Since signing our lease, we’ve been transparent that opening the store hinges on securing $1 million in bank loans. Despite our strong financials and relentless efforts, we were only able to secure $500,000—not the full amount we originally planned for. Now, the remaining $500,000 must come from our community.

We’ve worked extensively with multiple banks and cooperative-focused lenders, but due to the unique structure of our co-op, we’ve hit a roadblock. Many banks either don’t lend to co-ops or focus on rural or underserved areas. The good news: our lenders are still willing to move forward—but only if we, as a co-op community, step up and raise the remaining $500,000 ourselves.

We cannot project when the store will open until we are fully funded. Full funding allows us to hire and train staff, stock the shelves, pay local food producers to line our shelves with their goods, and so on. Once we have meet our financing goal, it will take approximately 2-3 months to open. If we meet our funding goal by March 31, we hope to open at the end of May! 

You have the opportunity to earn a respectable return and gain the satisfaction of knowing your money will:

• be invested locally
• increase the quality of life for our entire community
• support a venture that aligns with your values
• be THE KEY to our store opening its doors!

Our Community Investment Program offers a unique opportunity that is not tied to the volatility of the overall stock market. It very literally moves money from Wall Street to Main Street, where it can make tangible things happen within our community. This is an opportunity to invest in an organization whose values you fully understand and actually have a say in.

Yes, the board continues to actively pursue additional bank financing. However, based on our experience with lenders, we are not confident in securing more funds in time. The underwriting process for a cooperative like ours is uniquely complex and time-consuming, and we cannot afford to delay our progress while waiting for a decision. That’s why raising $500K from our community remains our most viable path forward.

As a PFC owner, you bought two Ownership Shares for $200 total. These shares are tied to voting rights within our democratic organization, One Owner = One Vote. Ownership shares funded our outreach and start-up efforts but represent a small fraction of the capital needed.

We are 95% of the way there! With construction complete and just $500K remaining out of our $5M budget, we are closer than ever to making Prairie Food Co-op a reality. At this stage, we have every reason to believe the store will open.

However, timing is critical. The longer we delay, the more costs we incur without revenue to sustain the business. That’s why we need our community to step up now—to ensure we can open our doors and start serving our Owners and local farmers as soon as possible.

Investing in the Co-op is just that—an investment, not a donation. While investments come with inherent risk, we are confident that with the community’s support, Prairie Food Co-op will not only open but thrive.

Charitable donations cannot be returned. Donations made to our fiscal agent on our behalf cannot be returned once made. If the board determines the project is no longer feasible, our fiscal agent will use the donated funds to support the wise use of cooperative approaches through education and development.

Preferred Shares are stock that could yield annual dividends. Any Illinois resident can participate and buy up to 10 total PFC shares at $1,000 per share. Outside of donations, Preferred Shares are the most co-op friendly way to invest in PFC and should be considered a long-term investment (15+ years). They can yield annual dividends but like most stock, no promises.

Only Illinois PFC Owners are eligible to make a loan to Prairie Food Co-op with a legal agreement on interest rates and pay-off schedules. This is a mid-term investment of 15 years for investments ranging from $10,000 - $600,000. Money is eventually paid back and you earn interest on your loan. But like most loans, there are risks.

We will work with institutional funders, local foundations, community programs, philanthropists, and individuals like yourself to fund as much of the project as possible. For some folks and all those outside Illinois, a tax-deductible donation with no minimums or maximums is the most win-win way to contribute.

We understand that long-term investments come with uncertainties. PFC is required to repay all bank financing before repaying Owner contributions, which is why Owner Loans have a 15-year repayment period, and Preferred Shares are repaid after 15 years, when the PFC Board determines it is financially feasible.

To ensure your investment is handled according to your wishes, we strongly encourage you to:

• Include a joint subscriber on your legal paperwork, so someone else has rights to the investment.
• Name a beneficiary for your Owner Loan or Preferred Shares in your Will or Trust.

This ensures that, in the event of unforeseen circumstances, your contribution is properly accounted for and passed on to your chosen recipient.

If the beneficiary resides in Illinois, a Trust or Business is eligible to buy Preferred Shares.

If the beneficiary resides in Illinois and is a PFC Owner, a Trust or Business can make a loan to the co-op. 

Yes. To open in May, we must raise $500K by March 31, 2025. Meeting this goal ensures we can begin generating revenue and covering our expenses.

Delaying our opening beyond May puts the project at serious risk, as ongoing operational costs (rent, insurance, utilities) will continue to add up without income to support them.

This is a crucial moment—every contribution helps bring Prairie Food Co-op to life!

The Community Investment Program kicked off in mid February, 2025. PFC Owners have already contributed $1.6M towards this $5M project. Once we reach $500K in community investments, our project will be fully funded and we can open our doors.

If you already know you would like to contribute, reach out to us at [email protected] and we will put you at the top of our contact list once our legal paperwork is finalized and full program details are approved by our board.