Access, Inclusion & Participation: Building More Welcoming Co-ops

“ D i v e r s e , I n c l u s i v e & R e s i l i e n t ”

1 8 t h M a r c h 2 0 1 7

G r e e n f i e l d C o m m u n i t y

C o l l e g e

G r e e n f i e l d , M A

A F T E R N O O N S E S S I O N S

NFCA Sixth Annual Meeting 2017

NEIGHBORING FOOD CO-OP

ASSOCIATION

Sixth Annual MeetingEveryone is

Welcome!Co-ops Celebrate Diversity: Everyone is welcome here.

Co-ops Are Inclusive: We are better when we work together.

Co-ops Build Community: Join your local food co-op today!

Want to know more? Please visit us at www.nfca.coop.

Building More Welcoming Co-ops


ACCESS, INCLUSION & PARTICIPATION


THANK YOU LEAD SPONSORS!

¡ Alexis Alexander, GreenStar Co-op Market

¡ Patrice Lockert Anthony, Board President, GreenStar Co-op Market

¡ Terry Bowling, Eastern Corridor Development Manager, National Co+opGrocers

¡ Erbin Crowell, Executive Director, NFCA, Facilitator


OUR PANEL

This panel will explore opportunities and strategies across the food co-op structure — from membership, to the Board, and to operations — for building more welcoming grocery stores, expanding diversity, inclusion and overall access to membership and participation. Discussion will include how we can learn from each other’s approaches to engage and empower more people in our communities, expand membership and participation, and increase our impact and success.


BUILDING MORE WELCOMING CO-OPS


OPPORTUNITY

We all bring something to the table, and we lose something when we do not bring other people to the table.

You have to be intentional about diversity, and once you have made the decision to look outside of your co-op and address the situation in your community, you cannot give up.

Shirley Sherrod,CCMA 2016

Who may not be at the table?¡Race¡Class¡Ethnicity¡Gender¡Age¡Sexual Orientation¡Different Abilities

What are some of the obstacles?¡Perceptions &

Realities¡Price¡Products & Services¡Promotion¡Language & Culture¡Policies & Practice


CHALLENGES

Challenges¡Food Co-ops not seen as

relevant to Food Security¡Perceptions of Food

Co-ops as exclusive¡Some practices may

reinforce perceptions¡Demands on focus &

resources¡Some cannot see

themselves at the table.

Opportunities¡Member Ownership¡Food Co-op legacy ¡Values & Principles¡Economic Democracy¡Peer models &

networking¡Partnership with

community organizations


HEALTHY FOOD ACCESS

¡ Learning from food co-op innovations

¡ Partner organization feedback & ideas

¡ Program templates ¡ Peer learning &

collaboration¡ Results

§ 8 New Food For All Programs§ 2,714 FFA Participants (2016)§ Community partnerships§ Shifting perceptions§ More of the community is at

the table


NFCA PEER NETWORKING FOR SHARED SUCCESS

GreenStar’s EvolutionBuilding a More Welcoming Co-op

AffordabilityInclusionAcross:§ IncomeStrata

DiversityInclusionAcross:§Age§Race§EthnicCulture§GenderIdentity§ IncomeStrata§Etc

Community Partnerships

Critical Step: Increasing Staff Diversity

CommunityPartnerInput

Diversity&InclusionStatement

RevisedHRMaterials

ModifiedHiring

Practices

ExpandedStaff

Trainings

SharedJobPostings

Revised Job Application

DiversityStatement

DiversityQuestion

Marketing & Outreach

CommunityPartnerInput

Anti-RacismStatement

Diversity&InclusionStatement

ChangestoNewsletter

DiversityEvents

Partnering

AdvertisingDollarstoOutreach

Impact of Community Partner Feedback

SignificantDiversificationofStaff

StaffidentifyingasNon-White:

3.6%YE200914.8%YE2016

SignificantDiversificationofMembership

PositiveSalesGrowth$13.4MMFY2009$21.2MMFY2016

TheGoal:AProgramthatBreaksBarriers&MakesaRealDifference

§ 15%Discount[13%FLOWER+2%Member]

§ Non-Members:1st YearEquityInstallmentDonated

AFlowerParticipantsays:

“OrganicfoodshouldbeaffordableforeveryoneandtheFLOWERprogrammakesthatidealrealformanyworkingfamilies”

FLOWER’s Impact on Food Access

Greater Co-opParticipationbythoseFacingFinancialHardship

43%FLOWERparticipantsjoinedGreenStar thruFLOWER

61%NewMember-OwnerRetention

31%nolongerinFLOWER,butstillaMember

30%stillinFLOWER


IncreasedLoyaltyAmongPre-existingMember-Owners

TotalNetSalesAfterDiscount*1st YearonFLOWERvsYearBeforeFLOWER

é $50,688

AFlowerParticipantsays:

“FLOWERhasmadeitpossibleformyfamilytobuyallitsfoodatGreenStar”

*Analysis:10/2010– 6/2014242participants


TheProgramhasGrownSignificantlyBeyondEBT

Year EBTSales

EstimatedFLOWERSales

%FLOWERvs.EBT

2011 $457,489 $487,371 6.5%2015 $434,358 $794,319 82.9%

FLOWER’s Path to Greater Inclusivity

OriginalQualifiers– 2010§ EBT§ WIC§ Medicaid§ FreeSchoolLunch§ TANF(PublicAssistance)

2013HealthyFoodforAll

2016PellGrant

SSI

2017IthacaWelcomesRefugees

UltimateReentryOpportunity*

ConsciousExpansionofQualifiers:Local&Federal

*Currentlyexploring

FLOWER & Essential Community Connections

GreenStarMember-Owners

CommunityPartners

HumanServiceAgencies

GreenStarStaff

Outreach

LocalSchools&

PTA

SpreadingtheWord

Patrice Lockert Anthony¡ Board President,

GreenStar Co-op Market


THE BOARD’S ROLE & WORK: DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

NFCAACCESS, INCLUSION & PARTICIPATION

TERRY BOWLING, NCG

CO-OPS SERVING MORE PEOPLE ?

•What does this mean?

•Members representation from all community stakeholders?

•Offering products that reflect the communities we operate while staying dedicated to our organic/natural roots.

•We can do both.

WHO DOES IT WELL

Food for All

Franklin Community Coop

DOUBLE UP FOOD BUCKS

WHAT DOES MY CO-OPWANT TO BE

MORE WELCOMING STORES

• Examining your product mix

• Know your competitors

• Know your Community

•What is this the right direction for my Co-op

• Good, Better Best- Is this the right direction for my Co-op

• Research, examine, Seek Input, CHANGE

• “I have accepted fear as part of life – specifically the fear of change... I have gone ahead despite the pounding in the heart that says: turn back....” ― Erica Jong

Thank You!


QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION

NFCA 6TH ANNUAL MEETING SPONSORS


Access, Inclusion & Participation: Building More Welcoming Co-ops

Business