Guilded is a multi-stakeholder cooperative with freelancer-owner, employee-owner, and investor-owner classes. Each class of member has decision making power in the organization. Member owners also receive a share of the organization’s profits through what is called a patronage account.
A Patronage account is derived from the margins of the cooperative for any given year. The margins are the difference between that year’s operating income and operating expenses.
In order to become a member-owner of Guilded, you must meet 3 requirements:
- You must purchase a member stock share of $100 from Guilded. This $100 is your investment in the cooperative, and goes directly into your patronage account to grow over time.
- You must have processed at least 4 unique contracts through the platform and have processed at least $4,000 worth of invoices. These amounts are not amounts that you pay to Guilded, but rather the total value of contracts that you have run through Guilded over time.
- Attend 3 co-op relevant training sessions, provided through Guilded, to help you build the skills you need to be a member-owner.
Some example trainings include: Open Book Management Roles and Responsibility for Boards Good Meetings and Facilitation
