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Members Area

Become a member and invest in Ethical Consumer

ECRA is a formally structured as a not-for-profit Co-operative Society and is regulated by the Financial Services Authority.



It is a multi-stakeholder co-operative and has both worker members and investor members on its board.

Both classes of member are involved in decision-making and the election of Directors onto the Board.

The conversion was designed to give ECRA better access to external capital and skills – whilst retaining the not-for-profit and co-operative principles at its core.

ECRA’s conversion to a multistakeholder co-operative was generously supported by a grant made by the Co-operative Fund in 2008.

Because of the principle of open membership, any consumer able to make the minimum investment (currently £200) and who supports the objects of ECRA, can now become a member of the co-operative.

 

Investor members receive annual interest at our variable rate, currently 3.25%.

Your investment not only earns you money but also helps support one of the world’s most innovative not-for-profit organisations which:

  • encourages sustainable behaviour across the corporate sector through market pressure
  • empowers individual consumers to take action on issues of concern to them
  • leads international discussion and research on the potential of ethical purchasing

The investment money is spent on projects that further the aims of the organisation and through our unique structure as an investor member you get to help shape them.

Other benefits of becoming an Investor Member include:

  • earning interest on your investment at our variable rate (currently 3.25%)
  • attending, voting and put forwarding motions at our AGM
  • nominating candidates for ECRA’s board, voting in elections and standing for election yourself

Investor members must be over the age of 16 years.



Download the Ethical Consumer Research Association Rules

Download an application form here [pdf] or call us on 0161 226 2929 for more information

Annual General Meeting

Our Annual General Meetings are the main opportunity during the year when we can meet with investors to share ideas and plans, and to discuss our previous year's results. The meeting is held every year in September.

Minutes of the previous meeting, as well as the accounts, can be downloaded below. Minutes from each AGM remain in draft form until they are approved at the next AGM.

Annual Reports

Ethical Consumer's Annual Reviews report draft financial results. You can view our final financial results in our annual filings on the FCA's Mutuals Public Register.

Older reports are available on request. Call us on 0161 226 2929 for more information