A Friendly society Creating an Equitable Future

Cascadia Commons, a benevolent society is formed and established upon a plan of mutual assurance, and has for its object the raising of a fund by contributions of its Members, for the mutual relief of each other, our families, friends, neighbors, and the Cascadian Bioregion.

As a benevolent society and lodge system, we will provide a means to collectively purchase and receive bulk rates on life-benefit services, such as healthcare, life insurance, and other mutual assurance and investment programs.  Our organization embraces bioregional theories on the care and restoration of the local environment, and we seek to define and preserve local culture, history and ceremony through an open source social networking website and working in coalition with like-minded organizations from the public and private sectors.

Benevolent societies are one of the oldest types of financial services offering members a wide range of affordable savings, investments, insurances, pensions and specialist annuities.  Historically, Benevolent societies have shown much success providing affordable housing, economic development dollars to communities, discounted pharmaceuticals, and unemployment benefits.   These institutions were developed from a simple premise that if a community contributed to a mutual fund, in time, benefits would be received.  Cascadia Commons plans to use the Benevolent society model to breed a new form of mutualism in the Pacific Northwest.

Goals

• Establish a benevolent society U.S. IRS 501(c) 8 and the corresponding status in Canada
  
• Operate a lodge system with at least one chapter in every watershed of the Cascadian Bioregion 
  
• Network lodges with nonprofit activities, especially those offered by Land Trusts, Community Land Trusts, and Watershed Councils
• Provide insurance packages that advance bioregional sustainability

Insurance Products for Advancing Bioregional Sustainability

Insurance is the world's second largest asset-based industry and is poised to influence societal and economic behaviors encouraging environmental sustainability.  Products and services are being developed that address key Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability issues.  Therefore, Cascadia Commons will play a fundamental role in the regional economy pooling and transferring risk for the enabling of innovations that will:

• Reduce carbon footprints
• Save threatened and endangered species
• Reverse climate change
• Eliminate inequity and poverty

As a benevolent society, coordinating a network of lodges in every watershed of the Cascadian Bioregion, Cascadia Commons will create sustainable investment and insurance programs with the following goals:

• Upholding a fraternal purpose for the restoration of local, natural systems
• Encouraging practices that satisfy basic human needs such as food, water, energy, housing, and materials
• Supporting lifestyles that live in balance with the natural ecosystem
• Collaborating with the public and private sectors and communities to establish the right policy frameworks and sustainability solutions