Because of MCM, there will be a healthy community nourished and educated by:
1. EQUITABLE economic practices
2. REGENERATIVE environmental impacts
3. INCLUSIVE, socially responsible relationships
Maple City Market’s owners are represented by an elected board of directors who operate under the guidance of “policy governance.” This form of guidance is defined by its Ends statements. Careful designation of that overarching purpose in terms of effects on the world, who receives the effects, and the value of the effects is Ends.
The board of directors for Maple City Market defines the purpose for which the co-op operates and within the guidelines of the co-op being profitable, a source for sustainable locally grown healthy food and a supportive community partner open to everyone. Thus, the Ends concept imparts a real-world focus for organizational effort and optimum empowerment of management, while enabling the board’s withdrawal from daily “how to” questions which are best answered by the General Manager and the Market’s staff.
Our co-op’s current Ends statements evolved out of a previous set of Ends statements originally developed in 2010. The original Ends highlighted three areas of impact: Commerce, Planet, and People. In 2017, The Board of Directors reviewed and revised Co-op’s Ends Statements, taking input from co-op management, a group of member-owners, and utilizing a governance consultant from CDS Consulting Co-op. In the latest revision of the Ends, the Board simplified the statements but retained the spirit of the earlier version.
Ends statements are, in effect, policy that informs the co-op’s highest-level decision-making. Do our Co-op’s actions help achieve these Ends and if so, how? The general manager reports to the board annually on the co-op’s progress toward meeting its Ends. Our upcoming 2017 Annual Report will highlight this progress.