It's Co-op Week from Oct 16th to the 21st on Kootenay Co-op Radio.

Cooperatives and credit unions differ from other businesses in three key ways:

  • A Different Purpose: The primary purpose of cooperatives and credit unions is to meet the common needs of their members, whereas the primary purpose of most conventional investor-owned businesses is to maximize profit for shareholders.
  • A Different Control Structure: A co-op business is democratically controlled by the members (owners), and is based on ethical values and principles. These principles include self-help, democracy, equality, and concern for community. Cooperatives and credit unions use the one member/one vote system, not the one vote per share system used by most businesses.
  • A Different Allocation of Profit: Cooperatives and credit unions share profits among their member-owners on the basis of how much they contribute to the co-op, not on how many shares they hold. Cooperatives and credit unions invest their profits in improving service to their members and improving the well-being of their communities. Kootenay Co-op Radio is a non-profit co-op so the radio station is not making profits.

Kootenay Co-op Radio is a cooperative like many local organizations. Among them, we found a few sponsors of KCR.

Zoë Creighton, one of the founder of Kootenay Co-op Radio is telling us, back in the days, why KCR decided to become a Co-op? Why was it that important? And what are the benefits for the organization and the members?