’s first Electric Co-op.
“Our member-owners share equally in the control of their cooperative by electing directors from among themselves.,” continued Faye Akasaki, vice president of member services. “All net savings left after bills are paid and money is set aside for operations and improvements, are returned to co-op members.”
In 1844, the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society opened a cooperative store on Toad Lane in Rochdale, England.
Toad Lane is considered the birthplace of modern cooperatives because the principles and practices of the Pioneers assured the success of the cooperative model.
KIUC will celebrate National Cooperative Month in a variety of ways including the launch of their Calendar of Student Art Contest, and their community outreach program, “Get Charged!”, a comprehensive kit of educational materials focusing on electricity provided through the Discovery Channel and Touchstone Energy to local schools.
