# Finances {% embed url="" %} This video is not an official translation but a summary for board members while we develop formal translations. {% endembed %} What the bylaws say: > ...any profits of the Co-operative shall be used for the following reasons and apportioned as agreed by Members at the annual general meeting: > > (a) To a general reserve for the continuation and development of the Co-operative; > > (b) To paying dividends to Members > > (c) To making payment for social, co-operative or community purposes within the community served by the Co-operative. The board has to decide before every annual general meeting, what any profits could be spent on. The bylaws say funds should be put into reserves (to make sure the co-op can survive in an emergency) or put into social, co-op or community purposes first before any profits are paid to members. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://organisation.signalise.coop/rules-bylaws/finances.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.