CGIN

CGIN is a collaborative initiative formed by North American retail food co-ops to help them share information and resources. Our purpose is to strengthen all retail food cooperatives by creating community and facilitating the sharing and development of resources among members.

CGIN membership allows your co-op access to a broad library of materials covering a wide range of areas:

• Board of directors policies
• Finances
• Management and personnel
• Marketing and communications
• Member relations and governance
• Operations
• Planning and expansion

Our library has over 2,000 resources and includes samples of advertising copy and graphics, newsletter articles, training materials, job descriptions and organizational charts, board policies and organizing documents, membership brochures and materials, annual reports, business plans, and others—all shared by members for the benefit of members.

Other valuable resources your co-op will have access to include:

• Basic Retail Operations Manual developed by the University of Wisconsin, Urban Cooperative Initiative
• CCMA workshop archives
• Co-op Livable Wage Model
• Deli Recipe Exchange with over 550 recipes
• How to Start a Food Co-op online manual
• Photo galleries featuring store tours, merchandising displays, signage, T-shirt designs, and more
• Private CoopTube videos featuring store tours, ads, training videos, producer tours, and more
• Board member listserve – only available to current directors of CGIN members.
• Departmental listserves for Human Resource, Deli, General Managers and Store Managers, Membership and Marketing, Information Technology, and Health and Beauty Aids staff. View entire listing
• Food Co-op Toolbox Manuals – series of “toolbox” manuals to provide guidance and best practices in various specific topic areas.
• Ask Cooper – members can create surveys for others to respond to. All members can view the results online.

Your membership also supports the basic listserve, which provides the most timely discussion forum available to the food co-op community, as well as ongoing maintenance of our website.

Find out more about CGIN Membership!

What members are saying about CGIN:

“We are in a time of transition with a new GM. CGIN has been an invaluable tool to help get us where we are today and I know will be useful in moving us forward.”

-Krista Bloomquist, Chequamegon Food Co-op