Event Planning Guide
Dear Hillsboro Food Co-op Member-Owner,
Thank you for your assistance in growing membership! Gathering folks together
to discuss important issues in a comfortable environment is a great way to grow
sustainable and durable support for Hillsboro Food Co-op. Whether you’re
interested in inviting friends over for a potluck, taking a coworker to coffee, or
hosting a Lunch & Learn session at your place of business, this Event Planning
Guide has you covered!
As member-owners of the Co-op, we all have a real stake in the progress and
success of this project. By telling your Hillsboro Food co-op story through these
kinds of events, you impact the speed at which we are able to open a grocery
store… which is really what we are all working toward. Activities like house parties
usually result in new member-owners and volunteers, and hopefully spur
additional house parties. Telling a friend about Hillsboro Food Co-op over coffee
in a one-on-one setting helps build a better understanding of the co-op, which
also leads to new member-owners and volunteers. Hosting Lunch & Learn events
has proven wonderfully successful for many startup co-ops and often results in
multiple new member-owners and more house parties!
If the idea of hosting a gathering intimidates you, our planning guide should put
you at ease. Use the Event Planning Guide to make your event easy and fun!
Thank you for helping to grow our community! The more quickly we can grow our
membership base, the faster we’ll be able to open our doors. We can’t wait to her
more about your event!
Many thanks,
Your Hillsboro Food Co-op Board of Directors
WHAT’S INSIDE
In this Event Tool Kit you’ll find:
1. Basic Information
a. Cooperative principles
b. Development timeline
c. FAQs
2. House Party Information
a. To-do checklist
b. Building an invite list
c. Sign in sheets
d. Follow up tips
e. Invitation and Thank you templates
f. A sample invitation
3. Community Event Information
a. To-do checklist
b. Invitation templates
c. Sign in sheet
4. One-on-One Meetings
a. Conversation starters
b. Follow up tips
This kit is a work in progress. If you have suggestions for improvements or
additions, please let us know!
Hillsboro Food Co-op
www.hillsborofood.coop
info@hillsborofood.coop
Cooperative Principles
Cooperatives around the world generally operate according to the same core
principles and values, adopted by the International Co-operative Alliance in 1995.
Cooperatives trace the roots of these principles to the first modern cooperative
founded in Rochdale, England in 1844.
1. Voluntary and Open Membership
Open to all people without gender, social, racial, political or religious
discrimination.
2. Democratic Member Control
One member, one vote.
3. Members' Economic Participation
Members contribute equally to, and democratically control, the capital of
the cooperative. This benefits members in proportion to the business they
conduct with the cooperative rather than on the capital invested.
4. Autonomy and Independence
Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their
members.
5. Education, Training and Information
Cooperatives provide education and training for members so they can
contribute effectively to the development of their cooperative. They inform
the general public about the nature and benefits of cooperatives.
6. Cooperation among Cooperatives
Cooperatives serve their members and strengthen the cooperative
movement by working together through local, national, regional and
international structures.
7. Concern for Community
While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable
development of communities.
Definition of a Cooperative
A cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet
their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a
jointly owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a co-op
grocery store?
A co-op grocery store is a full-service grocery store
owned by its members. Profits are reinvested in the
co-op or returned to member-owners as patronage
dividends once the store is profitable. For Hillsboro
Food Co-op, anyone will be able to shop once the
store is open and everyone can join as a member
now.
Do I have to volunteer or be a member to shop there?
Everyone is free to shop regardless of whether you are a member. Memberowners may receive some special benefits such as coupons and patronage
dividends. In addition, member-owners can vote for the board of directors and
can take pride in supporting a truly community business. Hillsboro Food Co-op will
provide good local jobs in our community and thus will not be reliant on volunteer
labor.
When will the
store be
open?
The store will be open when we have enough
member-owners. When we have reached 300
member-owners, we will begin researching site and
financing options.
Where will the store be located?
Our Board of Directors will work with real estate and industry professionals to
secure a location that meets the requirements important to our member-owners.
The Board has committed to searching in western Hillsboro (west of Brookwood
Avenue).
How will a co-op
grocery impact my
local economy?
Cooperatives keep your shopping dollars in the
community by creating jobs and supporting local
producers and suppliers. Profit is never put
before the needs and values of the memberowners.
The Common Ground Food Co-op in Urbana
provided $150,000 for local producers in 2007, its first year as a full service
grocery. In 2012 that number grew to $1 million in revenue to local producers.
How do I become a member-owner?
All member-owners contribute $200 for an equity share. This amount is payable
in a lump sum or in installments. More information about membership is available
at http://hillsborofood.coop/join-now/.
What have you done so far?
Hillsboro Food Co-op has grown from an idea to an incorporated entity with an
active member-owner drive, requiring hours of dedication and planning from a
volunteer board. We’ve recruited over 35 member-owners, and the numbers
continue growing. We have out in the community letting everyone know that
something amazing is growing in Hillsboro! We have attended Farmers’ Markets,
5k runs, parades, at bazaars, and more.
TOOLS FOR A HOUSE PARTY
First Step: Contact Hillsboro Food Co-op
 Discuss date, time, location & format of your party. Email
info@hillsborofood.coop.
 Pick a mutually agreeable date
 Agree on the party format (example: formal 15 minute talk or a casual
gathering where questions are answered as they arise)
Hillsboro Food Co-op will:
 Promote the event on Facebook (if public)
 Supply member-owner brochures, applications, and display materials
 Have a representative attend your event and speak on behalf of
Hillsboro Food Co-op.
 Bring a laptop for online signup.
Host To-Do List – Before your party
 Determine the invite list. Ideally, we would ask you to secure a minimum
of 10 attendees. See ideas below if this is a challenge for you.
 Decide means of invitations (print, email, Facebook, etc.) Sample
invitation text is provided below.
 Decide on the food. This is your chance to get creative! A potluck
minimizes stress to the host, but you are free to make this event yours
however you wish – wine & cheese tasting, afternoon tea, farmers’
market dinner, dessert buffet, etc.
 Plan brief introduction of Hillsboro Food Co-op liaison to the group. Also
consider telling ‘your story’ of why you became an member-owner —
it’s a great kick-off to a house party.
Host To-Do List – During your party
 Focus on having a good time more than the details. Chat with your
guests as they arrive and make a snack and drink available. Typically this
helps to warm up your crowd.
 Make personal introductions between Hillsboro Food Co-op
representative and your guests.
 Display Hillsboro Food Co-op materials on an accessible table close to
where guests are hanging out.
 You or the Hillsboro Food Co-op representative should make a clear
“ask” for membership. Once the pitch is made, wait. Try not to fill the
silence.
Host To-Do List – After your party
 Send individual, personalized thank you notes (see templates)
 Talk with your Hillsboro Food Co-op liaison to discuss what went well
and what can be improved for the next house party.
 Ask those who joined as members if they’d like to host a house party!
Invitee Ideas
There’s no perfect size for a successful event, but you should consider inviting
more people than you expect to show, simply to ensure a large enough group for
active, intimate conversations and a good energy. In our experience, when it
comes to smaller house parties, it’s not hard to have a well-attended event and
too many people is often worse than too few. Send out your invites and follow up
with a phone call: it can be as easy as that.
Who to invite? Here are some ideas that have helped other hosts:
 Family and friends
 Neighbors
 Parents of your child’s
schoolmates/ friends
 Your bowling league, sports
team, or social club
 Members of your church,
mosque, synagogue, or place
of worship
 Professional colleagues
 Your doctor, dentist,
hairdresser, mechanic, or other
professionals
 Members of your
homeowners’ association,
book club, or other groups you
belong to.
 Community connections:
interesting people you’ve met
who are active in our
community. You may not know
them well, but take a moment
and invite them!
 Cohost with a friend and have
them invite half the guests!
Invitation Sample Text
You’re invited!
You’ve probably heard people (like me) around town talking about Hillsboro
Food Co-op.
Join us on (insert date and time) to learn why our community is excited about
opening a cooperative grocery store.
We will be serving (dinner, drinks, dessert) and chatting about why a co-op is
so important to our community!
Save the date! (insert date and time)
<RSVP! (insert email and number)>
Join us at:
(address)
<your name>
Thank You Notes
Recruiting someone to be a co-op member-owner almost always takes more than one
contact. Your event likely nudged several folks closer to membership, but follow-up
after the event is an important step in helping folks move from interest to membership.
Here are some follow-up tips:
Individual thank you notes
 Send out individual thank you notes via postal mail or email within a few days of
the event.
 A handwritten note stands out because they are rare! But an email is okay too
especially if the invitation was sent via email.
 Thank you notes should be short and sweet; 3-5 sentences is perfect.
 Customize the templates below with links they might explore or further
information regarding their special interests.
Sample Note: General
Thank you for attending my Hillsboro Food Co-op gathering! I appreciated the
chance to have such good discussion about an organization I believe in. If you’d like
to talk more about the co-op, please let me know; I’d be happy to sit down for
more conversation. I can also connect you with a Hillsboro Food Co-op Outreach
member to answer questions if you’d like. I believe we can make this happen, and I
hope you’ll consider joining our cooperative effort.
Sample Note: New Member-Owner
Thanks so much for coming over (insert day of the week here) to learn a little
more about Hillsboro Food Co-op. I hope you had as much fun as I did! I also
wanted to personally thank you for becoming an member-owner. Together we
can accomplish great things. It’s so nice to have you on board!
Group Thank You
Send out a group thank you the day after your party via email/Facebook message.
Thank you all for joining me for my Hillsboro Food Co-op get together last night!
It was great to spend some time with you sharing conversation and dinner. I also
appreciated getting a chance to share why I’m so excited about Hillsboro Food
Co-op. Let me know if I can answer any more of your Hillsboro Food Co-op
questions. And if you are ready to come on board, here’s a link with the
membership application: http://hillsborofood.coop/join-now/
Here’s to good food and community!
Name
Email
Phone Number
Mailing address
PARTY SIGN IN
Hosted by Hillsboro Food Co-op member-owners ____________________
Bring a dish to share and enjoy the camaraderie of your neighbors.
Learn why local food is so important and get all your
co-op questions answered by a Hillsboro Food Co-op representative.
Date:
Time:
Location:
We hope you’ll be inspired to join the movement and help
bring a community-owned ‘good food’ grocery store to our
town. Becoming a member-owner means making a
difference!
WHY BECOME A MEMBER-OWNER?
A FOOD CO-OP WILL:
www.hillsborofood.coop
info@hillsborofood.coop





Support local farms
Put a focus on healthy people and environment
Create good jobs that pay fair wages
Keep money in our community
Be owned by YOU and gives you a VOTE in its decisions
It’s member-owners (like you!)
who build the co-op.
TOOLS FOR A PRESENTATION EVENT
A presentation event might take the form of a Lunch and Learn at your workplace or a
talk at your social club or fraternal organization. Or perhaps your neighborhood
association or church group would be interested in a presentation from Hillsboro Food
Co-op!
First Step: Contact Hillsboro Food Co-op
 Discuss date, time, location & format of your party. Call or email
info@hillsborofood.coop.
 Pick a mutually agreeable date
 Agree on the presentation format (generally a 15-30-minute presentation with
time for questions).
Hillsboro Food Co-op will:
 Promote the event on Facebook (if public)
 Supply member-owner brochures, applications , and display materials
 Have a rep attend your event and speak on behalf of Hillsboro Food Co-op
 Bring a laptop for online signup
Host To-Do List - Before the event
 Determine the invitation list or target audience
 Decide means of invitations (print, email, Facebook, etc.)
 Invite guests and/or promote event
 Get decorations and refreshments (optional)
 Plan brief introduction of Hillsboro Food Co-op liaison to the group. Also
consider starting with ‘your story’ of why you became an member-owner.
Host To-Do List - During the event
 Make it a goal to add everyone present to your co-op’s email list. Pass around
sign in sheet during middle of your talk (as opposed to leaving it on a table).
 Put co-op print materials at every seat before guests arrive.
 Provide open-ended questions. Try to get your audience talking about what
matters to them.
 Provide three ways to get involved at different levels of participation. e.g. sign
up for emails, join as an member-owner, volunteer at _____ (next event)
Host To-Do List - After the event
 Send a thank you note to the group representative
 Follow-up with individual attendees (as needed)
 Talk with your Hillsboro Food Co-op liaison to discuss what went well and what
can be improved for the next event.
WHAT: Lunch & Learn
WHEN:
WHERE:
WHY: Learn how this local food co-op working to open in
our town will provide your family with fresh, healthy food
while also helping our local farmers and our local
economy.
Bring your lunch and your questions for the Hillsboro Food
Co-op representatives!
Hosted by:
Facebook sample
Posted by business or community group on its Facebook Page. Hyperlink co-op if
possible.
[Organization] is pleased to invite Hillsboro Food Co-op to a lunch and learn on
[Date]. Representatives from Hillsboro Food Co-op will be doing an informal
presentation followed by a Q&A. Come learn more about cooperative grocery
stores and their potential impact on our community.
Save the date! (insert date and time)
Join us at: (address)
Email sample
Sent by the business or community group to their mailing lists
Hi ______,
I’m excited to let you know that Hillsboro Food Co-op will be attending our
meeting on [Date] at [Time] at [location] to talk with us about the importance
of a cooperative grocery store in our community. Not exactly sure what a
“cooperative” is? Check out their website at ________________, then come to
our meeting on [Date] to get answers to any additional questions you may
have.
See you on [day/date]!
Name
Email
Phone Number
Mailing address
Guest Sign-In
TALKING ONE-ON-ONE
One-on-one conversations are the single most effective membership recruitment tool
for Hillsboro Food Co-op. You will probably have many informal conversations about the
cooperative in your daily life. The information in this packet will hopefully help inform
those conversations. However, if you plan for a meeting, here are some suggestions to
make it easier for you.
First Step: Contact Hillsboro Food Co-op
 Let us know you’re planning to talk one-one-on. Email
info@hillsborofood.coop.
Hillsboro Food Co-op will:
 Supply member-owner brochures, applications, and other materials
Your To-Do List - Before the meeting
 Review the FAQ and conversations starter list (see on following page)
 Invite your guest
 Be prepared to share your story of how you came to be involved and why the
co-op means so much to you
Your To-Do List - During the meeting – 30-60 minutes
 Elicit before you solicit. Do this by asking open ended and “why” questions.
You want to understand what motivates the other person and
resources/connections s/he has.
 Share your personal co-op story
 Look for shared values, connect co-op to those shared values
 By the end, ask for commitment, as small as signing up to receive emails or as
big as becoming a member
Your To-Do List - After the meeting
 Send a thank you note or email to your guest (depending on formality of your
relationship)
 Follow-up as needed. Use the follow up ideas listed in this packet.
 Talk with your Hillsboro Food Co-op liaison to discuss what went well and what
you might improve for next time.
Conversation Starters
Do you need some ideas for introducing a friend to details about Hillsboro Food Co-op?
Here are some suggestions:
Is your friend a big supporter of ‘Buy Local’? It doesn’t get any more ‘local’ than a food
co-op. Area farmers are given preference when buying produce; profits stay in the
community as patronage and outreach; co-ops typically donate more to local services
than conventional stores.
Does your friend like to frequent Farmers’ Markets? Co-ops support these farmers and
helps them earn more and ramp up production. The quality food they purchase at a
Farmers’ Market can be available every day of the week!
Did your friend move here from another community that had a cooperative grocery? If
someone is already familiar with how awesome a food co-op can be, they’re usually
eager to hear we’re opening one here.
Does your friend support initiatives such as Living Wage? Cooperatives pay an average
of $1 more per hour than conventional stores, and more employees qualify for benefits,
too.
Does your friend ever complain it’s hard to find quality produce at our local stores?
Hillsboro Food Co-op can fix that problem!
Does your friend value healthy eating and cooking? Is your friend ‘a foodie’ who
appreciates the better flavors of fresh, quality food? Fresh food tastes better and
maintains more nutrients. Since our food doesn’t spend weeks being transported to the
store, ‘foodies’ will love shopping at Hillsboro Food Co-op.
Is your friend interested in sustainability issues? Organic and sustainable farming
practices will be a focus at Hillsboro Food Co-op. Shorter transportation distances
reduce pollution. The preservation of our food infrastructure is the most truly
‘sustainable’ thing we can do!
Does your friend have any dietary restrictions (such as gluten, dairy, etc.)? Does your
friend have kids who require a special diet to help with medical conditions, allergies,
ADHD, etc.? Seeking out special foods and recipes can be challenging. Hillsboro Food
Co-op’s grocery selection and clear labeling can help them get all these things in one
place.
Does your friend enjoy being active in community initiatives? They should LOVE this
one, then. Not only will Hillsboro Food Co-op contribute to the economic strength of our
community, but the ‘cooperative community’ is also a vibrant group of people to join!
Does your friend frequently post articles about organic farming or sustainable food
issues? Many of our current member-owners have expressed a desire to support
sustainable and organic farmers as a reason they’ve joined. Hillsboro Food Co-op will
raise awareness and demand for sustainably grown food throughout our area, and will
provide producers with opportunities to step up to meet that demand.
Is your friend involved in working with underprivileged or low-income families? Food
co-ops across the country have accessibility programs to help low-income shoppers
purchase fresh foods, and some have educational classes to teach how to prepare fresh
foods.
Does your friend use terms like ‘food justice’, or ‘food deserts’? Then it sounds like
they’re already pretty well-versed on issues that are also important to many Hillsboro
Food Co-op member-owners. Becoming a member-owner helps us open the store
sooner, which benefits everyone in the community.
Keeping engaged!
Even after an event or one-on-one conversation, many people will need several
Hillsboro Food Co-op encounters before they are ready to join. For your friends who
seem interested but are not quite ready, you can help facilitate additional informal
encounters in the days/weeks following your chat. Here are some ideas:
Invite them to ‘like’ us on Facebook. They’ll get updates on what we have going on, and
start to experience the community we’re building!
Forward them our newsletter, and invite them to sign up to receive it themselves. It’s
another great way to ensure they see the ongoing activities we are doing, and hopefully
they’ll get caught up in the action.
Do you live near another food co-op? Invite a couple of your guests/friends to join you
for a road trip. It’s a fantastic way to let them experience what it is we’re trying to build.
Do you go to the farmers’ market? Invite one of your guests to join you, and then stop
by the Hillsboro Food Co-op booth to say hello. Let them meet other co-op enthusiasts!
Bring them to a Hillsboro Food Co-op public event. Look for events that are open to
non-members: ‘Lunch & Learn’ events, informational sessions, co-op popups, and
socials. Invite your guests to join you at those events. And remember, we’re always
looking for suggestions: let Hillsboro Food Co-op Outreach members know what types of
public events you think would help you nudge those interested guests into actually
becoming member-owners!
Did you see an article about a co-op grocery, an issue related to the organic food
industry, or local farming methods? Stories about people re-engaging with fresh, local
food are making headline news these days so reach out to your friends and former
guests with a link and a quick note about how they may find the article interesting! You
can also find wonderful articles and engaging videos on www.strongertogether.coop.
Send them an informative and fun video link. Sometimes pictures and a great script can
explain better than anything! Stronger Together offers this beautiful video that tells
exactly ‘What’s to love about a food co-op.’ You can also share this on your own
Facebook page.
http://strongertogether.coop/food-coops/food-co-op-impact-study/
Finally, keep your Hillsboro Food Co-op Outreach liaison posted! S/he is ready to work
with you to move your guests from interest to membership.