Member Equity
The member equity requirements to join the Co-ops are:
- $100 Equity Contribution per household. Equity is payable all at once or in quarterly installments.
- One household member may vote on the Co-ops’ issues. Each additional voting member per household requires an additional $100 equity investment.
- Equity Investment is refundable should you ever move or choose to leave the Co-op.
The cashier can add your equity payment [and dues] right to your grocery bill. You will be given a membership card that you can show to the cashier at each visit to the Co-op to receive your member discount.
Receiving Patronage Refunds
Only member-owners of the Co-op who have $100 of equity contribution at the end of the fiscal year in which a patronage refund is declared) are eligible to receive a refund when the Co-op is profitable. This means that when the organization achieves a positive net income for the fiscal year, the Board of Directors may designate a portion of the profit be returned to the members in the form of a refund check.
A refund is calculated like this: Each time a member shops the Co-op, we scan your member card, allowing us to track your total purchases throughout the year. In years when the Co-op is profitable and the Board of Directors approves a patronage refund, each member receives a percentage of their total purchases in the form of a refund check and/or membership shares. However, during any year in which the Co-op does not achieve a positive net income, members would not receive a refund check or equity shares, thereby sharing in the Co-op’s financial ups and downs. Checks are mailed after the annual audit is complete in late autumn, pending approval by the Board of Directors.
