Spanish language version now available!

Do you think co-ops rock? So do we! So much so that we had to make all the reasons we think cooperatives are awesome into a poster. The “10 Reasons Co-ops Rock” poster would be great as a gift or even as a promotional tool for your co-op (for display or sale). This beautiful poster would serve well as a teaching tool for workshops and classrooms, and it would look great in your workspace or home. Show off your co-op pride with this poster! “10 Reasons Co-ops Rock” has a glossy, smooth finish; it is printed on recycled paper by a U.S. worker cooperative; and it is roughly 11 x 17 inches.

The ten reasons co-op rock are (with some slight variations to fit the poster):

1. Cooperatives are democratic businesses and organizations, equally owned and controlled by a group of people. There are worker co-ops, consumer co-ops, producer co-ops, financial co-ops,  housing co-ops, and more. In a cooperative, one member has one vote.
2. Because cooperatives are democratically owned by community members, co-ops keep money (and jobs) in their communities.
3. Cooperatives aren’t a far off theory. Cooperatives offer achievable and practical solutions to many economic, environmental, and social problems that can be implemented right now.
4. Co-ops aren’t charity; they’re empowering means for self-help and solidarity.
5. Members of cooperatives equally share the burden in hard times and equally share the benefits in good times.
6. Cooperatives are more resilient in economic downturns and in impoverished communities. When other businesses may shut down or lay off workers, co-op members pull together to work out solutions.
7. Cooperatives are an international movement. There are thousands upon thousands of cooperatives around the world that are making major differences locally and globally.
8. Cooperatives strive to make people’s lives, communities, and economies more just, equitable, and democratic.
9. There’s no one right way to do a co-op. They can be flexible to fit different community and individual needs. There are big co-ops with thousands of members, and there are small co-ops with 3 members.
10. Cooperatives are viable and just alternatives for meeting our economic and social needs in contrast to corporations that exploit people and the planet.

(Although, we know there are many more reasons!)

Graphic design for the "10 Reasons Co-ops Rock" poster done by Molly McLeod.