Social Responsibility Awards

We have a shared mission to make Maine a great place to live and work for all. To help our League recognize how credit unions are improving the financial lives of their members through community service and financial literacy efforts, we are pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 State Dora Maxwell, Louise Herring, and Desjardins Awards. These winners were selected in their distinct asset size, and all first place honorees will automatically be entered to compete in CUNA’s national competition later this year.

Desjardins Adult Financial Education Awards: $50 – $250 million in assets

  • 1st Place – Community Credit Union

Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award: $50 – $250 million in assets

  • 1st Place – Community Credit Union
  • 2nd Place – New Dimensions FCU

Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award: $250 million – $1 billion in assets

  • 1st Place – Oxford FCU

Louise Herring Award: $50 – $250 million in assets

  • 1st Place – Community Credit Union

Dora Maxwell Award: $50 – $250 million in assets

  • 1st Place – Community Credit Union

Dora Maxwell Award: $250 million – $1 billion in assets

  • 1st Place – Midcoast FCU

2023 Award Category Descriptions

The Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award is given to a credit union or chapter for its social responsibility projects within the community. The award is given for external activities. Credit unions could receive the award for involvement in almost any kind of activity that helps other people or strengthens the structure of a community. This may include fundraising for charity, educational activities, or community involvement projects, such as participating in a volunteer fair, building low-income housing, or loaning employees a few hours a week to work in hospitals, retirement homes, and schools.

The Desjardins Award recognizes leadership within the credit union movement on behalf of financial literacy for all ages. Naming the award after Alphonse Desjardins emphasizes the movement’s longtime commitment to youth. Besides founding the first credit unions in Canada and the U.S., Desjardins pioneered youth savings clubs and in-school “banks,” known as caisses scolaires. The recognition program considers all activities supporting the personal finance education of members and non-members including, but not limited to, face-to-face teaching using proprietary materials and curricula, (such as the NEFE High School Financial Planning Program®), as well as financial literacy leadership efforts.

The Louise Herring Philosophy-in-Action Member Service Award is given to a credit union for its practical application of the People Helping People philosophy in their programs and policies or within their actual operations. It is awarded for internal programs and services that benefit membership.