Members – Vote for Partners for Change!

GreenStar is excited to announce a new opportunity for members to have a direct say in the Co-op’s impact on our local community through our newest giving program – Partners for Change.

Recently, area non-profits whose mission or purpose align with cooperative values and principles, and GreenStar’s Global Ends Statement, were invited to apply to be Partners for Change. For our inaugural year, we received applications from forty eligible amazing non-profits that share our commitment to sustainable agriculture/organic food, environmental protection/stewardship, hunger and social justice issues, local food system, co-ops, and the well-being and education of our community regarding these topics.

As a local, member-owned cooperative, Democratic Member Control and Concern for Community are two of the core principles that guide us. Partners for Change embodies both!

From December 14 – December 28, 2021, each GreenStar member can log in to the Online Member Center to cast their vote for up to ten of the self-nominated organizations to be GreenStar’s 2022 Partners for Change, directing the Co-op’s impact within the community. Partners for Change will support the member-selected nonprofit organizations through monetary donations and raising awareness of their mission and work.

The ten organizations that receive the most votes from GreenStar’s members will receive the following support from the Co-op:

• Bags for Change – Each calendar quarter, GreenStar commits $1,000 to be divided among three Partners for Change. The amount received by each Partner is determined by the number of tokens customers place in the organization’s collection bin in-store. Customers receive tokens by bringing their reusable bags for GreenStar purchases.
• Positive Change – Customers may request to round up their purchase to an even dollar amount, or more, at checkout. Each month, one featured Partner will receive 100% of the Positive Change donations.
• Tabling – Each Partner for Change will have the opportunity to table at the Cascadilla St. store in the quarter they are featured. You can learn more about the organization by visiting their table when you shop.

We are excited to empower our fellow members with the opportunity to decide where the Co-op’s giving program should focus its efforts for the coming year, and we look forward to reconnecting and rebuilding community for many years to follow!