The Cooperative Identity
Tell the world that you are a Cooperative and are part of the Cooperative Ecosystem. That you put people first. That you are ethical and fair. That you’re great to do business with. That you’re part of a global movement of more than 1 billion members, representing 12% of the world’s employed population.
Your cooperative identity matters. Cooperatives embody principles of economic democracy, local development, social responsibility, resilience, and innovation – important characteristics the public cares about and prioritises in their purchasing and organization engagement decisions. Your unique identity and business model provides valuable alternatives to conventional businesses and align with the values and interests of many individuals and communities.
What is a Cooperative?
A Cooperative, as noted in the International Cooperative Alliance statement on cooperative identity, is an autonomous association of persons united to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise.
What is the Cooperative Ecosystem?
The term “ecosystem” is frequently used in science and economics to depict a network of interconnected elements that support each other. The Cooperative Ecosystem is the network of organizations that participate in the development and sustenance of cooperatives, as well as cooperatives themselves.
Our Verification Services recognize four different categories of organizations in the Cooperative Ecosystem:
COOP – The organization is a democratically controlled, member-owned cooperative, consistent with the International 7 Cooperative Principles
CA – An Association comprised of cooperatives
CC – An Organization that is majority controlled by a Cooperative
CS – An Entity with operations principally dedicated to serving Cooperatives.
Cooperative Identity Tools
DotCooperation provides identity tools to assert your cooperative identity. Tools include the .COOP and .CREDITUNION domain names, the COOP Marque logo, Cooperative Verification Services, and the COOP Global Directory and Map.
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