2010 Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award
CREDIT UNION and CHAPTER (Group)
Recognition Program FAQs

Purpose

To formally recognize the leadership of individual credit unions and chapters (or groups of credit unions) on behalf of youth financial education.

Categories

Judges will evaluate state-level credit union winners from each of the following five categories (assets as of 12/31/09):

  • Chapters or credit union groups
    (all asset sizes)


  • Credit unions with less than $50 million in assets
  • Credit unions with between $50 million and $150 million in assets
  • Credit unions with between $150 million and $500 million in assets
  • Credit unions with more than $500 million in assets

Procedure

Credit unions and chapters will submit their completed Entry Forms, Checklists, and evidentiary materials in a three-ring binder or spiral bound notebook for state-level judging to their leagues by the date each league specifies. Check with your league for its state-level judging deadline.

Be sure to consult "Secrets of a Winning Credit Union Entry" before compiling your submission.

2010 Program Timetable

JANUARY 2010: CUNA announces 2010 recognition program, loads entry information on CUNA's web site.

JANUARY 2010 through AUGUST 2010: CUNA and leagues make award information available online.

AUGUST 27, 2010: State-winning chapter and credit union entries due to CUNA from leagues.

OCTOBER 2010: National judging.

OCTOBER 2010: CUNA announces national winners.

NOVEMBER 2010: CUNA returns nonwinning entries to leagues.

FEBRUARY 2011: CUNA displays winning national entries at the Governmental Affairs Conference and presents national awards at a private reception there.

MARCH 2011: CUNA returns winning entries to leagues.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Credit Union/Chapter Desjardins Awards

Q: Who was Alphonse Desjardins?
A: Alphonse Desjardins (1854 – 1920) was a credit union pioneer who was instrumental in forming the Canadian and U.S. credit union movements. Besides helping to found the first credit unions in Canada and the U.S., Desjardins pioneered youth savings clubs and in-school "banks," known as caisses scolaires.

Q: What period do the award entries cover?
A: Judges will evaluate relevant activities that took place between June 2009 and the (league-determined) state-level deadline.

Q: What activities are eligible?
A: Credit unions and chapters could receive an award for involvement in almost any kind of activity that raises awareness and marshals resources on behalf of youth financial literacy. This might include public relations, teacher and classroom volunteer training, advocacy, and coalition building.

Q: Are efforts in support of the NEFE High School Financial Planning Program® eligible?
A: Yes.

Q: Is involvement in the NEFE High School Financial Planning Program required to enter the Desjardins Award program?
A: No.

Q: How does Desjardins scoring work?
A: Each league may use the scoring system described below or develop its own system for state-level judging.

There are five national judging criteria.

All national entries will be judged on their responses to mandatory Criteria 1, 2, and 3.

Criteria 4 and 5 are OPTIONAL because not all credit unions operate in-school branches nor do legislative and/or regulatory youth financial literacy initiatives take place on an annual basis in every state. (See the Credit Union Entry Form and the Chapter Entry Form for descriptions of all criteria.)

Therefore, based on the applicable criteria, judges will compare entries as follows:
Criteria 1, 2, and 3 ONLY: Raw score as a percentage of 60 maximum points. At least 48 points (80% of maximum) required to win or receive honorable mention.

Criteria 1, 2, 3, and 4 OR 5 (four total criteria): Raw score as a percentage of 80 maximum points. At least 64 points (80% of maximum) required to win or receive honorable mention.

Criteria 1, 2, 3, 4, AND 5 (five total criteria): Raw score as a percentage of 100 maximum points. At least 80 points (80% of maximum) required to win or receive honorable mention.

The National Desjardins Award in any given category will go to the entry that receives the highest score above 80%, depending on the number of criteria judged. For example, in a single category:
Finalist A receives 49 of 60 points (81.6% of maximum for three criteria)

Finalist B receives 67 of 80 pts. (83.8% of maximum for four criteria)

Finalist C receives 82 of 100 pts. (82% of maximum for five criteria)

With the highest percentage score, B wins the award.
Q: What determines whether an entry will be judged on four criteria or five?
A: All entries will be evaluated on the first three criteria described on the entry form. Each credit union or chapter will decide for itself whether to enter evidence pertaining to OPTIONAL Criterion 4 and/or OPTIONAL Criterion 5, as appropriate. See the scoring example above for further explanation.

Q: How does a league determine state-level Desjardins winners?
A: Each league may use the scoring system described above or develop its own system for state-level judging. Consult your league for details.

Winners are ranked using a point system, and the first place winners are selected to advance to CUNA for national level competition. (Reminder: Only one first-place chapter winner and only one first-place credit union winner per asset category can advance to the national competition from any given state.

If there are multiple first-place awards in a given category at the state level, the league must apply a tie-breaker, so that only a single entry advances for that chapter or credit union asset category.

Q: How many credit union and chapter entries may a league submit for national Desjardins Award judging?
A: Each league is limited to entering one credit union entry in each asset category and one chapter entry for national judging. With one chapter category and four credit union asset categories, that means there could be a maximum of five state-level winners advancing to national competition per state.

(See the credit union asset categories above.)

Q: What is the judging fee for national credit union and chapter entries?
A: There is a $60 fee for each credit union and chapter entry submitted to CUNA for national Desjardins Award judging.

Q: What is the judging fee for state-level credit union and chapter entries?
A: Each league will determine the entry fee, if any, for state-level competition. Consult your league for details.

Q: How many Desjardins Award winners will there be?
A: State-level judges will determine no more than one first-place winner in each asset category and one chapter winner per state. State-level judges are not required to select a first-place winner in any category. State-level judges may recognize as many honorable mention awards in any category as they see fit.

National judges will determine no more than one first-place winner in each asset category and one chapter winner per state. National judges are not required to select a first-place winner in any category. National judges may recognize up to three honorable mention awards in any category as they see fit.

Q: What are the procedures for credit unions and chapters that wish to submit entries in the Desjardins Award program?
A: See the Credit Union Entry Form and Credit Union Checklist. See also the Chapter (Group) Entry Form and Chapter (Group) Checklist.
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