Bylaws describe how the co-op's board and members will work together, what the roles are, how decision making will happen, and other governance details.

This is the time to decide:

• The size, composition and authority of the board
• How the membership will be involved
• How members can join the co-op and how members can be removed
• How capital for start up will be raised

While some bylaws will be the same for each co-operative, some will need to be adapted to reflect your co-op’s structure and decisions. You should always work with a professional to craft or amend your bylaws. Additional information and tips are provided in our Guide to Incorporating a Co-operative in Saskatchewan. Co-ops First has also published a sample set of bylaws **but these bylaws should only be used as a guide - you'll need to adapt them to your co-operative.

Some additional resources that may be helpful:

• Co-operatives First has a Guide to Writing Bylaws
• University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives Guidelines for Co-operative Bylaws