Start-ups

Creating bylaws and policy in student cooperatives

Document describing the process/options for applying for tax exemption in the United States.

One of the first steps to getting your coop incorporated is to write articles of incorporation for your state.  Most states deal with this through the office of the Secretary of State, but a few don't.  Articles themselves, though, are a fairly simple document, even if the whole thing is in legalese.  One thing about Articles of Incorporation is that they are a brief document, and you can read through them in just a minute or so.  The contents are simple enough that you should be able to get an idea of what you would need to change in reading them, and then those changes can be run by

This resource was contributed by Attorney David "Rosebud" Sparer for a workshop presented as part of NASCO's Developing New Co-op Track at the 2008 Cooperative Education and Training Institute . See NASCO Development Services for more information on developing new co-ops,

Tools for developing your vision

There are a lot of reasons why coop groups decide to incorporate.  This document lists some of the main areas where your group will benefit from being an "official" corporation.

A guide to starting out right and building a cohesive co-op home