Youth Initiatives

Desjardins Financial Education Award for League

Desjardins Financial Education Award for League
2011 Program FAQs

Purpose

To formally recognize league leadership on behalf of youth and adult financial education.

Categories

Judges will evaluate league winners from each of the following size categories as of 12/31/10:

  • 75 or fewer affiliated credit unions
  • 76 to 150 affiliated credit unions
  • 151 or more affiliated credit unions

Procedure

Leagues will submit their completed entry forms, checklists, and evidentiary materials in three-ring binders or spiral bound notebooks to CUNA by SEPTEMBER 2, 2011.

Be sure to consult "Secrets of a Winning League Entry" before compiling your submission. Follow the format requirements on the League Entry Form.

2011 Program Timetable

FEBRUARY 2011: CUNA announces 2011 recognition program, loads entry information on CUNA's website.

JANUARY 2011 through AUGUST 2011: CUNA and leagues make award information available online.

SEPTEMBER 2, 2011: League and state-level winning entries due to CUNA from leagues.

OCTOBER 2011: National judging.

OCTOBER 2011: CUNA announces national winners.

NOVEMBER 2011: CUNA returns nonwinning entries to leagues.

FEBRUARY 2012: CUNA displays winning national entries at the Governmental Affairs Conference and presents national awards at a private reception there.

MARCH 2012: CUNA returns winning entries to leagues.

Frequently Asked Questions about the League Desjardins Awards

Q: What league financial education activities are eligible?
A:The Desjardins Financial Education Award for Leagues recognizes model league efforts to improve financial literacy for youth and adults. Examples:
  • Support for financial education in the workplace
  • Support for teacher training
  • Support for the NEFE® High School Financial Planning Program®
  • Support for youth and adult financial literacy research
  • Collection of data on credit unions' financial literacy efforts within the state
  • Advocacy and lobbying for K-12 financial education requirements
  • Financial literacy coalition-building
  • And similar innovative activities...
Q: What period do the award entries cover?
A: Judges will primarily evaluate relevant activities that took place between June 2010 and June 2011.

Q: How does Desjardins scoring work?
A: There are three national judging criteria for the Desjardins Financial Education Award for Leagues. All national entries will be judged on their responses to mandatory Criteria 1, 2, and 3. (See the League Entry Form for descriptions of all criteria.)

Based on the three criteria, judges will compare raw scores as a percentage of 60 maximum points. At least 48 points (80% of maximum) are required to win or receive honorable mention.

The national Desjardins league award in any given category will go to the entry that receives the highest score above 80%. For example, in a single category:
Finalist A receives 49 of 60 pts. (81.6% of maximum)

Finalist B receives 50 of 60 pts. (83.3% of maximum)

Finalist C receives 45 of 60 pts. (75% of maximum)

With the highest percentage score, B wins the award. A receives an honorable mention.
Q: What is the judging fee for league entries?
A: There is NO fee for league entries in the Desjardins recognition program. (The fee for each state-winning entry the league sends to CUNA for national judging is $50.)

Q: What are the procedures for leagues that wish to submit entries in the Desjardins recognition program?
A: See the League Entry Form.

Q: What are the procedures for credit unions and chapters that wish to submit entries in the Desjardins recognition program?
A: See the credit union and chapter recognition program pages elsewhere on this site. Information about state-level judging of credit union and chapter entries is here.
Q: Why did CUNA add adult financial education to the Desjardins recognition program?
A: CUNA added adult financial education to the Desjardins recognition program in response to the growing awareness of the need for lifelong financial literacy and the credit union movement's leadership in that area. (See the credit union and chapter recognition program pages elsewhere on this site for an explanation of how this change affects their entries.)

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.
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