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Report Highlights Key Cooperative Governance Practices
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Earlier this month, the UW Center of Cooperatives released its report on the 2021 Findings from the Cooperative Governance Research Initiative (CGRI). Launched in 2021, CGRI aims to generate data that empowers cooperatives across sectors to reflect upon and improve their governance structures, processes, and culture. This is an important step in generating the data that is needed to benchmark cooperative governance practices.
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The report highlights key cooperative governance practices captured in the first CGRI survey. The survey yielded enthusiastic responses from 500 cooperatives, capturing substantial diversity in terms of industry, type, size, age, and location and creating a baseline for the range and frequency of cooperative governance practices across sectors.
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Key Takeaways
- On the whole, participating cooperatives believe it is important for members to see their faces reflected in the board and that diversity, in multiple dimensions, is a key component of building an effective board. For many, increasing board diversity in terms of age, gender, ethnic, and racial composition is an ongoing journey and priority in the next three years.
- Cooperative boards face real dilemmas as they strive to balance representation and expertise. Thinking more carefully about practices related to contested elections, term limits, and board recruitment could help many cooperatives both preserve institutional knowledge and welcome new perspectives.
- Developing a culture of lifelong learning is critical for long-term organizational success. Expanding board education and evaluations provide many opportunities for cooperatives to foster a culture of learning and growth through more deliberate reflection and ongoing multidimensional training.
- The commonly held belief that the board develops strategy and management carries it out is increasingly being challenged. Our findings offer insights that could help reframe how we think and talk about the role of the board versus management.
- The CEO plays an important role in a cooperative’s governance system—they provide vision and institutional knowledge, engage with members, and support the board’s functioning in myriad ways. Overall, cooperatives with CEOs who value the cooperative model and engage with the board as a worthy partner are more likely to have healthy governance systems.
- COVID-19 and changing social norms have created unique challenges for building a thriving culture on cooperative boards. Despite these challenges, cooperative boards are finding ways to connect and strengthen their social ties by focusing on essential interpersonal dynamics and activities that cultivate and sustain them.
- The form and content of member participation varies across sectors, but most member concerns are connected to the fundamental question of whether the cooperative’s goods and services, financial decisions, and overarching strategy align with member needs, desires, and values.
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The 2021 report is the culmination of many months of work and the contributions of countless members of the cooperative community. We would especially like to thank the Cooperative Development Foundation for providing generous seed funding for CGRI and the CGRI Advisory Committee for their invaluable guidance and support.
An update on CGRI would not be complete without a note of appreciation for researcher Laura Hanson Schlachter, who left the center in July for a full-time position in the AmeriCorps Office of Research and Evaluation. UWCC benefited tremendously from Laura's skills, knowledge, and professionalism. While we were sad to say goodbye, we are grateful to her for helping us build such a strong foundation for CGRI. In the year ahead, Laura will remain connected to UWCC on a more limited basis as an honorary associate.
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Want to learn more about CGRI?
Join UWCC executive director Courtney Berner at National Cooperative Business Association's Co-op Circle Happy Hour Friday, September 23 from 12 - 1 pm CT.
Berner will presenting results from UWCC's Cooperative Governance Research Initiative. Participants will be able to interact and discuss the findings with co-op peers. There is no cost to participate. Registration required.
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Farmer Cooperatives Conference Returns to Minneapolis
Strategic use of data, how to compete with the changing labor landscape, and exploring reliance on non-member business are just a few of the topics that will be addressed at this year's Farmer Cooperatives Conference. After two years of virtual conferences, we are thrilled to bring agricultural cooperative leaders back together in person for networking and education. This year’s conference will be held November 29–30 at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota.
This year's conference will provide attendees a chance to explore the current state of farmer
cooperatives including:
- Farmer Cooperatives: Policy Update
- Changing Landscape of Labor: How Can Cooperatives Compete?
- Strategic Use of Technology and Data
- Telling our Story — it’s relevance to recruitment, retention, and succession
- Developing Leadership Skills in the Boardroom
- Evolving Reliance on Non-Member Business
Thanks to our generous sponsors, we are able to keep this year's Farmer Cooperatives Conference at an affordable rate. Register now to take advantage of early bird rates, which end Friday, November 4th, 2022! Special room rates are available when you book early at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Minneapolis. First time attendees will receive $100 off registration with the code FIRSTFCC.
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Sacramento is not only the capital of California, it is America's Farm to Fork City, a culinary destination that is sure to delight! Also known as Tree City, Sacramento is a lush oasis of bougainvillea and palms, prolific fruit trees and mighty oaks. We are thrilled to bring CCMA back to Sacramento for the first time since 1995! Our host cooperatives, Sacramento Natural Food Co-op, Davis Food Co-op, and BriarPatch Food Co-op, are excited to share their co-ops and communities with CCMA attendees!
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Co-op Circle Happy Hour: CGRI Session
September 23, 2022, 12-1 CT | Online program
Want to learn more about the Cooperative Governance Research Initiative Survey Findings? Join UWCC executive director Courtney Berner at National Cooperative Business Association's Co-op Circle Happy Hour. She will present results from UWCC's Cooperative Governance Research Initiative. Participants will be able to interact and discuss the findings with co-op peers. There is no cost to participate.
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25th Annual Farmer Cooperatives Conference
November 29-30, 2022 | Minneapolis, Minnesota
The 25th Annual Farmer Cooperatives Conference will be held in person for the first time in three years! We are thrilled to return to the Twin Cities, November 29-30, 2022. The Farmer Cooperatives Conference will highlight the latest strategic thinking from your fellow agricultural cooperative peers. This year's conference will provide attendees a chance to explore the current state of farmer cooperatives including the changing labor landscape, strategic use of data and technology, and evolving reliance on non-member business. See the full program.
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Agricultural Cooperative Director Training 2023
January 5-6, 2023 | Mankato, Minnesota
January 18-19, 2023 | Stevens Point, Wisconsin
UWCC is partnering with Dr. Michael Boland of the University of Minnesota and Land O'Lakes to develop an in person training designed for agriculture and farm supply cooperative directors. Session topics will include strategic thinking; managing through impending CEO or senior staff retirements; workforce recruitment and alternative staffing; managing with fewer employees; and cooperative capital. These small group trainings will include a mix of panel discussions and small group activities to maximize engagement.
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