October is co-op month.Each October, cooperatives all across the U.S. and Canada celebrate the role, accomplishments and contributions of cooperatives.

The annual celebrations play a key role in promoting cooperatives to our members, the public and policy makers. Through a combination of media outreach, member education, and interaction with policy makers, co-op month events help raise the visibility of your cooperative, and improve public understanding of cooperatives.

Research shows that when consumers know a business is a cooperative, they are more likely to do business with it. And with consumer trust in co-ops topping investor-owned companies, promoting your business as a cooperative is a win-win proposition.

Though each cooperative chooses how to celebrate and promote its work during October, each year a planning committee of national cooperative associations representing cooperatives of all types develops a national, unified theme and provides supporting materials that help individual co-ops celebrate their accomplishments. Reflecting the diversity of the cooperative sector, and the community-wide nature of Cooperative Month, the committee works together to fund, develop and implement Co-op Month activities.