Become an Owner in a grocery store!
(click here for detailed information and an application)

Co-op Shares are used to provide a nestegg and security for our future. Purchasing a Co-op Share makes you an owner in the Co-op. Anyone may shop at the store, but there are perks for those who are owners: Owner Buy sales, working owner discounts, our newsletter mailed to you every other month, the right to patronage dividends, parties and potlucks ... among many others!

Co-op Shares are currently $100, which is a one-time investment. You may pay for it in a lump sum, use a payment plan or earn a share through our sweat equity program (see our Working Owner Coordinator in the store for details.) Anyone in your household may use your account. 

Co-op Shares are fully refundable, although there are certain conditions that apply which prevent a "run on the bank."

Join over 2,100 of your friends and neighbors by becoming an owner today. Co-ops support communities and are truly local!

Applications are quick and easy to fill out and are available at the store. Or click here for more detailed information and an application!

 Ownership Privileges

• Satisfaction Guarantee/Return Policy - No matter if what you bought is defective, or even if you just don‘t like it, we‘ll gladly refund your money. Just let us know within two weeks of your purchase and please keep your receipt. 
• Owner Buy Sales - These sales are just for owners and are yet another way we strive to add value to your owning a piece of our store. 
• Coupon books - Coupon books are mailed to owners twice a year, in the spring and the fall. 

 Board Directors

• Our nine-member board of directors is made up of owners that are elected by popular vote at our Annual Owner Meeting. Directors serve for three-year terms. Neighborhood Co-op Grocery‘s board operates under the rules of Policy Governance method, which creates and reviews broad goals to provide direction of the Co-op for our continued growth. The general manager is then responsible for identifying the steps necessary to achieve these goals.  

• Vote in board of director elections and on special issues.
  

Board Meetings

• Our board of directors meet monthly at the Carbondale Public Library in the meeting room from 6 to 9 p.m. every third Tuesday of the month. 

• All bylaw changes are voted on by the ownership of Neighborhood Co-op Grocery.
  

• Our bylaws are available here.  

Right to Patronage Dividends

• All owners have the right to Patronage Dividends in profitable years in which they are allocated. 

Co-ops help build community!

• Neighborhood Co-op grocery, along with other cooperative grocers across the country, is owned by the local community that it serves. Our store is owned by more than 2,100 of your friends and neighbors, which makes us truly local. We also invest back into the community by buying from local growers/producers and supporting local events! 

Working Owner Discounts

• Get a discount of up to 14% on your purchases at the Co-op through being a working owner (consignment craft goods are not available at a discount).
  

Ownership FAQs

 What are patronage dividends? An owner benefit that is a financial reward to owners based on several factors: the owner's purchases through-out the year, end of the year profit, total amount of profit attributable to owners, amount set aside to be given to owners by the board, among others. For more information, please see our general manager. 

 Are there payment plans? There are several ways to make your investment. First, a lump sum payment. Second, a ten-month installment plan. Third, what we call sweat-equity, a working-owner program where you can earn a Co-op share. 

Is this refundable? Yes, Co-op Shares are gladly refunded in a timely manner, with limited exceptions (this clause prevents a "run on the bank"), but almost entirely the shares are refundable.

Can only owners shop in the store? Anyone can shop at the co-op, so bring a friend! 

Click here to read the 2008 Annual Owners Report