Transparency in co-op governance means that the board conducts its affairs and makes decisions in a way that is open and visible to the members. Transparent governance means keeping the membership in the picture about what the board is doing.

Some matters the board deals with are confidential. The privacy of members must be protected, and there are times when the legal or commercial interests of the co-op require confidentiality. But confidentiality can be overused. There has to be a good reason to keep information from the members. It shouldn't be just an excuse to avoid accountability, which we'll talk about in a moment.

It's particularly important to share information about decisions the board makes that affect the membership as a whole. You'll want their support for what you decide, so share the board's thinking with them and listen to what they have to say.

Here are signs that your board acts transparently:

• the board shares non-confidential minutes, financial statements and other reports with the members
• the board only keeps matters confidential when it is necessary to protect the privacy of the members or the interests of the co-op.