Dear Owners,
With Independence Day in the recent past, the cooperative recognizes the turmoil that faces our community and country. We invite everyone to use our IV Patio and Downtown Booths to gather strategies for the future and hope for the future ahead. We encourage fellow owners to be involved in the co-op and other community and mutual aid focused organizations like “The Central Coast Organization”, “805UnDocufund”, “People’s Pantry SB”, and “People’s Pantry IV”. The most vulnerable in our communities are facing unprecedented hardship; we implore you to be united in community.
Upcoming Events:
- Co-op Support Market, Featuring IV Small Artist Co-op – THIS SATURDAY, July 12th, 11am -5pm, Downtown Market
- NEW – Coffee with Community (Weekly Recurring) – THIS SUNDAY, July 13th, 10am – 12pm, Downtown Market
- Board of Directors Meeting, July 16th, 6:30pm, Zoom
- Co-op Support Market, Featuring AllBookedUp SB and IV Small Artist Co-op – July 19th, 11am-5pm
- Meet the IVFC Board Candidates, July 19th, details tbd
- Town Hall: Business Plan – July 26th, 2pm, location TBD
Tiger Team Updates:
Thank you to everyone who’s stepped up to support the Co-op during this critical time. Your energy, time, and creativity are making a real difference. Here’s what’s happening across our Tiger Teams:
- Owner Engagement Team
- Director Megan had to reschedule the usual Sunday afternoon meeting and will now be holding the meeting this Wednesday, 7/9 via Zoom.
Fundraising
With summer having begun and most students out of town, funds are needed now more than ever to keep the co-op open. The co-op is hovering dangerously close to depleting our cash reserves. Money is being managed week to week (some weeks it’s day to day) and cash flow projections show major negatives beginning at the start of August unless additional funds are raised. Fear not! Remember how we were predicting that if things didn’t change we’d go under in May? Well, due to the success of our fundraising and operational improvements, we have managed to stave off closure! Our co-op is resilient and +1,900 owners strong. Too many important institutions of our society are breaking and falling. We refuse to let our co-op be one of them!
The Fundraising Tiger Team has been enormously helpful in making connections to potential donors. We are currently in the process of securing meetings with a few major local foundations and several individuals with a strong record of philanthropic giving. The Fundraising Team is also working towards getting the support of UCSB Alumni Affairs in reaching out to UCSB alumni for charitable contributions. You can learn more and support the co-op’s critical fundraising work by doing the following.
- The NUMBER ONE thing you can do to support fundraising efforts is to identify ONE individual or organization who might make a contribution to the co-op or who knows anyone who might make a contribution. You can send this name and a short description of them to treasurer@islavistafood.coop and we can strategize about an approach. Ideally you know this person/org personally, but even if not please do share!
- Join the Fundraising Tiger Team. Whether you have fundraising experience or not, your contributions to this team will go a long way to keeping the co-op open. Once you get a few successes under your belt, fundraising will become fun and you will be supported every step of the way 🙂
- We’ve recently posted a “How to Donate” overview of your various platforms to our Instagram and Facebook. Please share this, spread the message through your networks, and consider giving yourself.
To join the Fundraising Tiger Team and for any other fundraising related matters, please email treasurer@islavistafood.coop.
2025 Business Recovery Plan: July 26th
Fundraising remains our most urgent need. We’re incredibly grateful to our owners, staff, and community who have contributed money, time, and expertise to help stabilize the Co-op.
The Board has finalized the 2025 Business Recovery Plan — our roadmap to keep the Co-op from insolvency and build a more sustainable future. We look forward to presenting it to the ownership soon and receiving your feedback.
Mark your calendar for our next Town Hall on Saturday, July 26 from 2–5 PM.
Once we’ve launched the business plan and secured more financial footing, all the Tiger Teams will be ready to fully activate. In the meantime, email the board with any questions, comments, or exclamations you may have.
Keep Building Momentum:
- Shop at the co-op – every purchase counts – and encourage your networks to do so, too. Summertime in IV means lots of parking!
- Make a donation to our GoFundMe of any amount – every bit helps
- Donate through our website: https://islavistafood.coop/save-the-coop/
- Make a tax-deductible contribution of $500 or more—Please contact treasurer@islavistafood.coop for more details.
- Connect us with like-minded businesses – We’re eager to form business-to-business partnerships that strengthen both our local economy and our community.
- Join a Tiger Team– Help expand our efforts and bring fresh ideas.
Notes From The Ground:
The Board is finalizing in FAQ that addresses the current state of our organization and looks towards the beginnings of our future. We hope to have it on the website within the month.
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Updating Your Information with IVFC has never been easier! Make an account in our webcart portal to update your address, phone, and email. All you need is your owner number!
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IVFC is seeking owner testimonials to post on our website, social media, and of course donation platforms. These owner testimonials will also be featured in our business plan to showcase the credibility that we have within the community. If interested, please click the button below to email us your testimonial.
Thanks for Your Continued Support
The commitment and passion of this co-op community continue to inspire the team towards improving the cooperative for all.
In pursuit of a thriving cooperative,
Your Board of Directors
