Membership

A cooperative is an association to which a company is attached; therefore, membership rules differ from those of an ordinary association. This is mainly because the establishment and operation of the grand café required substantial amounts that were loaned to the cooperative by its founders.

Membership in the cooperative is regulated in an accession agreement. This membership agreement lists the rights and obligations of a member. As far as the duties are concerned, these include in particular:

• the annual membership fee of € 250
• the one-off accession fee of € 500
• the one-off contribution fee of € 2,000

Associations and foundations can also become members of the cooperative. They pay double the rate.

The membership fee and the accession fee are donations that finance the regular operation of the cooperative. The contribution fee has the character of an interest-free loan. With this loan, a joining member takes over part of the investment from the founding members. Upon termination of membership, the loan is refunded to the terminating member. This is regulated in detail in the membership agreement.

The board decides whether to admit a prospective member. Sometimes it is possible to pay the contribution fee in instalments or in kind. This is assessed on a case-by-case basis and (if agreed) recorded in the membership agreement.

For more information, you can contact the board [bestuur@utopie.nl] of the cooperative or reach out to Marco, Bernhard or Etienne when you are at Utopie.