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People Helping People is at the center of everything we do collectively in the credit union movement. This shared mission to improve the lives of our neighbors and make Maine a great place to live and work is displayed all year long in the ways credit unions continuously care for those around them.
To help us honor the many ways in which your credit union is improving the financial lives of your members through community service and financial education, the League encourages you to apply online for a Dora Maxwell, Louise Herring, or Desjardins Award. Award winners from each of these categories will be acknowledged at the League’s Annual Convention in May.
The application portal is open now through Friday, March 25, 2022 at 11:59 pm. The state winners will be automatically entered to compete in CUNA’s national competition later this year.
Awards programs like these are a fantastic opportunity to showcase some of the efforts you are most proud of. We hope you will apply for the chance to have your credit union’s meaningful and thoughtful work within your community recognized.
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.