Our Co-op Model
We’re more than an events and retreats company — we’re a member-owned cooperative that puts people at the center of everything we do. Here’s what that means, and how you can be part of it.
A Better, More Equitable Business Model
In a traditional business, profits leave with the owner. In our cooperative, they stay with the people who put in the work and the community that supports it. That structure changes everything — for our members, our events, and our guests.
Shared Rewards
Profits go to the members who create the experience, not outside investors or executives.
Collective Resources
Members share venues, skills, and services to make events possible without huge upfront costs.
Stronger Community
Every gathering strengthens the network, making future events richer and easier to create.
Why Co-ops Have Memberships
A cooperative is built and run by its members — they’re the people who keep it going, shape its future, and share in its rewards. Membership is how you take part in that ownership. It defines your role in the co-op, your benefits, and your level of decision-making power. At The Northwest Nest, membership isn’t just a label — it’s how we make sure the people at the heart of our work have a stake in its success.
Membership at The Northwest Nest
.jpg)
Our co-op works because members play different roles — from attending events, to creating them, to guiding our long-term vision. No matter your role, you’re part of the same shared mission: building incredible events and making sure the people who create them are valued.
Community
Members
Service
Members
Governing
Members
Guests who attend our events and retreats on a monthly basis. Benefits include unlimited member-eligible events, $250 retreat discount, and input on programming. No profit-sharing.
Creators, facilitators, and service providers who help produce events and retreats. Paid for their work and eligible for profit-sharing through our Shares System, plus voting rights on operational matters.
Leaders elected from the Service Member group who help guide The Nest’s long-term strategy and make major governance decisions. Profit-sharing applies.
The Shares System: How Profit-Sharing Works
Our events and retreats are built by many hands — from hosts and facilitators to caterers, massage therapists, and makers. The Shares System is how we make sure everyone’s contribution is valued fairly.
​
Each Service Member role is assigned a number of “shares” based on the time, effort, and responsibility it requires. After the event, the available profit pool is divided by the total number of shares, and members are paid according to how many they earned. The more you contribute, the more you earn — whether it’s a single workshop or a multi-day retreat role.
Be Part of The Nest
The Northwest Nest works because people show up — with their skills, their ideas, and their presence. Whether you attend as a guest, contribute as a Service Member, or help lead as part of our governance, you’re part of a community where the work and the rewards are shared. Together, we make events richer — in experience, in connection, and in opportunity.