Incorporation readiness checklist

Identity and Membership

• Do you have a stable group of at least 3 people who have tested working together?
• Have you defined who can become a member and what the process looks like?
• Have you discussed a probationary period for new members?
• Have you discussed what happens when someone wants to leave?

Governance and Decision-Making

• Have you chosen a default decision-making model (consensus, voting, hybrid)?
• Do you know which decisions require a full member vote vs. delegation?
• Have you had at least one real conflict and navigated it?
• Do you know whether you want a worker co-op or multi-stakeholder structure?

Compensation and Sustainability

• Have you agreed on a surplus distribution formula?
• Have you discussed what portion of surplus goes to reserves?
• Do you understand why worker-members must be on payroll (T4s, not contractors)?
• Have you discussed the for-profit vs. non-profit decision?

Formalization and Pathways

• Have you discussed what happens to a departing member’s shares?

• Have you discussed expulsion processes?

• Have you discussed what happens if the co-op dissolves?

• Have you budgeted for legal costs ($2K-$5K) or identified funding?

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If most answers are yes: you may be ready. Next step is engaging a co-op developer through CoopZone and applying for the CWCF Technical Assistance Grant.