Co-op Principles
Where do cooperative principles come from?
Cooperatives began in 1854 with the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers, a group of English textile workers who formed a shop to purchase goods they normally couldn’t afford. The group had collective power to purchase goods and market them wholesale to their members and within a decade they gained a reputation for selling fine products and the cooperative movement had expanded dramatically. Today, the modern cooperative movement still uses these original principles.
The ICC as a student housing cooperative organization, abides by the following principles of cooperation modeled after Rochdale Society of equitable pioneers:
Rochdale Cooperative Principles
- Voluntary and Open membership
- Democratic Member Control
- Member Economic Participation
- Autonomy & Independence
- Education, Training and Information
- Co-operation among Co-operatives
- Concern for Community
ICC Cooperative Principles
- Open Membership
- Democratic Participation
- Neutrality
- Limited Interest on Invested Capital
- Distribution of Economic Result
- Education
- Mutual Cooperation
- Continuous Expansion
