CUNA created the Desjardins Adult Financial Education Award in response to the growing awareness of the need for lifelong financial literacy and credit unions' leadership in that area.

The Desjardins Adult Financial Education Award recognizes model credit union efforts to teach personal finance concepts and skills to members and nonmembers age 18 and older. Examples:

• Group seminar or webinar
• Online Q&A with expert
• Instruction of underserved group
• Presentation series to SEG group
• Instruction at personal finance events
• One-on-one financial counseling or credit report review
• Regular personal finance segment in local media
• And similar innovative activities...

The Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award recognizes model credit union efforts to teach personal finance concepts and skills to members and nonmembers under age 18. Examples:

• Classroom presentation series
• Credit prerequisite course
• NEFE® High School Financial Planning Program® instruction for underserved group
• Online personal finance curriculum
• Live group budgeting simulation
• Special savers or borrowers club
• Peer-to-peer financial counseling
• And similar innovative activities...

This change was part of an overall strategy to more clearly define all of CUNA's recognition programs. Member service to youth through in-school branch operations is now eligible for recognition under the Louise Herring Philosophy-in-Action Member Service Award. (Credit unions' work with schools to teach personal finance in the classroom is still covered by the Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award program.)

Financial literacy advocacy is now eligible for recognition under the Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award.

Judges will primarily evaluate relevant activities that took place between June 2012 and June 2013.

TCUL does not charge an entry fee for the state-level competition.  There is a $50 fee for each credit union and chapter entry submitted to CUNA for national Desjardins Award judging; however, TCUL pays that fee for its first place winners.

TCUL's Awards & Recognition committee selects a subcomittee to review all entries.  Winners are ranked using a point system, and only 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.)

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.