# Parmenas

> **Commitments, carried out.** · *Compromisos cumplidos.*
> Parmenas (pronounced *PAR-meh-nus*) is the member-owned co-op platform that helps a cooperative keep its promises to its members, its board, its volunteers, and its community. Built for member-owned food co-ops and buying clubs by [Viable Food](https://viablefood.org).

## Status: In Closed Testing

Parmenas is co-op management software built for member-owned food co-ops, neighbourhood grocery cooperatives, and buying clubs. It brings together scattered spreadsheets and paper binders into one self-hosted, white-label cooperative book that runs on ordinary PHP and MySQL shared hosting, in English and Spanish (*tú*).

Parmenas is currently in closed testing with partner food co-ops and buying clubs. Request early access at [https://parmenas.org/early-access#signup](https://parmenas.org/early-access#signup).

## What It Does (Seven Areas)

- [Members & Ownership](https://parmenas.org/features/members): Member numbers, paid-in equity shares, payment installment plans, household shoppers, standing checks, and bilingual English and Spanish member portals.
- [Patronage Dividends](https://parmenas.org/features/patronage): Eligible member purchase tracking, Subchapter T cash vs. retained patronage dividend calculation, board scenario previews, and member dividend statements.
- [Board & Elections](https://parmenas.org/features/board-elections): Verified one-member-one-vote elections, quorum tracking, candidate slates, bylaw archives, and lasting board minutes.
- [Volunteers](https://parmenas.org/features/volunteers): Work-shift calendars, pack-out and delivery sign-ups, bilingual shift reminders, and working-member discount credits at checkout.
- [Buying Club](https://parmenas.org/features/buying-club): Pre-order cycles, wholesale case splitting across households, farm box orders, pack-out box labels, and delivery weight adjustments.
- [Finance](https://parmenas.org/features/finance): Member equity records, house accounts, patronage reserve tracking, and clean summary exports for cooperative treasurers and accountants.
- [Store Tools](https://parmenas.org/features/store-tools): Fast counter member lookup, working-member discount checks, shelf tag printing, delivery logs, and counter member enrollment.

## Key Pages & Resources

- [Home](https://parmenas.org/): Overview, interactive before/after comparison, the seven cooperative areas, and documentary scenes.
- [About Parmenas & The Story of the Name](https://parmenas.org/about): Why Parmenas is named for one of seven trusted people chosen nearly two thousand years ago to make sure a growing community shared its food fairly and overlooked no one, plus how Viable Food builds and supports it.
- [Frequently Asked Questions](https://parmenas.org/faq): Plain-language answers on closed testing, member management, patronage dividends, shared hosting, board elections, buying clubs, and Spanish support.
- [Request Early Access](https://parmenas.org/early-access#signup): Request early access for your food co-op or buying club during closed testing.
- [Privacy Policy](https://parmenas.org/privacy): How early-access requests are handled without third-party advertising trackers.
- [Full LLM Reference](https://parmenas.org/llms-full.txt): Detailed product overview, role capabilities, and full FAQ for AI assistants.

## Films

- [Parmenas Trailer](https://youtu.be/vYZhcg0bGSM): A concise look at the seven areas of cooperative work in Parmenas.
- [Parmenas Vision Film](https://youtu.be/HATUDc7rYeQ): The story of Main Street grocery co-ops and why good intentions need good structure.