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Desjardins, Maxwell & Herring Awards
Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
Seven Tips for Award Success
(1) New entries are encouraged. Whether it’s your first time or tenth time entering, your credit union has an equal opportunity to win. Entering the competition is easy and free. MCUA can help you get started. Simply contact Amy McLard for more information.
(2) Make sure you’re entering the correct competition. Awards submitted in the incorrect category will be returned. The Dora Maxwell Award is for external activities in the community. The Louise Herring Award is for programs and services offered to members. The Desjardins Award covers all activities supporting the personal finance education of people age 18 and younger. Each program emphasizes different criteria, so credit unions should not enter the same project in more than one award program. If you aren't sure, contact Amy McLard for input on which category is most appropriate for your entry.
(3) Accentuate the uniqueness. The judges are looking for projects that set your credit union apart from the rest. Fundraising and supporting national charities are certainly worthy endeavors, but are often difficult to distinguish from other credit unions’ activities. If your credit union has submitted a similar project in past years, perhaps try something new.
(4) Follow the instructions carefully. Complete the entry forms based on those instructions and make sure to answer the questions concisely, yet thoroughly. Include all the required entry forms and documentation. Remember that Dora Maxwell and Louise Herring entries will be judged solely on the one project you select. Information on additional projects can be included in the entry, but will not factor into the judging. Only activities that took place between May 1, 2007 and May 31, 2008 are eligible to include for the 2008 competition.
(5) Put yourself in the judges' shoes. Your entry will be judged by credit union professionals from other states who have no previous knowledge about your credit union and its activities. Make sure your entry materials clearly describe the project, including who was responsible for the program and who benefited from it. Make sure to answer all questions on the entry forms clearly and completely. Avoid handwritten entries and use standard fonts in a readable size. Make sure your entry is neat, organized and compiled in a three-ring binder or spiral-bound notebook.
(6) Aim for substance, not volume. Bigger is not necessarily better. Keep your entry to a manageable size including valid activities only, not ones completed prior to the entry timeframe (May 1, 2007 – May 31, 2008). Supplemental materials are great, but can make it more difficult for the judges to locate the essential details of your entry. Make sure all supplemental materials you provide relate directly to the one project your entry highlights.
(7) Be aware of recent changes. There are several changes to the 2008 credit union award entry procedures:
- The Dora Maxwell Chapter category has been expanded to include multiple credit union or group projects.
- Desjardins Award entries will be judged on the following three mandatory and two optional criteria:
Mandatory Criteria: • Awareness & Teacher Training • Youth Instruction • Collaboration
Optional Criteria: • In-School Branch Programs • Legislative & Regulatory Advocacy
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who was Dora Maxwell?
A: Dora Maxwell was an early credit union pioneer. One of the original signers of CUNA's constitution at Estes Park, Colorado, she worked as an organizer for the movement's trade association (then called the Credit Union National Extension Bureau) and held numerous volunteer positions at the local and national level. In addition to organizing hundreds of credit unions, she developed volunteer organizer clubs and worked with organizations on behalf of the poor.
Q: Who was Louise Herring?
A: Louise Herring was an active supporter, organizer and champion of credit unions. She was the Ohio delegate to the 1934 national credit union conference in Estes Park, Colorado, where she signed the original constitution for a national credit union association. Louise Herring believed that credit unions should work in a practical manner to better people's lives. She saw the credit union as more than just a financial institution. In her own words, "The purpose of the credit union is to reform the financial system, so that everyone can have his place in the sun."
Q: Who was Alphonse Desjardins?
A: Alphonse Desjardins worked with credit cooperatives in Canada for many years before founding the first credit union in the United States in 1909. He also established youth savings clubs and in-school “banks,” known as caisses scolaires. Because of Desjardins’ involvement with young people, this award is given for youth financial education activities.
Q: What's the difference between the Louise Herring Award and the Dora Maxwell Award?
A: The Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Recognition Award is given to a credit union or chapter for its social responsibility projects within the community. The award is given for external activities. The Louise Herring Award for Philosophy in Action is given to a credit union for its practical application of credit union philosophy within the actual operation of the credit union. It is awarded for internal programs and services.
Q: Can a credit union or chapter enter both competitions?
A: Yes. Just be sure to clearly define which program the credit union or chapter is entering and how the activities submitted meet the program guidelines.
Q: Can a credit union enter the same entry in both competitions?
A: No. Because each program has different objectives and requirements, entries should be tailored to match the defined goals of the particular competition.
Q: Can a credit union submit the same entry to more than one league for state-level judging?
A: No. A credit union’s entry may only be submitted to one league, even if the credit union pays dues in more than one state.
Q. Can a credit union submit more than one entry in either competition?
A. A credit union should submit only one entry per competition. Each entry can list the number of projects conducted in the timeframe established by the league, but the credit union must select one project that best exemplifies the criteria for each award. The questions on the entry form must be completed detailing the one project that was selected.
Q: Can members of a chapter submit their credit union's activities that were conducted as part of a chapter?
A: No. Chapter's entries are judged based on their collective activities, i.e., what was accomplished as a group, not on individual efforts.
Q: Can chapters enter the Louise Herring Award for Philosophy in Action competition?
A: No. The Louise Herring Award for Philosophy in Action criteria is based on individual credit union performance.
Q: Why must a credit union supply financial information with its entry in the Louise Herring Award for Philosophy in Action?
A: A credit union must be in solid financial condition in order to provide the highest level of service to its members. Sound financial management ensures a credit union's ability to continue to provide that service, as well. Therefore, the entry must include current and previous year’s (2 years total) balance sheets and income statements and/or NCUA’s Financial Performance Report (FPR). Entries received without the financial information will be disqualified.
For more information, contact Amy McLard at amclard@mcua.org, (314) 542-1370, or (800) 392-3074, ext. 1370.
