Welcome! Cosmos is a multi-stakeholder cooperative organization that follows the 7 Cooperative Principles as outlined by the International Cooperative Alliance. These are:
- Voluntary and Open Membership
- Democratic Member Control
- Member Economic Participation
- Autonomy and Independence
- Education, Training, and Information
- Cooperation among Cooperatives
- Concern for Community
In addition, we distinguish between formal and informal membershipโthat is, between simply being a member of our community at large, who may participate in public events and conversations, or volunteer occasionally, but without any particular obligations (nor economic benefits or voting rights)โand being a member of our cooperative organization, through contributing some combination of capital and/or labor, with the right to help make decisions, as well as benefit economically when the cooperative does well.
Our three formal membership types are:
- Worker Members
- Creative Members
- Sustaining Members
Worker Members include our core staff, who take day to day responsibility for the operations of the co-op as a whole. Creative Members contribute their creative work to our platform and collaborate on the production, publication, and promotion of each other’s work. Sustaining Members support the co-op and our creative members through their financial contributions. (Please note that at present all Workers Members are working for equityโwe are not yet paying salariesโwhile our Creative Members are working for royalties or equity in each other’s projects.)
We are also currently accepting interest from Investor Members and potential Partner Organizations; please apply below if you’d like to be considered for one of these relationship types.
The core structures and governance processes of Cosmos are detailed in the Cosmos Constitution, which is currently in DRAFT form while undergoing legal review. We welcome your feedback on this living document, and hope you’ll join us in continuing to refine our organizational structure, while helping us build a culture of consciousness, creativity, and cooperation.
Membership in Cosmos is open to all who agree to abide by the terms of our Constitution. However, Worker and Creative Members must apply and be accepted after a trial period, and also agree to participate economically by paying membership dues and/or contributing labor. To become a member of Cosmos, please fill out the form below. A representative from our Membership Circle will get back to you as soon as possible to set up your next steps.