The benefits of cooperatives are visible across multiple areas.
Among the measurable benefits and areas of impact are:
- Access: Co-ops make certain products or services that would otherwise be out of reach accessible to certain markets or communities.
- Business sustainability: The cooperative structure can make a business more stable and help a company work through rough patches.
- Community commitment: Co-ops commit to their local community and will often work to uphold the values of a community through financial services, educational programs or business practices.
- Democratic governance and empowerment: Because co-ops are democratic, they often help to increase people’s civic involvement.
- Equality, diversity and inclusion: Voluntary membership means that cooperatives are often accurate reflections of the diversity of a community. Voluntary membership also makes co-ops inclusive organizations.
- Financial security and advancement for workers: Cooperatives often serve the needs of their members by providing worker-members with living wages, the ability to move up the career ladder and financial stability.
- Growth: By offering high-quality products and services, good jobs and investing in a local community, co-ops can grow and promote growth in the community they serve.
