Purpose of Community Sharing

Beyond the community that is made up of its member-owners, staff and shoppers, SNFC recognizes that it is part of a greater community. This greater community consists of all residents of the Sacramento area that may potentially use its services; all other cooperative organizations with which it shares common principles; growers, manufacturers and vendors of the products that it sells; and the earth that ultimately provides its home.

SNFC also recognizes that it has a responsibility to interact with that community in a mutually beneficial manner. Accordingly, SNFC commits itself to sharing the prosperity it generates with that wider community by providing human, financial and organizational resources to the community when needed and when feasible.

Types of Community Sharing

SNFC can use a number of vehicles in order to accomplish the goal of sharing its prosperity. These should be flexible enough to respond to changes in the community and to opportunities and needs as they arise. Two major categories of community sharing are: direct allocation of cooperative resources on the part of management and/or Board; and direct allocation of individual shopper resources on the part of memberowners and/or shoppers.

Recipients of Community Sharing

The apparent and primary purpose of the recipient organization shall fall within one or more of the following categories:

1. The promotion of nutrition or health
2. Support of a healthy environment.
3. The meeting of basic human needs, particularly nutrition.
4. The promotion of the cooperative movement.

A recipient must be one or more of the following:

1. A cooperative
2. A nonprofit organization
3. A charitable organization

A request from an organization that does not meet the criteria for receipt of a donation shall be referred to management for consideration.

Publicity

SNFC will make its commitment to sharing its prosperity with the community known in order to both inform its member-owners of its performance in that area and to encourage similar sharing by other businesses and organizations. SNFC encourages recipients to provide favorable mention of SNFC’s support of their causes.

Other

In order to account for business fluctuations that could limit its ability to share with the community, SNFC will endeavor, when financially feasible, to invest in endowments that will be a source of funds during times when operating monies are not sufficient to support such sharing.