Celebrating a Profitable Year with Patronage Dividends
We are pleased to announce that, following another profitable year, the Co-op will issue a patronage refund for the 11th consecutive year since member-owners voted to adopt our patronage system.
Patronage refunds are a defining feature of the cooperative model. A portion of the Co-op’s profits is returned to member-owners based on their purchases, while the remainder is retained and reinvested in the Co-op for the benefit of all member-owners.
The Board approved returning 25% of this year’s patronage allocation. In total, $178,945 will be returned to our member-owners and community through patronage refunds and donations to our local food shelves. The remaining $536,834 will be retained by the Co-op on behalf of all member-owners.
These retained funds strengthen the Co-op and help finance improvements to our facilities, equipment, and operations. Over time, retained patronage becomes part of the shared value we have built and continue to own together.
Changes to This Year’s Distribution Model
This year, patronage refunds have been credited directly to member-owners’ store accounts rather than mailed as paper checks. This change reduces printing and mailing costs, makes refunds available more quickly, and allows us to return patronage to more member-owners than before. To learn more about this change and read our FAQ, click here.
Individual refund amounts are prorated based on each member-owner’s eligible purchases during the Co-op’s fiscal year, April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026. Refunds of less than $1 will not be issued and will instead be donated to our local food shelves, HOPE and CVOEO. Any patronage refunds that remain unused after six months will also be donated to HOPE and CVOEO.
