Overview
Cooperatives thrive when they tap into the full talents, experiences, and passions of their member-owners. Yet too often, member skills and interests go undocumented and underutilized. Building a Member Skills & Contribution Inventory allows cooperatives to harness the untapped human capital within their membership—creating opportunities for deeper engagement, stronger governance, more resilient operations, and vibrant community initiatives.
This best practice outlines how to create and maintain a skills inventory that connects members’ talents to cooperative needs.
Core Tactics:
- Frame the Skills Inventory as a Celebration of Member Strengths.
Communicate the project not as a request for help, but as a way to celebrate and engage the diverse talents of the cooperative community. - Use Principle 6 Survey Templates to Launch a Skills Inventory.
The P6 Skills Inventory Survey Template provides a ready-to-use tool that captures:- Professional expertise (e.g., finance, marketing, education, trades)
- Volunteer interests (e.g., mentoring, event planning, advocacy)
- Governance readiness (e.g., interest in board or committee service)
- Community-building skills (e.g., arts, public speaking, organizing)
Recommended Skills Inventory Categories:
| Skill Category | Sample Skills Captured |
| Technical Skills | IT, finance, HR, marketing, project management, legal |
| Leadership Skills | Public speaking, facilitation, board experience, training |
| Cooperative Knowledge | Familiarity with cooperative principles, governance models |
| Communication Skills | Writing, graphic design, translation, media relations |
| Community Engagement | Fundraising, event planning, advocacy, coalition building |
Download Member Skills and Contribution Template Database
Sample Key Questions to Include:
| Question | Proposed Answer Format |
| Please select your areas of professional experience. | Multiple choice (select all that apply) |
| Are you interested in mentoring other members? | Yes/No |
| Are you interested in volunteering for cooperative events or initiatives? | Yes/No |
| Are you interested in future board or committee service? | Yes/No |
| What additional skills or experiences would you like to share with the cooperative? | Open-ended |
- Build a Searchable Internal Database.
- Input survey responses into a basic CRM or secure database.
- Tag skills and interests for easy lookup when volunteer, leadership, or project needs arise.
- Keep the database accessible only to appropriate cooperative leaders, respecting privacy.
- Update the Skills Inventory Annually.
Members’ skills and interests evolve—send out a short refresher survey once a year or during membership renewals to capture changes. - Celebrate and Use Member Contributions.
- Publicly acknowledge contributions made through the skills inventory.
- Feature member talents in newsletters, events, and reports.
- Invite members to projects and initiatives based on their shared skills and passions.