There are more than 47,000 cooperative businesses in the United States that generate more than two million jobs and create more than $74 billion in wages. These cooperatives also account for more than $654 billion in revenue!

In many ways, co-ops are like any other business; but in several important ways they're unique and different. Cooperatives are:

• Owned and democratically controlled by their members-the people who use the co-op's services or buy its goods-not by outside investors; Co-op members elect their board of director from within the membership.
• Return surplus revenues (income over expenses and investment) to members proportionate to their use of the cooperative, not proportionate to their "investment" or ownership share.
• Are motivated not by profit, but by service-to meet their members' needs for affordable and high quality goods or services
• Exist solely to serve their members
• Pay taxes on income kept within the co-op for investment and reserves. Surplus revenues from the co-op are returned to individual members who pay taxes on that income.

Co-ops come in all shapes and sizes and range in size from small store-fronts to large Fortune 500 companies. There are electric and telephone services, insurance co-ops, food co-ops, credit unions, forestry co-ops, farm marketing and supply co-ops, just to name a few. And, of course, student housing co-ops are an important part of the American co-op movement.

Whether big or small, urban or rural, in the east, west, north or south, co-ops are committed to meeting people’s needs through democratic control, sound business practices and collaborative community effort.