Attracting Outside Capital - How Capital Can be Brought Into a Co-Op - Session 2 of 3

Date: Thursday, March 26, 2009
Time: 12:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM CT / 10:00 AM MT / 09:00 AM PT [Prevailing Time]
Presenter(s): Mary Griffin, Sr. Policy Advisor, Jerry McGeorge, Director Cooperative Affairs and Howard Brodsky, Co-Chief Executive Officer
Learning Objectives:
How does a member owned cooperative attract the capital to meet its needs? The registrant can expect focus to be directed to the different and innovative mechanisms for attracting capital, e.g., issuing preferred shares, developing non-coop subsidiaries, partnerships.

Session 2. Agriculture (Organic Valley) and purchasing/other (CCA global). Issues to be discussed apply to all co-ops in need of outside capital (e.g., preferred shares)
Field of Study: Finance
Program Level: Basic
CPE Credit: 1 Credit Hour
Delivery Method: Group Internet-based
Prerequisite(s): No advanced preparation or prerequisites are required for this course.

Course Description

NCBA's concept of a cooperative equity fund, which would provide capital for new and expanidng co-ops, will be discussed.

The National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA), in cooperation with the National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives (NSAC), is conducting a three-part series of live, web-oriented educational seminars on the capital structure of cooperatives. The goal is to provide a three-part program that will educate co-op newcomers as well as seasoned employees, board members and members about how cooperatives hold and distribute their capital and why it matters.

Discussion will cover different cooperative structures and how they differ from investor owned entities. Representatives from two or three industry sectors will explain how they hold and distribute capital in a simple, visual way. They will also discuss how co-ops often have to rely on debt to finance expansion and the need for co-ops to attract more sources of capital and better manage the capital they have. Speakers will provide an overview for all cooperatives and describe how two types of cooperatives - worker and purchasing - treat their capital.

Presenter and Moderator Bios
Speakers include:

•Mary GriffinSenior Policy Advisor, NCBA

Mary Griffin is Senior Policy Advisor for National Cooperative Business Association. She manages the Cooperative Finance and Tax Council (CF&TC), which identifies and addresses finance, tax and legal issues that have cross-sector impact on cooperatives. She advocates before the US and international financial accounting standards boards for standards that address the cooperative form of business and is helping to coordinate the international cooperative response to the move to global accounting standards.

Griffin also advocates on behalf of cooperatives before Congress and works to secure more funds for cooperative development in the US. Prior to coming to NCBA, Griffin was with Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, where she represented the interests of consumers on various financial services issues. She has also worked as a legal aid attorney and an appellate attorney in the Solicitor’s Office at Department of Labor. Griffin received her law degree from Temple University and her LLM from George Washington University.

• Jerry McGeorge, Director of Cooperative Affairs, CROPP/Organic Valley, La Farge, WI

Jerry McGeorge is a lifelong organic consumer who has been with CROPP Cooperative for the past twelve years. He has held numerous positions within the cooperative; currently McGeorge holds the title of Director of Cooperative Affairs and is a member of the Management Team. Duties include strategic planning of cooperative structure and development, creation of cooperative policies, and oversight of the government affairs, legal affairs, investor relations and human resources functions.

Of particular interest to McGeorge is the start up and development of cooperatives. He has consulted with several co-ops during their start up phase. Additionally, he sits on the Board of Directors of the National Cooperative Business Association.

McGeorge earned a Bachelor’s of Social Work degree from Middle Tennessee State University. He enjoys spending time with his wife and three boys playing sports and enjoying the great outdoors.


• Howard Brodsky, Co-Chief Executive Officer, CCA Global Partners in Manchester, NY

Howard Brodsky is Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of CCA Global Partners. The 15 CCA Global companies collectively have nearly 3,600 locations in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom and combined sales of $10.2 billion annually. Since the company was established in 1984, it has never endured an unprofitable quarter, recording more than 80 consecutive quarters of profitablity.

Today, Brodsky continues to expand CCA Global Partners by applying its winning business model to other retail or service industries that have the potential for exponential growth and higher levels of profitability. The company has expanded into a number of growing industries including lighting, mortgage and most recently, biking. CCA Global Partners is also currently involved in bringing their unique services into the social sector.

Brodsky is Vice Chairman and on the board and executive committee of the Floor Covering Industry Foundation (FCIF), a charitable organization founded in 1980 with a mission to financially assist floor covering industry colleagues who experience catastrophic illnesses or injuries, severe disabilities or other life-altering hardships.

Cost
$56.00 for NSAC Members / $70.00 for Non-Members

Delivery System

  • All programs are delivered using the Zoom platform.
  • Confirmations will include log-in instructions.
  • Participants are able to participate using any device with an Internet connect (if the device does not have speakers, the participant can also dial-in) or they can participate with audio only by dialing in.
  • All registrants will receive a link to the CLN’s recording by email within 48 business hours of event’s conclusion.
  • There will be assistance available to help with technical and connectivity issues up to 10 minutes prior to the start of the presentation.

Registration

All registration is done on-line and each guest must provide their name and email address to participate. All NSAC members may register for free. Non-members may register for a nominal fee.

Refund Policy

NSAC will not issue refunds for CLNs. If a registrant is unable to participate in the CLN and provides notification to info@nsacoop.org 48 hours prior to the session, a credit will be provided for a future CLN. Alert the NSAC staff member monitoring the CLN if technical difficulties are encountered and technical support will be provided to eliminate problems with future CLNs.

Additional Information

Live participation is required for CPE credit and polling questions must be answered to document your active participation. All registrants will receive an email following the session with links to the slides and/or handouts, and a link to the CLN recording (unless otherwise stated). If you are unable to participate in the live session, you can still watch the recorded session, but you will not be eligible for CPE credits. Those eligible for credits will receive their certificate by email with 7 business days.

For more information regarding NSAC CLNs or administrative policies such as complaint and refund, contact the NSAC Headquarters, 7946 Clyo Road, Suite A, Centerville, OH 45459, 937-222-6707, or info@nsacoop.org.

What is NSAC's Cooperative Learning Network?
The NSAC Cooperative Learning Network is a live, interactive webinar, and you can attend from any location with internet and/or telephone access. NSAC members can attend an unlimited number of CLNs at no charge!

Each Cooperative Learning Network will have one or more speakers who are recognized experts on the topic. CLNs typically include a Q&A session where participants can ask questions live or by chat. No advance preparation or prerequisites are required, unless otherwise stated in the course information. Attendees are able to download copies of the slides and/or handouts and are provided a link to view the recording (unless the description states the session will not be recorded). These tools help continue your learning experience after the session.

CPE Credits
The National Society of Accountants for Cooperatives (NSAC) is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor (#103068) of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.

Delivery Method: Group-Internet Based.

Why NSAC Cooperative Learning Networks?

Fast.
No wasted time. Get right to the heart of the matter in a course designed to easily fit into your busy schedule.

Convenient.
No travel. No time out of the office. Listen and follow along from the comfort and convenience of your desk, device or conference room.

Easy.
A device with an Internet connection is all you need. If your device does not have sound capabilities, the ability to dial in from a telephone is available.

Ideal for multiple attendees.
Use a speakerphone and projector/monitor and invite as many people as you want to participate - at no extra cost to you.

Affordable.
NSAC Cooperative Learning Networks are free for members and available to non members at a fraction of the cost of travel and attendance fees for other high-priced conferences or seminars.