| Resource Type | Website |
| Author / Source | Lake Country Power |
| Publication Date | Ongoing |
| Location | Northern Minnesota (framework applicable nationally) |
| Initiative Type | Program, Partnership |
| Project Complexity | Beginner |
| Recommended For | Staff, Board |
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Why This Matters for Rural Electric Co-ops
Member Made is a simple program in which Lake Country Power tells the stories of member-owned businesses and promotes them for free through its social media, website, and print publications. It is an idea, not a how-to guide, and it uses communication channels most co-ops already run.
For rural co-ops, it puts the seventh cooperative principle, Concern for Community, into practice in a visible way. It gives business members a reason to engage with the co-op beyond their bill and builds relationships with commercial accounts. It also creates a steady supply of local stories. A co-op can use this page as a model for starting its own version with little cost.
Key Takeaways
| › | Co-ops can promote local member businesses at no charge using channels they already manage, including social media, newsletters, and print publications. |
| › | Sign-up is simple and straightforward: a business fills out a short information sheet, emails it to a dedicated inbox, and co-op staff follow up. |
| › | Running the program through key accounts and business development staff ties storytelling to relationship building with commercial members. |
| › | Featured stories include resorts, a marina, a child care center, and a wildlife sanctuary, showing the idea works for nonprofits as well as small businesses. |
Implementation Considerations
- Regulatory or Governance Considerations: Promoting some businesses and not others can look like favoritism. A short written policy on who qualifies (for example, members in good standing within the service territory) and how features are rotated keeps the program fair and easy to defend.
- Staffing or Technology Requirements: Writing stories, taking photos, and shooting video takes staff time. Smaller co-ops may want to start with short written profiles using photos the business provides or simple on-site photos. They could also partner with a local chamber or college communications program.
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Start-Up Tips:
- Launch with three to five businesses staff already know or that answer an open invitation in the newsletter or on social media, then open the program to all business members.
- Use a short intake form and a dedicated email address, as Lake Country Power does.
- Set a predictable rhythm, such as one feature per month or per quarter, and reuse each story across the newsletter, website, social media, and the local pages of your statewide magazine.
- Ask the local chamber or economic development office for referrals and cross-promotion.
Notable Examples
- Lake Country Power: Northern Minnesota distribution co-op that runs the Member Made program through its key accounts and business development team.
- Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary: Nonprofit bear sanctuary in Orr featured in a Member Made story.
- Roots & Wings Early Learning Center: Child care center whose founders' story is featured, showing the program's reach beyond retail and tourism.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
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