Community: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
National Co-op Month, recognized by cooperatives nationwide during the month of October, provides an opportunity to strengthen the connection between local cooperatives and the communities in which they operate. This year’s theme, “Co-ops Commit: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion,” underscored both the inherent promise of cooperatives and the considered work that lies ahead in terms of community inclusion and engagement. The question of how co-ops can better reach those who have been historically excluded from economic participation, decision-making and advancement is more pertinent than ever.
Accordingly, last month I spoke with a number of members about how we might better uphold our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. These initial conversations are necessarily part of a more sustained, community-wide dialogue, but all the same yielded a number of insights.
The foremost topic of concern was that Co-op membership does not reflect the incredible diversity of the neighborhood. Some members noted that the Co-op does not collect demographic data on our members, making it hard to fully understand the extent of or limits to our diversity. They suggested that baseline demographic information can help identify the extent to which membership accurately represents the community and highlight where we need to redouble our efforts to ensure inclusion of racially, culturally and economically diverse members.
Other members reflected that the Co-op remains largely unknown to much of the community, and suggested a number of ways to bolster our outreach efforts, including connecting with local churches and faith groups, networking with local daycare centers and placing information in the local public schools. In terms of making this information (as well as our pricing structure) more accessible and transparent, one member suggested creating a short, straightforward video to live on our website and to circulate on social media.
A few members expressed concern that the work requirement was a potential barrier to membership, especially for those with little flexibility in their job schedules or caretaking obligations. While pricing structures were seen as fairly inclusive, the work commitment was seen as a hurdle to engagement. Two members I spoke with raised the possibility of either opening the store to non-member shoppers or to allow for exemptions from shift requirements.
Members further noted that issues of inclusivity also pertain to dynamics within the Co-op, and emphasized the importance of making all feel welcome to serve on committees and to run for the board, provided they have been a Co-op member for at least a year. Committee participation, as one member explained, can be a great way to better understand the Co-op’s operations and can be a useful vantage from which to usher along change.
As part of our ongoing commitment to these principles, we will regularly create a space for members to offer their ideas for how we can foreground equity and achieve better representativeness. We propose to include periodic surveys that allow members to weigh in on key concerns and ideas, and as ever welcome direct feedback or suggestions for newsletter topics.