Mission, Unity, and Bylaws

We’ve finalized the bylaws of the cooperative! They include our mission statement, points of unity, and details about how we operate. Check it out on the documents page.

Mission Statement

Cooperative 4 the Community is an Oakland-based, Oakland-focused cooperative for grassroots activists. Time and money constraints prevent many who most need it from being involved in community building. We break down these barriers by providing worker-owner opportunities that make civic engagement accessible to everyone.

Points of Unity

  • Everyone Can Be an Organizer: anyone with compassion and care for their community can make a difference; we provide training, support, and opportunities to achieve that.
  • Empowering Community: our work focuses on directly benefiting and supporting community organizations.
  • Responsibility to City: as residents of Oakland, we have a responsibility to foster positive growth and engage with our neighbors.
  • Cooperation Over Commodity: we build relationships based on trust and solidarity, recognizing shared success over individual success. Prioritize healthy relationships over measuring goals.
  • Restorative Intention: historical and structural conditions have denied access to forms of participation; we center marginalized and disenfranchised groups to support diverse communities.
  • Positive Impact: we trust those affected by our work (both inside and outside the cooperative) to determine what is positive on their own terms; we consider negative impacts of positive intentions. We consider future impacts alongside immediate ones.
  • Valuing Collective Wisdom: each of us knows a little; together we know a lot. Decision-making and responsibilities are transparent to anyone involved. We keep ego out of decision-making.
  • Always Curious: cultivate individual learning from new ideas and challenges, and share learning experiences with others. We celebrate effort and learn from mistakes.
  • Embracing Conflict: conflict is inevitable; we engage issues regardless of how they surface. Conflict resolution requires two-way communication and active listening.
  • Decentralizing Power: power is not a scarcity; sharing decision-making empowers us all. We are clear about delegating specific responsibilities, rotating leadership, and make space for examining interpersonal power dynamics.
  • No Tolerance for Harassment and Discrimination