Youth Cooperative Leadership Experience (YCLE) Highlights Ag Careers and Co-ops

OSU South Centers welcomed 37 students from Peebles High School at the fall YCLE program. Students learned about agricultural research conducted at the campus, by experiencing hands-on learning in agricultural science by extracting DNA from strawberries with Dr. Dan Remley and conducted soil testing with Amanda Perkins with Pike County Extension.  Students also were able to explore the Bee Tree Trail with Dr. Logan Minter and learn about fish genetics in an educational session with Paul O’Bryant, Aquaculture Specialist.

Students learned about career pathways from various Ohio cooperative business leaders and participated in a Co-op Career Fair. Cooperatives included: Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), Adams Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc., Atomic Credit Union, South Central Power Co., Heritage Cooperative, and Farm Credit Mid-America. Students learned how about career opportunities at each cooperative. Representatives from Ohio State shared information about education pathways in agriculture at OSU ATI and summer employment opportunities for students at OSU South Centers.

YCLE is designed to help students learn about agricultural careers and achievable paths to higher education with an emphasis on the cooperative business model because of the important role cooperatives play in the agricultural supply chain. The program is supported with generous funding from the Southern Ohio Agricultural & Community Development Foundation.

The next YCLE at OSU South Centers will be held in Spring 2026. If you are a teacher in southern Ohio, contact Melissa Whitt at whitt.168@osu.edu for more information about engaging your students in the Youth Cooperative Leadership Experience.

 

Call for Lightning Talk Proposals

2025 Virtual Cooperative Law Conference: Sharing Innovations, Emerging Trends, and Current Issues in Co-op Law and Development

 


Submission Deadline: July 30, 2025
Submit Your Proposal: go.osu.edu/cooplawtalks
Lightning Talk Date: September 24, 2025
Event Location: Online

Are you passionate about the future of cooperative enterprise? Do you have insights into innovations, emerging issues, or practical challenges shaping the cooperative landscape through law?

We invite cooperative member-owners, developers, attorneys, accountants, organizers, educators, and advocates to submit proposals for Lightning Talks—dynamic, 5–7-minute presentations—at our upcoming Virtual Cooperative Law Conference on September 23-24, 2025.

This is your chance to spotlight:

  • Cutting-edge legal frameworks for cooperative enterprise
  • Recent case law or legislative developments
  • Tools and strategies for cooperative growth, governance, and alignment
  • Cross-sector innovations or interdisciplinary approaches to development, governance, financing, or management
  • Innovations in cooperative law from abroad that could help address challenges in the United States

Whether you’re sharing a bold idea, a cautionary tale, or a call to action, we want to learn from you! Let’s spark ideas and grow the cooperative legal community — together.

Hosted by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences Center for Cooperatives at Ohio State and planned collaboratively by cooperative practitioners, the 2025 Virtual Cooperative Law Conference is a space to grow the knowledge and network of professionals who can support collaborative, community-based, or cooperative enterprises, including professionals expanding their transactional business toolbox who are new to the cooperative model.

Online Event Details
Online events are hosted by the CFAES Center for Cooperatives at Ohio State via Zoom. Participants can join via the Zoom application on a computer or mobile device or by telephone. Unless otherwise noted, events will not be recorded. Registrants will receive Zoom connection details via email prior to the event.

Online events will be presented with automated closed captions. If you wish to request traditional CART services or other accommodations such as interpretation, please contact Ann Luther at luther.111@osu.edu or 740-289-1952. Requests made two weeks in advance will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the university will make every effort to meet requests made after this date.  

 

Cooperatives, Nonprofits, and Not for Profit – Untangling the Terms

As groups are exploring collaborative or community-focused enterprises, it is not uncommon for questions and confusion to arise about the differences and similarities between cooperatives and nonprofits.

A picture of many multicolored, squiggly lines converging into a single arrow.

What is a nonprofit?

Sometimes, when people refer to a ‘nonprofit’ they mean a mission-driven organization, other times they mean an enterprise that does not make a “profit,” and often, they are referring to a tax-exempt organization, such as a charitable organization with §501(c)(3) tax-exempt status (often called a “charity” or “public charity”).

Let’s look at a few terms to help clarify. Note, it is helpful to keep in mind that the legal entity type and tax form of an enterprise, although related, are separate concepts.

A nonprofit corporation is “a legal entity that has been incorporated under state laws to operate for purposes other than making a profit.” (Wex Legal Information Institute, 2020)

More broadly, a nonprofit organization is “a group organized for purposes other than generating profit and in which no part of the organization’s income is distributed to its members, directors, or officers.” (Wex Legal Information Institute, 2023) A nonprofit organization may use a nonprofit corporation, trust, or unincorporated association as its legal entity form. (Cafardi & Cherry, 2014)

A tax-exempt organization is exempt from federal income tax under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), within certain limitations. (Cafardi & Cherry, 2014) Corporations, trusts, and unincorporated associations can be tax-exempt organizations. Although many people think of charitable, religious, or education organizations when they think of tax-exempt organizations, there are over 29 different types of organizations that may qualify for exemption from federal income tax. (Cafardi & Cherry, 2014; Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 2025)

What is a cooperative?

In general, a cooperative is a user-owned, user-controlled business that distributes benefits to users, such as profits, based on use. Cooperatives can operate in diverse sectors and with varied memberships, from farmer-owned marketing cooperatives to small business purchasing cooperatives, and consumer-owned grocery cooperatives, among others. (Wadsworth & Eversull, 2012) Cooperatives can be organized in numerous legal entity forms, like cooperative associations, corporations, or limited liability companies. (Russell & Radebaugh, 2024)

To make things even more confusing, cooperatives are sometimes referred to as “not for profit.” The laws of incorporation for cooperatives in multiple states, including Ohio, have language stating that the cooperative corporations or associations created thereunder are deemed as “not for profit” or “nonprofit” in nature.[1] However, these references generally refer to the idea that the cooperative is not driven to make a profit for the cooperative itself, but rather when the cooperative generates surplus earnings, they are generally distributed to users of the cooperative. (Levinson & Eisenback, 2020)

Learn more about the cooperative business model at go.osu.edu/coopmastery.

 

Sometimes, a cooperative can even be a tax-exempt organization, depending on its mission and operating characteristics.  For example, rural electric and internet service cooperatives may be tax-exempt under §501(c)(12) of the IRC, credit unions may be tax-exempt under §501(c)(14) of the IRC, and cooperative hospital service organizations may be tax-exempt under §501(e) of the IRC. (Autry & Hall, 2009) In some cases, a cooperative may even be recognized as a §501(c)(3) charitable tax-exempt organization under the IRC, such as qualifying childcare cooperatives. (Sustainable Economies Law Center, n.d.) Cooperatives seeking or maintaining these tax-exempt statuses are subject to various requirements that may influence their operating characteristics, such as their activities, ability to make profit-distributions, and ability to engage volunteers, among other areas. (Autry & Hall, 2009; Sustainable Economies Law Center, n.d.; Cafardi & Cherry, 2014)

Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice. It is not a substitute for the potential need to consult with a competent attorney in the appropriate jurisdiction.

References

Autry, C. & Hall, R. (2009). The Law of Cooperatives. American Bar Association Business Law Section.

Cafardi, N.P. & Cherry, J.F. (2014). Tax-Exempt Organizations. Cases and Materials (3rd edition). Matthew Bender & Company, Inc., LexisNexis, San Francisco, California.

Internal Revenue Service. (2025). Tax-Exempt Status for Your Organization, Publication 557 (Rev. January 2025), U.S. Department of Treasury. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p557.pdf

Levinson, A. R., & Eisenback, C. (2020). Cooperative principles and fair labor standards: volunteering for food co-ops. Michigan State Law Review, 2020(1), 189-232.

Russell, M. & Radebaugh, J. (2024). How are Co-ops Structured? Understanding Business Entities and Structures.  [Presentation]. 2024 Cooperative Law Conference co-hosted by CFAES Center for Cooperatives at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.

Sustainable Economies Law Center. (n.d.) Using Volunteers in a Cooperative. https://co-oplaw.org/using-volunteers-in-a-cooperative/.

Wadsworth, J. & Eversull, E. (Eds.) (2012). Co-ops 101: An Introduction to Cooperatives. Cooperative Information Report 55. U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development. https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/cir55.pdf

Wex Legal Information Institute. (2020). Nonprofit corporation. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/nonprofit_corporation

Wex Legal Information Institute. (2023). Non-profit organizations. Cornell Law School. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/non-profit_organizations

[1] See USDA’s State Cooperative Statute Library – (FL – F.S.A. §618.01(4); GA – O.C.G.A. §2-10-82; MA-Gen §10; MS – §79-19-3; Neb. – §21-1401(2);  NM – §76-12-3(E); NM – §53-4-1(A); NY – CC §1-3(d); CC §5(1); OH – §1729.02(B); OK – §17-3; TN §43-16-103(b); UT – §3-1-2(10)(b); VA – §13.1-313(c)).

“Ask A Lawyer” Event Brings Legal Expertise to Southern Ohio Entrepreneurs

As an entrepreneur or small business owner, have you ever felt unsure of where or how to access legal expertise to help answer your questions?

An entrepreneur meets with an Ohio attorney, shadowed by a third-year law student, during the 2025 "Ask A Lawyer" program.

An entrepreneur meets with an Ohio attorney, shadowed by a third-year law student, during the 2025 “Ask A Lawyer” program.

On April 3, 2025, entrepreneurs and small business owners gathered at Ohio University’s Chillicothe campus to learn about business entity structures and intellectual property concepts, and to meet one-on-one with an Ohio attorney about legal questions for their businesses or start-up ideas.

The program, “Ask A Lawyer,” was the second of its kind in a collaboration between Ohio State’s Moritz College of Law Entrepreneurial Business Law Clinic (EBLC), the CFAES Center for Cooperatives at OSU South Centers, and the Small Business Development Center at OSU South Centers.

As businesses start and grow, building a team of advisors like an attorney, accountant, tax professional, and insurance advisor, just to name a few, can be helpful. But rural entrepreneurs and business owners face a special challenge finding legal expertise – a shortage of lawyers in their communities. In Ohio, the Ohio Bar estimates that only 6 of Ohio’s 88 counties have at least one practicing lawyer per 700 residents, a threshold estimated to provide residents adequate access to legal services. Those six counties are the centers of Ohio’s major metropolitan areas, while rural areas of the state are considered “underserved by attorneys.”

As the CFAES Center for Cooperatives and other business development programs at OSU South Centers assist entrepreneurs and create educational programs to support cooperative and business development, legal questions often come up. Check out a recording from a recent online learning program hosted by the CFAES Center for Cooperatives, “10 Questions to Ask your Attorney When Building Your Cooperative.”

Third-year law students from Ohio State presented on common legal issues for small businesses during the 2025 "Ask A Lawyer" program.

Third-year law students from Ohio State’s Moritz College of Law Entrepreneurial Business Law Clinic presented on common legal issues for small businesses during the 2025 “Ask A Lawyer” program.

So, in 2022, the team reached out to Paige Wilson, Director of the EBLC at Ohio State’s Moritz College of Law, to brainstorm ways to bring the EBLC’s legal expertise to southern Ohio entrepreneurs. The team developed an education and “quick advice clinic” program with classroom-style learning sessions taught by third-year law students in the EBLC, along with one-on-one appointments with volunteer attorneys for entrepreneurs.

The goal of the program is to help entrepreneurs access no-cost legal information and advice, provide a learning opportunity for law students, and engage volunteer attorneys who want to help grow access to legal services in the region.

Interested in learning more about the “Ask A Lawyer” program or connecting? Reach out to the CFAES Center for Cooperatives at osucooperatives@osu.edu or visit us online at go.osu.edu/cooperatives.

A Successful “Food and Farm: Social Media” held in Fairfield County on March 19

The CFAES Center for Cooperatives, OSU Direct Food and Agricultural Marketing program at OSU South Centers, and OSU South Centers Small Business Development Center recently collaborated to present Food and Farm: Social Media at the Fairfield Agricultural Center in Lancaster, Ohio on March 19.  The free workshop hosted 13 participants with interests in learning and gaining information on marketing their food and farm businesses with different social media platforms.

Participants talking with Christie Welch at Food and Farm: Social Media in Fairfield County on March 19.

Christie Welch, Direct Food and Agricultural Marketing Team for OSU Extension, interacting with participants.

Attendees were introduced to connecting better with their customers. Christie Welch, who leads the Direct Food and Agricultural Marketing Team for OSU Extension, provided detailed information on best practices and keeping your profiles current and up-do-date. Understanding short videos, how to create them, and applications that can assist you with content was reviewed. Christie went over the importance of engaging with your customers on social media and how to make interactions meaningful.

Melanie Sherman and Melissa Carter, Business Counselors with the OSU South Centers Small Business Development Center, presented on how artificial intelligence can be beneficial for marketing and how to use AI content to assist with marketing needs. Different AI platforms were explored as a group.

During the workshop, attendees were able to review their social media profiles and update to make current. Different platforms were reviewed with the group and worksheets were provided that went over the necessities of what information should be included on social media.

Contact Ann Luther (luther.111@osu.edu) with any questions about the Food and Farm Marketing: Social Media.

Cooperative Means Community Event Held at Phat Daddy’s On Da Tracks

The Ohio State University CFAES Center for Cooperatives recently partnered with New Economy Works West Virginia to hold a worker cooperative educational event at the worker-owned restaurant, Phat Daddy’s On Da Tracks in Charleston, West Virginia.  Phat Daddy’s is a black, family owned, worker-cooperative business on the tracks in downtown Charleston.  It is a new, inclusive restaurant offering a variety of delicious choices for all taste buds.

The free workshop hosted 20 participants interested in learning more about the worker cooperative structure, ecosystem and financing.  Topics included ‘What is a Worker Cooperative,’ ‘Financing Your Cooperative,’ and ‘Democratic Management Practices.’  Participants worked with co-op experts to engage in activities meant to develop their knowledge, strengthen their businesses and promote networking.  John Holdsclaw, President and CEO of Rochdale Capital spoke with the group, answered financing questions, and provided helpful resources and options for more diverse lending solutions.

Presenters included: Melissa Whitt, Program Specialist CFAES Center for Cooperatives, Mavery Davis, CPA and Director of Lending New Economy Works West Virgina, Dr. Octavia Cordon, Phat Daddy’s on Da Tracks Worker/Owner, and Cherrelle Garnder, Co-Executive Director of Co-op Dayton.

10 Questions to Ask your Attorney When Building your Cooperative

Cooperators building a new enterprise encounter many questions. Some of those questions are best answered by professionals with specialized expertise, including lawyers, accountants, tax professionals, insurance advisors, financial experts, and others.An illustration of two people in business attire sitting across the table from a person in a business suit with a computer with a checklist, scales of justice, and a law book in the background.

In a recent online learning program of the Appalachia Cooperates Initiative, cooperative attorneys Mike Russell and Jacqueline Radebaugh, shared their perspectives on how cooperators can prepare for working with an attorney and the 10 questions they suggest cooperators consider asking their attorney, including:

  1. What do we need an attorney for?
  2. How do you bill? What should we budget for the services we need, or you recommend?
  3. You’re very expensive! What questions should we think about on our own time? Can you recommend an attorney within my budget?
  4. What kinds of cooperatives have you worked with in the past? Can we talk with one of them?
  5. Given our goals and our situation, what entity structure(s) should we consider and why?
  6. What do your words mean?
  7. Why and when should we talk to an accountant? What other professionals should we talk to? Do you have referrals in my state?
  8. We need to raise funds. Is there anything we should know before we start talking with people, posting things online, or seeking investors? When do we need to think about securities law?
  9. Do we need insurance? When?
  10. Consider framing your questions as “If we want to do X, what do we need to think about?” rather than “Is this allowed?”

A thumbnail image of the handout "10 Questions to Ask your Attorney When Building your Cooperative" Download the pdf to read.

Access the handout “10 Questions to Ask Your Attorney when Building your Co-op_Handout_12.2024.”

Preparing for Meeting with an Attorney

To make their time more effective and efficient, it can be useful for cooperators to do some “homework” before meeting an attorney. For example, business planning can help cooperators explore their needs, grow their understanding of potential issues, and identify questions for professionals.

Consulting knowledgeable business development experts, like cooperative developers, can help with business planning, and exploring reputable online educational resources can help cooperators develop their understanding of concepts that will form the foundation of their business. For example, the following online cooperative education resources are great places to start when learning the foundations of cooperative business:

View a recording of the program, “10 Questions to Ask your Attorney when Building your Cooperative,” with Mike Russell, Esq., The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, and Jacqueline Radebaugh, Esq., Jason Wiener p.c., on December 11, 2024.

Finding Legal Services for Cooperative Development

Cooperators should seek advice from competent, appropriately licensed advisors as they make decisions for their cooperatives. The resources below offer a helpful starting point for cooperators identifying legal service providers but are not the only way to locate an attorney.

  • Similar businesses may be able to offer feedback or recommendations for professionals they worked with.
  • State and local bar associations and law libraries may be able to help cooperators identify legal service providers in their communities.
  • In Ohio and West Virginia, the CFAES Center for Cooperatives built the Cooperative and Collaborative Enterprises Legal and Accounting Resources Directory to help locate cooperative expertise. The information was provided by the listed individuals and does not indicate a referral or reference by the Center or The Ohio State University.
  • The Cooperative Professionals Guild is a national member-led community of legal and accounting professionals specializing in cooperatives.
  • Legal aid organizations might provide transactional support to cooperatives for qualifying individuals.
  • Community-facing business clinics at law schools may provide limited assistance to cooperatives as part of their mission.

This information is provided for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice. It is not a substitute for the potential need to consult with a competent attorney licensed to practice law in the appropriate jurisdiction.

 

References

Russell, M. & Radebaugh, J. 10 Questions to Ask your Attorney When Building Your Cooperative. [Presentation]. CFAES Center for Cooperatives Appalachia Cooperates Initiative. go.osu.edu/ten

OSU Center for Cooperatives Year-In Review

As 2024 comes to a close, and we look back on all the amazing progress and programming from the OSU Center for Cooperatives, let us reflect on the success of our accomplishments.  This has been a great year of collaborations and connections among many cooperative organizations across the region.

We began the year focusing on cooperative frameworks and the importance of building a strong foundation within the business.  Knowing the enterprise’s legal structure can be a helpful mechanism for understanding how an enterprise works.  For more details check out the following links created by our Center Director:

Key Roles of Members in Ohio Cooperatives Infographic

Key Roles of Members in Ohio Cooperatives

Quick Summary: Ohio’s Cooperative Law (Ohio Revised Code 1729)

Our team was very active and traveled many miles this year, all while presenting and educating, learning and gaining further knowledge to grow cooperative skills for everyone.  You may have seen us on the road presenting at the 2024 Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) 45th Annual Conference, a three-part series in Gallia County presenting Business Basics for Profits and Non-Profits, hosting high school juniors and seniors for our annual Youth Cooperative Leadership Experience program, or exploring the possibilities of the 2024 ACE (Association of Cooperative Educators) Institute Conference held in Mandan, North Dakota and an afternoon of Food and Farm Marketing in Meigs County.

In addition to the travel our team saw this year, we hosted and took part in many more virtual events.  One of our highest attended and most popular events, AI Applications and Risks for Co-ops, was presented virtually by the experts at Nationwide and Growmark, Inc. on May 29th.  Artificial Intelligence is all the buzz across the world, in all forms of life, with agricultural joining the ranks exploring the new technology to help create more operational efficiencies and cost savings.  However, exploring this complex space can be daunting and intimidating.  This presentation takes a deeper dive into the ways the teams at Nationwide and Growmark are implementing these tools and strategies.  A recording of the program along with audio transcript are available via Zoom, where users will be asked to register to view the recording to help us track the reach and impact of the session. Feel free to share the recording link with your colleagues!

We also took a closer look at worker cooperatives with Casa Nueva team, Phat Daddy’s On Da Tracks Octavia Cordon, and Mavery Davis with New Economy Works.  Worker cooperatives are becoming a popular form of the cooperative business model and generating more attention these days.  This session explores rewards and challenges of operating a worker cooperative with the folks in rural Appalachia that keep the doors open each day.  To view this program recording in full please click here.

Looking back on the great programing and instruction this past year propels us to strongly move forward into the new year.  Our Center will again team up with the OSU Direct Food and Agriculture Marketing and the Small Business Development Center to kick off the year with another great session of Food and Farm Marketing Basics in Lancaster.  The event will be held on January 8th from noon to 3:00 pm at the Fairfield County Agricultural Center.  To register for this event CLICK HERE.

Thank you for joining us this year, we look forward to collaborating with you in 2025!

Leveling Up as a Cooperative Leader

An illustration of many interconnected gears in shades of blue with business related icons in the center, such as a light bulb, people, and clipboard.

The job description and responsibilities of a cooperative director are varied – from establishing policies, representing members, and assessing the cooperative’s performance, to hiring, supervising, and succession planning for the cooperative’s key manager, among many others. Whether a start-up cooperative is building their board, or a longtime director is taking on a new leadership role on their board, directors may be asking themselves, “What skills do I need to lead my co-op effectively?”

Vital Skills for Cooperative Directors

In research using prior literature, interviews, and focus groups with cooperative CEOs/general managers, directors, and service providers of farmer cooperatives in Kansas, researchers identified 11 key skills as necessary to be an “engaged and knowledgeable director,” including:

  1. Cooperative finance
  2. Cooperative governance and policy
  3. Communication
  4. Time management
  5. Understanding current economic and industry conditions
  6. Asking critical and constructive questions
  7. Strategic planning
  8. Networking
  9. Listening
  10. Teamwork; and
  11. Leadership[1]

When asked about the “duties, expectations, and strengths of successful directors,” cooperative board chairs and managers in Texas shared some of the following expectations of directors:

  • “Come prepared to give your full attention during board meetings.”
  • “Train and educate yourself to have an understanding of the audit and financial statements.”
  • “Stay current and aware of the status of co-op operations…”
  • “Work at being open to change and new ways of doing business.”
  • “Have an understanding of director versus general manager roles – both limitations and responsibilities.”[2]

Understanding your Skills

One way directors can build their leadership capacity is to identify skills where they excel and other skills where they would benefit from continued training and growth. However, some cooperative experts have cautioned that board assessments should be used with caution and in conjunction with additional training and development to avoid overwhelming, discouraging, or disengaging directors.[3]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “Assessing Performance Needs of Cooperative Boards of Directors,” published a self-assessment tool for cooperative directors that includes seven areas related to cooperative directors’ responsibilities and duties.

Scholars from Texas A&M University developed a framework for cooperative governance based on concepts of personal, board, and organizational development where governance includes influence over self, influence over other individuals and the board, and influence over the cooperative organization.[4] The researchers developed a tool for directors to assess their own competencies in related to leadership in their cooperative called the Multidimensional Governance Assessment.

Resources for Growing Directors’ Skills

Many cooperative boards already provide training for their directors.[5] Regular board training programs may be built directly into regular meetings or as special programs focused on specific areas or skills. The source of expertise can be as varied as the training topics, from internal cooperative employees to partners from federated cooperatives to nonprofit and university educators.

Individually, directors may prefer to learn on their own through reading, live trainings, or connecting with peers. Directors can ask their co-op’s leadership whether they are aware of or partner with cooperative educators, or if they regularly use recommended training materials. Below are a few places where cooperative stakeholders can explore governance training.

Literature Cited

[1] Herchenbach, J., Briggeman, B., Bergtold, J., Shanoyan, A., Low, S. & Miller, B. (2023). “A qualitative assessment of farmer director skills in agricultural cooperatives.” International Food and Agribusiness Management Review. Advance online publication. DOI: 10.22434/IFAMR2022.0099

[2] Engelke, T. & Park, J. (Sept. 2008). How to Rise Above the Crowd. Cooperative Management Letter, Texas A&M University. https://agecoext.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/cml0803RiseAboveCrowd.pdf

[3] Jacobs, K. & Fagerlin, R. (2024). Board Assessments: The Importance and Value of Board Assessments [presentation]. National Council of Farmer Cooperatives Director Education Conference.

[4] Park, J. Friend, D., McKee, G., & Manley, M. (2019). “A Framework for Training and Assessment of the 21st Century Cooperative.” Western Economics Forum, 17(2), 5-15.

[5] Berner, C. & Schlachter, L.H. (2022). “Findings from the Cooperative Governance Research Initiative: 2021.” University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Cooperatives. https://resources.uwcc.wisc.edu/Research/CGRI_2021Report_web.pdf

Free Upcoming Webinar: 10 Questions to Ask your Attorney when Building Your Cooperative

A photograph with a person's hands, a wooden gavel, and bronze scales of justice with a wooden question mark in the foreground.People starting a cooperative have diverse and varied goals, from wanting to build democratic workplaces, to helping farmers or artists reach new markets, or finding ways for small businesses to save costs. Creating a business with the unique values, principles, and characteristics of a cooperative that serves members’ goals is not a one-size-fits-all structure. The frameworks that build a cooperative can include its legal structure, tax treatment, key partnerships, capitalization strategy, and more, which can take on a variety of distinct approaches.

This complexity can be overwhelming for groups new to the cooperative model and working to build their own cooperative enterprise. That is why building a team of competent advisors is an important part of the business start-up process. Those advisors can include attorneys, accountants, tax advisors, risk management and insurance advisors, industry experts, and others who can help the group build the frameworks that will help accomplish their goals.

How can different legal structures accomplish cooperative ownership?

 

That question, along with helping cooperative entrepreneurs prepare for meeting with an attorney during their pre-venture phase, is the subject of an upcoming learning program with the CFAES Center for Cooperatives’ Appalachia Cooperates Initiative.

On Wednesday, December 11, attorneys Jacqueline Radebaugh, Managing Partner and Shareholder with Jason Wiener p.c., and Mike Russell, Attorney with The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland will talk with entrepreneurs and business developers about legal frameworks that can accomplish cooperative business approaches and working effectively with an attorney, including how to prepare for working with an attorney who can best advise on the right structure for a business.

Staff from the CFAES Center for Cooperatives will share resources for locating professional advisors for a cooperative or other emerging business, with a particular focus on Appalachia.

Date: Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Time: 1 – 2 p.m. Eastern

Location: Online via Zoom

Cost: Free

Questions: Ann Luther (luther.111@osu.edu or 740-289-1952)

REGISTER HERE

 

This online learning program is presented as part of the CFAES Center for Cooperatives Appalachia Cooperates Initiative, a learning and peer-exchange network connecting cooperative, community, business, and economic developers and advocates in Central Appalachia to resources about the cooperative business model.

Event Details

Online events are hosted by the CFAES Center for Cooperatives at Ohio State via Zoom. Participants can join via the Zoom application on a computer or mobile device or by telephone. Unless otherwise noted, events will not be recorded. Registrants will receive Zoom connection details via email prior to the event. Events will be presented with automated closed captions. If you wish to request traditional CART services or other accommodations such as interpretation, please contact Ann Luther at luther.111@osu.edu or 740-289-1952. Requests made two weeks in advance will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the university will make every effort to meet requests made after this date.

CFAES provides research and related educational programs to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis. For more information, visit cfaesdiversity.osu.edu.