Patronage Dividend Calculator
See how a cooperative's surplus is shared with you — in proportion to how much you used the co-op, not how much capital you put in.
Your numbers
The co-op's annual surplus available to distribute, after reserves.
Your purchases, volume delivered, or labor hours.
All members' patronage combined (same unit as yours).
Share paid in cash now; the rest is retained as equity. In the US, a qualified allocation needs at least 20% cash.
How patronage refunds work
The principle
Patronage refunds distribute surplus in proportion to how much each member used the cooperative — their purchases, the volume they delivered, or the hours they worked — not how much they invested. This is the third ICA cooperative principle, member economic participation.
The formula
Your refund = (your patronage ÷ total member patronage) × distributable surplusCash vs retained equity
Most co-ops pay only part of a refund in cash and retain the rest as equity credited to your capital account, redeemed in a later year. This builds the co-op's capital without member debt.