Cooperatives

A co-op is a business that is used by its members.  It’s a simple concept, with profound effects for people, communities and the economy.

Each co-op is unique, but thousands of co-ops around the world have the Seven Cooperative Principles in common:

• Voluntary & Open Membership
• Democratic Member Control
• Economic Participation
• Autonomy & Independence
• Education, Training & Information
• Cooperation among Cooperatives
• Concern for the Community

Learn more about farmer, worker and consumer co-ops(like East End) at Go Co-op!

Be a Part of the Discussion About Co-ops!

Check out A Discussion Course on Cooperatives: A Manual for Community Self-directed Education in our book department, located in the back of the store, near the Co-op Café

Informative essays and articles to get you thinking about:

• cooperative history
• cooperatives around the world
• creating a cooperative future
• legal aspects of consumer cooperatives, and more!

Start your own discussion group, or just educate yourself — you never know what could happen when you start cooperating.

For more information, visit www.discussioncourse.coop

Links to Co-Op’s Around the Country

Participate in co-ops where you live, work and travel!

Don’t see a link to a cooperative you are familiar with?  Email us to request it be added to our list!

Co-op Umbrella Organizations
Co-op America
National Cooperative Business Assoc.

Food/Grocery Co-ops
Brattleboro Food Co-op
Coop Directory Service (CDS)
North Coast Co-op
Puget Consumer Cooperative
The Wedge

Retail Co-ops (non-grocery)
REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.)

Rural Electric Co-ops
Cloverland
Cherokee Electric
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association

Telecommunications Co-op
National Telecommunications Cooperative Association

Producer’s Co-ops
National Milk Producers Federation
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives

Co-op Bookstores
University Co-op Bookstore
Seminary Co-op Bookstore

Artist’s Co-ops
Artworks Gallery
Creative Eye
Noho Gallery
October Rising
Puget Sound Leather Artisans Co-op
The Artists’ Cooperatives Fine Art Galleries of Washington, DC

Housing Cooperatives
Chateau Student Housing Cooperative
National Association of Housing Cooperatives

Multi-Product or Service Co-ops

Credit Unions
Credit Union National Association
National Association of Federal Credit Unions

Green Living
Green People
Steel City Biofuels

Other links of interest
University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives
PGH Bioneers Blog
Friends of the Urban Forest