As a not-for-profit cooperative, The Alliance gives a share of its net proceeds back to our employer-members in the form of patronage checks – what we call our Cooperative Shareholder Benefit. The more money our clients save on healthcare costs, the greater our net profit — and patronage checks. The percentage of this Cooperative Shareholder Benefit a client earns is based on how much they use The Alliance network to purchase healthcare. The percentage given back at the end of the year is decided by the Board of Directors in the fall.