| Fall Quarterly 2018

The ABC's of Shares

Jules Katz, Membership Coordinator

If you’re a member of the Co-op, you have an A Share. It’s the $25 share you purchased to become a member. Or, if you’ve been a member since before 1995, you may have paid just $10 for your A Share. As a holder of an A Share, you have all rights of membership to vote, take advantage of member sales and discounts, attend member events, and participate in board and committee meetings.

Any member can make an additional investment in the Co-op in the form of B Shares. You can purchase them in $10 increments from Customer Service at any time until you have a total of $300 in B Shares. At $300 in B Shares you become a Fair Share member and are eligible to receive patronage refunds 100% in cash, in years the board declares a refund. As a Fair Share member, you can also invest in C Shares. The Co-op may also invest patronage refunds into member’s B Shares per Co-op bylaws, but only in years the board declares a patronage refund to be issued. 

C Share investments earn dividends at a rate set by the board. The current annual rate is 2% but is reviewed quarterly by the board. At 2%, a share investment of $5,000 would earn $100 per year. C Share investing is more than an opportunity for members to earn money on their investment. Member investment allows the Co-op to do things like replace the Arcata store roof, buy new refrigeration equipment or improve infrastructure. Even a small investment supports the Co-op in continuing to improve our stores to provide our members and shoppers with the best products and shopping experience.

If you are a Fair Share member and want to make your first C Share purchase, we’ll need to meet with you first to provide you with investment paperwork. Once you’ve invested in C Shares, additional purchases can be made in $10 increments at Customer Service at any time. Investments over $2,500 need prior approval. Members can ask the Co-op to repurchase their shares from them at any time by completing a withdrawal form at Customer Service. The Co-op has up to 12 months to buy back shares from a member. If you ask to have your A Share repurchased, it means you are terminating your membership. Contact the Co-op’s Membership Coordinator at membership@northcoast.coop or 707-822-5947 ext. 234 for additional information about investing in the Co-op. It’s as easy as A-B-C!