MEMBERSHIP

Basically a portion of the annual profits that each member receives remains invested in the co-op as for a period of time, providing the capital necessary to operate and expand the business. Each member's capital investment is kept in their name in two accounts:

• share money — an account built from the member's portion of annual profits that represents the investment, or share in ownership, that the member has in Frontier
• retained patronage (also called deferred patronage) — an account made up of the part of the member's allocation of Frontier's annual net savings, or patronage dividend, that is retained for a time by the co-op for capital purposes

Both accounts are created from the annual allocations of Frontier's annual net savings to individual members, and neither requires any additional investment on the part of the member. After the required level of investment in share money is met, other retained patronage is returned to members on a rotating basis, with oldest investments returned first.

This is an assessment determined by the Board of Directors. The share money requirement is assigned to each cooperative member, based on the amount of business done with the co-op, to ensure that the cooperative has the funding it requires to meet capital needs.

The share requirement is determined by multiplying the member's average purchases per month by 2.25 (or 225%).

Example: If your annual purchases were $10,000, your share requirement would be as follows: ($10,000/12) times 2.25 = $1,875

Once per fiscal year. Note: Frontier operates on a fiscal year of July 1 through June 30 the following calendar year. (For example, July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 is fiscal year 2022.) 

If there is a deficiency in a member's share money balance when compared to the calculated share money requirement, then the amount of this deficiency is transferred from the member's deferred patronage from the most recent fiscal year allocation.

Example: If the calculated share money requirement is $1,000 and the current share money balance is $700, $300 will be transferred from the deferred portion of your allocated patronage dividends for the current year.

Upon request, the excess will be refunded to you at a rate not to exceed $1000 per month until the entire excess has been returned.

Frontier returns its net income (total income minus total expenses) to its members each fiscal year in accordance with the amount purchased from the co-op. If Frontier's net income is equal to 3% of annual member sales, then each member is allocated a patronage dividend equal to 3% of their purchases for the fiscal year. Patronage is only allocated to accounts who are members when the patronage allocation is distributed from the Co-op to its members. 

Thirty percent of the patronage allocation is paid by check at the time of the distribution patronage (usually March for the previous fiscal year). Seventy percent of the allocation is retained for our continuing capital needs (eg. expansion of physical facilities). This portion (members' retained patronage) is paid at some later time when the Frontier Board of Directors determines it is no longer needed for capital purposes. Retained patronage is distributed by Frontier issuing a check for a given year's retained patronage to each member with patronage in that year. (If a percentage of a year's retained patronage is issued instead of the full amount, that same percentage is every member.)

Yes, you are required to include the entire amount of the patronage allocation as income for your taxable year that includes the month in which you receive the allocation unless the exclusions provided for in Title 26 Subsection 1385 apply. (The check enclosed with the original distribution is subject to backup withholding if we don't have a valid taxpayer identification number on file for you.)

Once having paid tax on the full amount in the year the patronage allocation is earned, future returns of the retained portion are tax-free. For example, if your patronage allocation in a given year is $3,000, you will receive a check for $900 and $2,100 will be added to your retained patronage account. You must report the full $3,000 patronage allocation as income for taxation purposes that year, but when you are later returned the retained patronage, you pay no additional taxes on it. 

If you don't cash your patronage check within 365 days (either by choice or by oversight), the check will be made void and the funds will revert back to your member account. A non-contact event will also be registered against your account. After three years of failed contact attempts your equity with be moved to the control of the Co-op’s Reversion fund until such time that you make a valid claim to recover it.

Yes. You maintain ownership of your patronage and share money when you terminate membership in the co-op. Your retained patronage will be returned less a 25% discount for premature withdrawal. 

Frontier members elect six of the nine directors. Each year members receive a ballot and information on the candidates for the open Board positions. Two at-large directors are appointed by the elected directors, and Frontier's CEO assumes the automatic position of Management Director.