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 your credit union is improving the financial lives of your members through community service and financial literacy efforts, we will be opening the application portal for our 2023 State Dora Maxwell, Louise Herring, and Desjardins Awards soon. The winners of these prestigious awards will be recognized at the League’s Annual Convention in May.

There is no entry fee and all state winners in each asset category will automatically be entered to compete in CUNA’s national competition later this year.

2023 Award Categories

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.