Glossary of Co-operative Terms

Canadian Co-operative Alliance (CCA)

The CCA is a not-for-profit co-operative owned by our members who come from many sectors of the economy, including finance, insurance, agri-food and supply, wholesale and retail, housing, health, and the service sector. The majority are "second tier" co-operatives (those that are organized at the regional or provincial level such as credit union centrals or federations, which provide services to "first tier" co-ops such as local credit unions or retail outlets). We also have primary or first tier members, as well as "third tier" members representing co-ops from specific sectors of the economy. CCA provides leadership to promote, develop, and unite co-operatives and credit unions for the benefit of people in Canada and around the world.

Conseil Canadien de la Coopération (CCC)

Founded in 1946, the CCC is a national organization that brings together 8 provincial co-operative councils, representing more than 8 million francophone co-operators in more than 3484 co-operatives.

Co-operative

A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.

Co-operative College of Canada

From 1973 to 1987, the Co-operative College of Canada was a national centre for co-operative education and research. It was established to provide co-op business training and to teach co-op principles. Although the college itself was short-lived, its formative years go back to the late 1930s and early 1940s, when there was a strong push and a practical need for an educational link to the co-operative movement. In 1987, the Co-operative College of Canada amalgamated with the Co-operative Union of Canada to form the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA).

Co-operative Union of Canada

The Co-operative Union of Canada was formed in 1909 to encourage sharing of information, mutual self-help and concerted actions among Co-operative organizations. The Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) was created in 1987 by the merger of the Co-operative Union of Canada and Co-operative College of Canada.

Credit Union

A credit union is a cooperative financial institution, owned and controlled by the members who use its services. Credit unions serve groups that share a common bond, such as where they work, live or go to church. Credit unions are also not-for-profit and exist to provide a safe, convenient place for members to save money and to get loans and other financial services at reasonable rates. Today, credit unions in 97 countries provide more than 172 million people worldwide with an opportunity to grow through access to safe savings, affordable credit and the chance for a better tomorrow

International Co-operative Alliance (ICA)

The ICA is an independent, non-governmental association which unites, represents and serves co-operatives worldwide. Founded in 1895, ICA has 222 member organisations from 86 countries active in all sectors of the economy. Together these co-operatives represent more than 800 million individuals worldwide.

International Labour Organization (ILO)

The ILO is devoted to advancing opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity. Its main aims are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue in handling work-related issues. The ILO promotes the development of independent employers and worker organizations and provides relevant training and advisory services. They provide technical assistance in various fields, including co-operatives.

Social Economy

The Social Economy consists of association-based economic initiatives founded on values of:
* Service to members of community rather than generating profits;
* Autonomous management (not government or market controlled);
* Democratic decision-making;
* Primacy of persons and work over capital;
* Based on principles of participation, empowerment.
The Social Economy includes: social assets (housing, childcare, etc.), social enterprises including cooperatives, equity and debt capital for community investment, social purpose businesses, community training and skills development, integrated social and economic planning, and capacity building and community empowerment. The social economy is a continuum that goes from the one end of totally voluntary organizations to the other end where the economic activity (social enterprise) blurs the line with the private sector. This and other definitions may be found at the Canadian Social Economy Hub.

World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU)

As a worldwide representative organization, World Council of Credit Unions, Inc. (WOCCU) is the world's leading advocate, platform for knowledge exchange and development agency for credit unions. Members of the World Council include regional and national credit union associations, cooperative associations and business service organizations.