NASCO Governance
NASCO is governed by a 13- to 18-person board of directors, 13 of whom are elected by the member organizations and 5 of whom are appointed. Of the 13 elected directors, 12 are full (3 year term) directors and one is the "Active Member Representative" (AMR), who serves a one-year term. The full board meets three times a year to oversee and direct the implementation of NASCO's Vision and Mission:
Vision: To achieve a socially and financially responsible North American cooperative economic sector for all people and organizations interested in applying the principles and practices of cooperation.
Mission Statement: The NASCO Family [of associations] organizes and educates affordable group equity co-ops and their members for the purpose of promoting a community oriented cooperative movement.
Values and Principles:
Values are:
- self-help,
- democracy,
- equality,
- equity,
- solidarity
- self-responsibility
Cooperative members believe in the ethical values of
- honesty,
- openness,
- social responsibility and caring for others.
Co-op Principles -- guidelines by which cooperatives put their values into practice:
- voluntary and open membership
- democratic member control
- member economic participation
- autonomy and independence
- education, training and information
- cooperation among cooperatives
- concern for community
In this effort, the Board is primarily supported by two other governance-related bodies:
- The Executive Committee, consisting of the officers of the Board and the staff liaison, meets monthly or as needed to aid in the co-ordination of the Board's efforts.
- The Annual General Meeting (AGM) brings together representatives from all member organizations and individual members of NASCO. The AGM serves to advise the Board, establish communications between cooperatives across the continent, and help set the direction for the organization and the student cooperative movement as a whole. The AGM meets once a year at the NASCO Institute held each November in Ann Arbor, Michigan.