Serving as a Director of a Value-added Agricultural Co-op - The Legal Basics
A Legal Guide for Co-op Directors, Canadian Co-operative Association and the Conseil Canadien de la Coopération, 2008

Case Studies in Leadership and Governance of Agricultural Co-operatives
Canadian Co-operative Association and the Conseil Canadien de la Coopération, 2004

Tools to Assess Co-operative Leadership and Democratic Functioning
Canadian Co-operative Association and the Conseil Canadien de la Coopération, 2004

Co-operative Governance
Canada-Saskatchewan Business Service Centre, 2005. Describes the roles and responsibilities of the co-operative board, officers, and committees.

Cooperative Management
USDA, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Report 1, section 8, 38 pp., revised 1997. Reviews the role and function of management, including the accounting and control systems that assist management in running the business. Identifies the division of responsibilities between management and board.

What the Co-op Directors Do
USDA, Agricultural Cooperative Service, Report 14, 45 pp., 1992. Discusses the role of directors in a co-operative, what to look for in selecting directors, methods by which directors are chosen, and the division of responsibility between management and board.

What the Co-op Manager Does
USDA, Agricultural Cooperative Service, Report 16, 32 pp., 1993. Emphasizes the differences between managing a co-operative and an investor-owned corporation. Highlights the relationship between board and members and the role the manager plays in engaging members in the ownership of the co-op. Communication is stressed.

Organizing and Conducting Cooperatives' Annual Meetings
USDA, Agricultural Cooperative Service, Report 21, 68 pp., revised 1992. Basic outline for planning and holding an annual members' meeting. Suggestions for the type of information that should be presented. Discusses the importance of advertising and providing educational features and entertainment to attract and interest members.

Cooperative Member Responsibilities and Control
USDA, Agricultural Cooperative Service, Report 1, section 7, 29 pp., revised 1993. Discusses the roles and responsibilities of members in supporting the co-operative.

Cooperative Leadership
Center for Cooperatives, University of Wisconsin, 4 pp., 2005. Brief description of the role of the board member as a leader, and the qualifications board members should possess. Covers the nomination process, voting, board size, and term of office.

Core Functions and Processes of Co-operative Governance
Canada-Saskatchewan Business Service Centre, 2005. Summary of the various meetings the co-operative must hold, including annual member meetings, board meetings, and committee meetings. Discusses required documents and records, including articles of incorporation, bylaws, meeting minutes, financial reporting, and budgeting.

Decision-Making in Cooperatives with Diverse Member Interests
USDA, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Report 155, 21 pp., 1997. Discusses the decision-making process when members' needs are diverse, including the importance of consensus building and well-defined policies and procedures. Background reading for decision making in co-operatives.

Conducting Effective Meetings
Canada-Saskatchewan Business Service Centre, 2005. Information on conducting business meetings for co-operatives, including the role of the chairperson, parliamentary procedures, agenda, decision making, and rules for small-group meetings.

Strengthening Agricultural Cooperatives: An Inquiry into Expert Beliefs
Center for Cooperatives, University of California, Davis, 48 pp., 2002. Identifies keys to co-operative success based on interviews with co-operative leaders and experts. Offers insight into decision making and operating a co-operative.

Management in a Co-operative Setting
Nova Scotia Co-operative Council, 8 pp. Discusses a variety of issues/challenges in managing a co-operative, including dilemmas around democracy and finances. Offers the Mondragon model as an example of the successful resolution of some dilemmas.

Agricultural Adaptation - A Co-operative Approach
Canadian Co-operative Association. Provides links to a number of research projects and documents related to accessing capital and leadership development for co-operatives. Encourages using the co-op model in new ways to create sustained economic opportunities for farmers and rural communities in a changing marketplace.

Governance Matters Newsletter and Toolkits
Canadian Co-operative Association. Access to e-newsletter and e-toolkit highlighting governance and leadership issues for co-operatives. Subscription and membership required.