access, inclusion & participation: building more welcoming co-ops
TRANSCRIPT
“ 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.
¡ 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
NFCA Sixth Annual Meeting 2017
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.
NFCA Sixth Annual Meeting 2017
BUILDING MORE WELCOMING CO-OPS
NFCA Sixth Annual Meeting 2017
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
NFCA Sixth Annual Meeting 2017
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
NFCA Sixth Annual Meeting 2017
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 Sixth Annual Meeting 2017
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
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
FLOWER’s Impact on Food Access
IncreasedLoyaltyAmongPre-existingMember-Owners
TotalNetSalesAfterDiscount*1st YearonFLOWERvsYearBeforeFLOWER
é $50,688
AFlowerParticipantsays:
“FLOWERhasmadeitpossibleformyfamilytobuyallitsfoodatGreenStar”
*Analysis:10/2010– 6/2014242participants
FLOWER’s Impact on Food Access
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
NFCA Sixth Annual Meeting 2017
THE BOARD’S ROLE & WORK: DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
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.
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