Membership at Hypha

In a worker co-operative, members are sometimes referred to as “member-owners” because the members collectively own their co-operative.

Hypha is incorporated as a non-share capital co-operative, which means that we do not have shares and so there is nothing tangible to “own” at Hypha, but being a member means sharing in the responsibility and ownership of the business itself even if you do not own a quantifiable portion of the company.

Throughout your membership probationary period, you will likely get practice wearing multiple hats as you work in your practice area and contribute to an internal working group. Stepping into membership means adding a much bigger hat - it’s time to be an owner of the business.

Wearing different hats

One of the challenges of moving from employment to membership is having to maintain two (or more) different relationships with the co-operative.

As an employee

As an employee, you should be concerned about completing your work, growing in your career, and making sure that your compensation and benefits are appropriate for how much you contribute to the company. In non-co-op workplaces and in your membership probationary period, you are probably accustomed to operating like an employee and thinking about questions such as:

• Is my job clearly defined and am I being given the necessary resources to do it?
• Am I being given opportunities to grow in my career?
• Is my overall compensation package fair?

As a member

Being the co-owner of a business comes with a lot of uncertainty - there is no one managing you or taking responsibility for choices that will impact your business and livelihood. It’s all on you and your peers. The flip-side of this is that being an owner means you also have enormous agency and control over your workplace and the direction it takes. This increase in uncertainty is not something everyone wants or appreciates, and it’s something you should think deeply about before choosing to apply for membership.

As a member (and thus an owner and employer), you will need to be concerned with the wellbeing of all your employees, the strategic direction of the business, the company’s financial state, and more. Membership means continuing to think critically about your “employee concerns” while also becoming your own employer, with the agency to work with your fellow members to make Hypha a better place to be employed. It means stepping one level up and being the owner of a business, thinking about questions such as:

• How do we attract and retain talented employees and contributors?
• How will trends in our economy and industry impact Hypha, and how can we position our business to continue to be successful?
• What can we afford to budget for payroll, business development, and operational overhead over the next fiscal year?

Members are also eligible to be elected onto Hypha’s Board of Directors, which is yet another hat to wear. Members elect the Directors to define the strategic direction of the co-operative and hold senior members (i.e. members who have chosen to hold more responsibility) accountable for their performance as leaders.

Membership application process

Would-be members must first complete a full year of work for the co-op during their membership probationary period. This time is intended to familiarize you with both the employment and membership possibility at Hypha. You will learn about the internal workings of the co-operative, see how decisions are made, and gradually increase your agency and contributions to Hypha.

Once the probationary period is complete, you may apply for membership at any time. If you do not wish to apply for membership, you may be able to continue working for Hypha at the Board’s discretion, but this will be a decision made on a case-by-case basis. Worker co-operatives are meant to provide employment to members first, so Hypha will typically prioritize hiring people who intend to become members.

The application form consists of four questions. Applicants should answer all questions to the best of their ability. There is no limit to the length; however, ideally the length of the completed application form will not exceed three pages at typical font sizes, to make reviews manageable.

Applications should be emailed to members@hypha.coop, and members will review submitted applications and vote to confirm membership of the applicants.

• Applications will not be evaluated on writing style as much as the content of the responses.
• The focus of the evaluation is on the ability of applicants to be good members and steer the co-operative into the future. Applicants' execution on client projects is not the focus of the evaluation.
• Evaluations will take into account applicants' level of experience and opportunities to participate in internal activities of the organization. Those who have had limited opportunities to participate in organizational decision-making due to other cooperative priorities (such as project work) will not be needlessly penalized for it.
• Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to co-operative values in their responses.
• Applicants must demonstrate a sufficient understanding of Hypha’s organizational and decision-making workflows in their responses.

Applicants should feel free to reach out to members for support during the application process.

Member Application Form

v2.0 (2025-06)

Intake information

• What is your full name?
• What date do you complete your probationary membership?

Questions

These are brief questions, but remember that you are asking to share in the ownership of the entire business. It is a big decision!

1. Why do you want to be a member of Hypha?
2. As an organization, what are Hypha's strengths and weaknesses?
3. What is your vision for the co-operative? What would you like to see it become?
4. What skills and qualities will you need to develop or improve in order to participate in Hypha as an owner and care for the organization?