Cooperative Principles and Values

The Cooperative Catalyst of New Mexico operates according to the seven cooperative principles. Cooperatives worldwide operate by this unique set of principles, as adopted in 1995 by the International Cooperative Alliance.   Learn more about these shared values at the International Cooperative Alliance website.

The Seven Principles are:

  1. Voluntary and open membership - Anyone can join a co-op—they don’t discriminate based on gender, social, racial, political or religious factors.

  2. Democratic member control - Members control their business by deciding how it’s run and who leads it.

  3. Member economic participation - All co-op members invest in their cooperative. This means people, not shareholders, benefit from a co-op’s profits.

  4. Autonomy and independence - When making business deals or raising money, co-ops never compromise their autonomy or democratic member control.

  5. Education, training, and information - Co-ops provide education, training and information so their members can contribute effectively to the success of their co-op.

  6. Cooperation among cooperatives - Co-ops believe working together is the best strategy to empower their members and build a stronger co-op economy.

  7. Concern for community - Co-ops contribute to the sustainable development of their communities by sourcing and investing locally.

 Cooperative values are a set of six ideals that underpin the seven cooperative principles, which form the basis for every cooperative enterprise in the world today. The cooperative values are:

1. Equity

2. Equality

3. Self-Help

4. Self-Responsibility

5. Democracy, and

6. Solidarity