The Co-op board and volunteers have been talking about a capital campaign for years. “Be ready” and “It’s coming” have been part of the key messaging. Now the messaging has been updated: “The Capital Campaign is here!”
Next month the Rooted Carrot Co-op Market will begin formally raising $1.6 million to help us reach our overall project costs ($2.7M) to open up our community-owned grocery store. Co-op members and community members will both have ways to support this effort.
Your investments can help build a food co-op like this! The Viroqua Food Co-op in Wisconsin expanded its store last year with the support of a member-owner capital campaign.
Capital Campaigns are traditional ways for cooperatives to raise capital to open or expand businesses. While co-ops have been successful in running campaigns, they take a lot of work. Kudos to the dozens of volunteers who have helped get us ready for the campaign, but there’s still more work to be done, and there are ways you can help, too:
VOLUNTEER
Your Co-op needs volunteer callers to help with the campaign. Training will be provided. And snacks, too! Maybe you don’t have the funds to support the campaign, but you can with your time. It’s your chance to help the Co-op raise $1.6 million.
PREPARE
If you think you are in a position to help with this effort, contact your financial advisor today. That way, you’ll be ready to make a commitment when you get the phone call from a fellow Co-op member-owner.
CONTACT US FIRST
If you know that you are going to make an investment, then don’t wait for us to call you … call us first! Also, if you know that your address or phone number has changed since you joined, please be sure to let us know the new contact information.
You’ll receive a packet of information about the campaign in late January, so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime, if you want to help with any of the ideas list above, please contact Committee Chair Tom Wickersham today!