CAPITAL CREDITS FAQs
What does it mean to be a cooperative?
Membership equals ownership and ownership equals profits for you.
As a subscriber to any of our services, you’re automatically a member of Venture Communications Cooperative and are maing an investment in a company you and your neighbors own. As a member, you gain benefits not available to customers of big name communications companies, including these:
- You elect your representative on the Board of Directors. Their job is to oversee the operation of the cooperative and protect your investment.
- Once the operating costs and reinvestments in the cooperative have been met, the Board of Directors allocates the remaining money to the members in the form of capital credits. The amount allocated varies from year to year. When Venture Communications Cooperative makes a profit, you make a profit.
A cooperative is truly a unique business, since everyone has a stake in its success.
What is the capital credit allocation statement?
It’s an annual statement summarizing the activity of your Venture Communications Cooperative account. The balance on your statement is yours, and over time, this money will be paid to you.
The statement highlights your previous balance, the 20XX capital credit allocation, and your current balance.
(The total patronage for 20XX is the figure used to calculate your 20XX capital credits.)
To ensure you receive future checks for capital credit payments, let Venture Communications know of any address changes.
How much is returned to me?
The amount is based on how much business you do with Venture Communications Cooperative by subscribing to our services, which include Internet, TV and Phone. The more business you do with us in a given year, the bigger your share of the profits will be.
Why is my capital credit amount less than my neighbor's amount?
Capital Credit amounts are calculated on the total amount of patronage each account had done with Venture Communications Cooperative throughout the year. So, if your neighbor did more business with us, they’ll receive a larger portion of the profits back since they invested more.
Why do I have to wait for the money?
In order to operate the business, capital credits remain with the cooperative for a certain amount of time before they are returned to the members. Rural cooperatives, like any other business, must have money on hand to provide current operating funds and invest in facilities and new technology.
The members have agreed through the cooperative’s by-laws to use the margins to stabilize operations for the cooperative. The by-laws also stipulate the refund of capital credits based on the financial condition of the cooperative as determined by the Board of Directors.
Why don't the big names in communications companies give money back to their customers?
Because those companies are not cooperatives, and their goal is to make money for themselves. By contrast, Venture Communications Cooperative is owned by our customers as members of the cooperative. Surplus profits are allocated back to you when approved by the Board of Directors.
