Typically, a cooperative’s Bylaws can only be changed by a democratic vote (or in some cases, consensus) of the ownership/membership. For this reason, cooperatives usually limit their Bylaws to fundamental governance-level issues. More specific operational procedures may be documented in policy manuals or handbooks, which can be changed as needed by Directors, (co-)managers, committee members, staff, or other bodies using approved decision-making processes.
Articles & Bylaws may not be the most exciting aspect of a co-op, but the Bylaws are an important element of a co-op’s foundation.