Cincinnati Union Cooperative Initiative

What it reported doing in 2024

Co-op cincy has been broadening its reach in providing education and inspiration on the cooperative and union cooperative models. Staff planned and facilitated regular "co-op 101" sessions, tours of existing co-ops, and co-op social happy hours for informal network building and information sharing. Cooperative management certificate program this year marked the third iteration of our successful cooperative management certificate in partnership with xavier university's leadership center. An additional 20 participants successfully completed the program, implementing a final project within their respective co-ops to strengthen their efforts. Co-op cincy led the 5th cohort of power in numbers co-op u in 2025, which has a specific focus on support for bipoc-led entrepreneurial teams. Curriculum included articulating a clear business concept, knowing your customer, feasibility, logistics, and cooperative governance and management. 16 participants wrapped their experience by presenting creation or growth plans for businesses ranging from a food growers collective to management consulting. The refugee agricultural partnership program (rapp), funded partially through the us department of health and human services, provided 20 workers with refugee status an opportunity to cultivate healthy foods, explore viable business paths in agriculture, and grow meaningful connections. We continued to provide assistance and mentoring to co-op business alumnae from all earlier cohorts of co-op u. Union co-op symposium co-op cincy organized the 7th union co-op symposium in october with the theme "from breakdown to breakthrough - building a stronger community". The symposium included learning tracks on topics ranging from housing coops and the union co-op network to practical tools for participatory management. Many tracks featured spanish/english interpretation. "club coop" gave everyone a venue for celebration. Over 250 people from across the united states, canada, and spain participated.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 83.2%; rating input score 83
• Program expense ratio: 94.4%; rating input score 94
• Fundraising efficiency: $208.64 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 83.3%; rating input score 83; 19th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 11.8%; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.43; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 13%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 15.1% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 15.3% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 20.5% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings