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The League is extending the application deadline for the state Dora Maxwell, Louise Herring, and Desjardins Awards. Now that your credit union has some additional time to get your entries in, we hope you will help us recognize your outstanding efforts to strengthen the communities you serve and improve the financial lives of your members.
Application must be received by 5:00 pm on Wednesday, March 30. There is no entry fee to apply for an award. To complete your online application or begin a new submission, please visit our awards website.
As a reminder, awards are given for activities completed between March 1, 2021 and March 1, 2022. A credit union may submit one entry for each of the award categories, but each entry must be unique. Award winners will be announced at the League’s Annual Convention in May.
If you have questions about the awards or need assistance using the online portal, please email Jen Burke at jburke@mainecul.org.
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.