Every year, the Co-op offers its owners the option of donating their Patronage Refund to a selected non-profit. Just like last year, we are once again directing donated and unredeemed Patronage Refunds to our Cooperative Community Fund, managed by the Twin Pines Cooperative Foundation. We have an exciting new development this year: three fantastic national cooperatives will be matching your contribution to the Twin Pines Community Fund!
Up to $1,000 worth of donated Patronage Refunds will be matched by three of the finest cooperative businesses in the country. Frontier Co-op (source of many wonderful spices, herbs, and teas), Organic Valley (a dairy farmers' cooperative), and The National Cooperative Bank have all worked together to pledge up to $1,000 to our Co-op Community Fund. CNFC will also match up to $1,000 in donated Patronage Refunds. That means that $1,000 in owner donations will result in $2,000 of additional investment!
You can turn in your Patronage Refund voucher with the “Donate” box marked to contribute to our Community Fund. You can also not do anything! All unredeemed vouchers will be automatically donated at the end of the year. If you prefer to cash out your voucher or apply it to a purchase at the Co-op, you have until the end of the year to do so—on January 1st we will donate the untouched Patronage Refund amounts to the Cooperative Community Fund.
If you have any questions about Patronage Refunds, please contact our Ownership and Outreach Coordinator, Joey. He can be reached by phone or email: 530-891-1713 ext. 110 or jhaney@chiconaturalfoods.coop.