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This study examines the strategic role of Koperasi Desa Merah Putih (Red and White Village Cooperative) in accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Indonesia, using qualitative document analysis as the primary method. Key institutional documents—namely the Articles of Association/Bylaws (AD/ART) and the Village Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMDes)—were analyzed to identify cooperative values, integration into local development planning, and contributions to specific SDG indicators. Findings reveal that the cooperative’s core principles—voluntary membership, inclusivity, democratic governance, and equitable profit sharing—align strongly with SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). The RPJMDes analysis indicates formal recognition of the cooperative as a driver of economic empowerment, gender equity, and sustainable community development, with potential scalability to other villages and rural areas in Indonesia. Further analysis demonstrates how the cooperative actively promotes women’s participation in leadership roles, supports income-generating activities for marginalized groups, and encourages the localization of economic value chains. These practices foster not only economic inclusion but also enhance community resilience and social cohesion. However, several challenges were identified. These include inconsistent documentation quality, lack of standardized performance metrics, and limited results-based evaluation frameworks that hinder a thorough impact assessment. Additionally, there remains a gap in digitalization, which affects data transparency and accessibility. The study’s novelty lies in its document-based approach, offering a replicable model for assessing SDG readiness in similar rural institutions. Unlike interview-based studies, this method reduces subjective bias and highlights the importance of formal governance structures.

Village development is an important pillar in national development, where community participation is a key factor in achieving success. The Village Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMDes) serves as a strategic document that guides development policies and programs at the village level, with community involvement crucial to ensure that their needs and expectations are met. This study identified three important aspects of community participation: as a tool to obtain information, to increase trust in development programs, and as a democratic right. Despite challenges in involving the community, such as a lack of understanding of planning mechanisms and time constraints, the hope for increasing participation remains. Qualitative research methods were used to explore the most effective methods in increasing community involvement. The results showed that active community participation in the preparation of the RPJMDes in Tembung Village can increase transparency, accountability, and relevance of development programs, thus creating inclusive and sustainable development. Cooperation between residents and the village government is the key to achieving optimal development results that are felt by all levels of society.