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What is a Community Benefit Society
A Community Benefit Society (CBS) is a democratic organisation that exists primarily to benefit a community rather than to generate profit for private owners or shareholders. It is owned by its members and operates on the principle of one member, one vote, regardless of how much money an individual has contributed. Any surplus is used to further the society’s purpose and strengthen the community it was created to serve. This creates a structure in which purpose, participation and long-term community benefit are placed at the heart of decision-making.
This makes a Community Benefit Society a natural home for The Portal. We believe that young people should experience democracy rather than simply learn about it. The Portal is being developed as a democratic learning community in which young people, facilitators, families and other members can have a meaningful voice in shaping the culture and direction of the community. The CBS structure reflects this philosophy: authority is not based simply on ownership or financial power, and responsibility for the community is shared.
For The Portal, the way we are organised should reflect the way we believe learning and community should work. We want young people to grow into active participants in their own lives and communities: able to make choices, take responsibility, contribute their ideas and listen to the perspectives of others. A Community Benefit Society provides a framework through which The Portal can practise these principles at an organisational level, creating a learning community that is not simply provided for its community, but increasingly shaped with and by the people who belong to it.