Transcription
2019 ANNUAL REPORT
Letter from the Board ChairChair: Richard DinesEngagement Consultant,Credit Union NationalAssociationAs we do every year, the board held a strategic retreat in Philadelphia. The board andstaff spent two and half days in sessions of intensive planning and discussions aboutFCI’s strategic direction for the upcoming year. We had the pleasure of meeting leadersand organizers of local food co-ops and we engaged in conversations about howFCI can better offer support to communities of color and rural communities.We also said our final “until we see you again” to the best of the best cooperators, MarilynScholl. Her time on the board has been invaluable. She has instilled her wisdom, expertiseand shared her cooperative vision for the future of FCI. Marilyn left the FCI board in a good place establishingstrong governance practices such as an annual board survey and a commitment to recruiting more boardmembers that represent the breadth of the food cooperative movement. We also celebrated Allan Gallant’stransition to Board Member Emeritus. We are honored to have Allan remain an integral part of FCI’s work.As chair, my view is that the board strives to provide guidance to staff and define our strategic goals and direction. I believe we are achieving that and we couldn’t have better partners than Stuart, Jacqueline, and Mychaela.Looking ahead, our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion will be a central focus of our work. We arean organization dedicated to providing critical resources to communities forming democratically owned andcontrolled institutions that supply nutrition and basic needs, as well as developing local food systems. Wewant to make sure that every community has access, so we are undertaking extra efforts to ensure we arelistening and serving.In cooperation,Richard DinesAllan GallantChris ClampGerardo EspinozaJohn GuerraLeslie MeadSohnie BlackBlooming PrairieFoundationDirector, Center forCooperatives and CED,Southern New HampshireUniversityExecutive Director,Local EnterpriseAssistance Fund (LEAF)Business DevelopmentDirector, National Co opGrocers (NCG) Development Co operativeExecutive Director,Cooperative DevelopmentFoundation (CDF)Fund For DemocraticCommunities (F4DC)Ray WilliamsJeanie WellsArnold MontgomeryOperations Manager,Seward CommunityCo-op, Minneapolis, MNOperations Managerand OrganizationalConsultant, ColuminateCommunity EconomicDevelopment,Washington D.C.Vice Chair:Steve CookeTreasurer:Brian MisenheimerSecretary:Darnell AdamsGeneral Manager,Friendly City Food Co-op,Harrisonburg, VASenior Vice President,National CooperativeBankFirebrand Cooperative
Letter from theExecutive DirectorIt is hard to talk about 2019 with theweight of 2020 heavy on our shoulders.The seeds of a pandemic and socialreckoning were already growing andabout to break out. Co-ops have a long history of welcomingthe disenfranchised and providing opportunities when otherinstitutions did not. Co-ops are once again proving that wemake a difference.FCI ACTIONGUIDEYourYou’ve GotdyMarket StuNow What?e Hannahby JacquelinFCIAssistant Director,PM2/20/19 3:07market studyFINAL.indd1New material has been added to our onlinelibrary of free resources, includingYou’ve Got Your Market Study,Now What?, and the StartupCo-op Feasibility AssessmentSurvey, to help boards evaluatetheir plans and target areas thatneed work.For the 10th year, we co-hosted the national Up & Comingconference with the Indiana Cooperative Development Center.We also helped plan and present at regional events in California,Minnesota, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. All together,over 650 food co-op organizers attended these training andnetworking events.Our commitment to rural communities shapes all our work,but we are especially proud of the day-long workshop track FCIled for rural grocery developers working in smaller communitiesas part of the Small & Strong Conference. We collaborate withother development centers as we promote cooperative solutions for the many rural communities that are underserved orabandoned by privately-owned and chain stores.We are incredibly grateful for our fine board of directors and ouramazing sponsors and donors. A significant portion of our budgetis funded through the USDA’s Rural Cooperative DevelopmentGrants, and many other cooperative organizations have beenregular funders since we began our work in 2005. And to allthe many food co-ops and individuals that contribute whatthey can — your help makes a difference. Every gift feels likea personal thank you and it tells us we are doing somethingright. Thank you all.Stuart ReidExecutive Director“FCI continues to provide theSilverton Food Co-op boardwith valuable support and is alwaysavailable when we have questionsor concerns regarding our nextsteps. Their videos, documentation,and phone support have beeninvaluable to SFC. Providing opportunities for connections with otherco-ops is monumental for us as wecontinue to move towards openingour doors. The FCI group feels likefamily and we cannot imagineopening our store without them.”— Kelly HiltonPresident, Silverton Food Co-opNew intensive programslaunched in 2019:QuickStart: 50 startup food co-opboard members/20 startupsDeepDive, business dev. edition:10 students/9 startupsDeepDive, ownership edition:12 students/9 startupsEvery session filled within daysof announcing registration, andreceived rave reviews.
Our Work by the NumbersLocal food purchasedat startups every year:# of owners: 116,000,000200,000annual sales: 528,000,000# of new jobscreated:Income20192,200Expenses2019 Grants 81.6% Program Expenses 71.2% Contributions 17.2% Mgmnt & General 19.3% Other income 1.2% Fundraising 9.5%Years FCI hassupported co-ops:# of co-opsopened since 2006:15515213042# of active startups per corridorStartups participatingin 2019 Peer Calls:*22* Held in partnership with University ofWisconsin, ICDC, NFCA, and CaliforniaCenter for Cooperatives.
In 2019, there were over 100 communities across the U.S. that were on the path to organizingtheir own food co-ops, from those just getting started to those about to open their doors.These startup food co-ops are organizing in every size community — from small rural communities, to mid-sized college towns, to dense urban cities; from Kodiac, Alaska to Boston,MA. Below is just a small taste of the diverse startup food co-ops organizing today.Oshkosh Food Co-op Fertile GroundOshkosh, WI (pop 66,729)Food Co-opStage 3, implementation;incorporated in 2013Raleigh, North Carolina(SE neighborhood of the city)Next milestone: hire generalmanager, complete constructionStage 2B, planning;incorporated in 2013Oshkosh, WI has grocery optionsbut all are on the very edge oftown. The central part of their cityis a USDA food desert, with residentsof central Oshkosh having noaccess to fresh food. In July 2020,ground was broken on the development where the co-op will bethe anchor tenant. OFC’s focus ison creating fresh food access inthe center city, and also to becomea place for the community togather, and for local farmersto sell their goods.Next milestone: finalize sitenegotiations, fund the buildingof the storeOur VisionFertile Ground Food Co-op wasstarted with the goal of bringingfresh, high quality produce backto southeast Raleigh after yearsof having no access to it in theirneighborhood. The organizerswanted not only to bring greatfood back to their community,but also to create that accessthemselves in a way that rootedwealth in their community throughthe cooperative model. “Communityshould control their own resourcesusing a collective governingstrategy, and that is the heart ofthe cooperative movement,” statesFGFC board chair, Erin Dale Bryd.Mad River MarketWinchester, Connecticut(pop 11,242)Stage 2A, testing feasibility;incorporated in 2017Next milestone: reach 600 ownersand begin site searchThe idea for Mad River Market wasborn when the very last grocerystore in their downtown — whichserved not only their town butseveral small communitiessurrounding Winchester — closed.On the edge of the BerkshireMountains, this rural communityhas almost 350 owners as of thiswriting and has pledged “to sourceeverything we carry from localsources whenever possible,”according to board member PhillipAllen. While they expect to carrysome conventional food to meetthe needs of everyone, their focuswill be on supporting the localfarmers and producers close tothe store to help strengthen theirlocal economy.Strengthening Communities through Cooperation — Food Co-op Initiative paves the wayfor New Food Co-op Excellence, leading to better fed, healthier communities with localcontrol and connections.
14314 Featherstone Tr.Savage, MN 55378844-324-2667www.FCI.coopOur MissionFCI improves the successand sustainability of new foodcooperatives delivering healthierfood in diverse communitiesacross this country.Key DonorsSustaining DonorsBoise Food Co-op,Boise, IDBriar Patch Food Co-op, Grass Valley, CAChequamegon Food Co-op,Ashland, WICity Center Market, Cambridge, MNCity Market, Onion River Co-op, Burlington,VTColuminateCook County Whole Foods Co-op,Grand Marais, MNThe Co-op Natural Foods, Sioux Falls, SDCultivate Community Food Co-Op, Benicia, CAEastside Food Co-op, Minneapolis, MNFriendly City Food Co-op, Harrisonburg, VALittleton Consumer Coop Society, Inc.,Littleton, NHMaple City Market, Goshen, INThe Merc, Lawrence, KSMenomonie Market Food Co-op,Menomonie, WIMiddlebury Natural Foods Co-op, Middlebury, VTMississippi Market, St Paul, MNMonadnock Community Market Co-op,Keene,NHMonadnock Moon Food Co-op, Keene, NHOneota Community Food Co-op,Decorah, IAOryana Natural Foods Market, Traverse City, MIOutpost Natural Foods, Milwaukee, WIOzark Natural Foods, Fayetteville,ARPeople’s Food Co-op La Crosse, La Crosse, WISeward Community Co-op, Minneapolis, MNSkagit Valley Food Co-op, Mount Vernon, WASugar Beet Co-op, Oak Park, ILThree Rivers Market, Knoxville, TNValley Natural Foods, Burnsville, MNWedge Co-op TCCP, Minneapolis, MNWheatsville Food Co-op, Austin,TXWhole Foods Community Co-op, Duluth, MNWillimantic Food Cooperative,Willimantic CTWilly Street Co-op, Madison, WIYpsilanti Food Co-op, Ypsilanti, MISpecial Thanks to the many donors whocontinue to show their beliefin FCI by supporting our work!
Wisconsin, ICDC, NFCA, and California Center for Cooperatives. Our Work by the Numbers # of owners: 200,000 # of new jobs created: 2,200 # of co-ops opened since 2006: 155 Startups participating in 2019 Peer Calls:* 22 Years FCI has supported co-ops: 15 annual sales: 528,000,000 Local food purchased at startups every year: 116,000,000 Grants .
