Why choose Desjardins?
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Your voice counts
Every Desjardins caisse is a financial services cooperative, and as a member, you can make a difference. Whether it's voting on the distribution of surplus earnings or electing new board members, you can make your voice heard.
1 member, 1 vote
All caisses hold their Annual General Meetings in the spring and invite their members to participate. As of the age of 18, members can attend their caisse's Annual General Meeting and voice their opinion by exercising their right to vote.
Take this opportunity to give your opinion on how your caisse will spend the budgetary surplus. Your vote could have a direct impact on the youth oriented projects sponsored by your caisse in your community. To find out when your caisse will be holding its next Annual General Meeting, click Where to find us to visit its website.
You may, under certain conditions, receive member dividends
A financial services cooperative does not make huge profits like traditional financial institutions do because it may decide to return a portion of their surplus earnings to its members. During the Annual General Meeting, the members decide how the surplus earnings will be distributed. For example:
- into the member accounts, which is known as member dividends
- into the community to sponsor collective projects, for instance, employment-generating projects, young business start-ups, among others
You can become a director
All adult members can become a director of their caisse. To do so, they have to submit their candidacy and be elected by the other members during the annual meeting.
You may also take part in the Board Succession program offered in several caisses and complete an internship as a director: a fulfilling learning experience.
Becoming a caisse director is a concrete way of contributing to your community's socio-economic development while learning more about cooperatives and the financial world.
Caisses are open to everyone
- Caisses welcome everyone, without discrimination, regardless of their financial situation.
- Caisses focus on meeting their members' needs and not on generating profits for a select few shareholders.
Members are collective owners of their caisse
- Members have the right to participate in the Annual General Meeting and to elect caisse directors.
- It's a special privilege only offered by cooperative financial institutions.
Each member has 1 vote
- Each caisse member has the right to vote, regardless of their holdings or their financial needs (1 member = 1 vote).
- Members are responsible for electing the people they think will best manage their caisse.
Elected directors represent caisse members
- Members can apply to become part of their caisse's team of elected directors.
- If elected, they can:
- sit on the Board of Directors or on various committees
- be called upon to represent their caisse or region at other levels of Desjardins Group
- 4,571 elected directors see to the management and development of Desjardins caisses.
- Learn more about being a caisse director.
Dividends go to members1
- At Desjardins, all members may receive part of the profits of their caisse, depending on its annual results. We call these shared profits "member dividends".
- member dividends are paid out to members in proportion to their use of the caisse's financial services.
- Caisses also give part of their surplus earnings to support their local community. We call this "community dividends".
Profits go to financially support individuals and the community
- Every company has to turn a profit to stay in business. That's why Desjardins needs to follow market prices and conditions.
- Each caisse must maintain a solid financial performance to make sure it can grow and continue to:
- provide financial help to individuals and small businesses that don't have access to traditional financing
- contribute financially to the socio-economic development of the community
Desjardins helps its members become money smart
Desjardins Group wants to help its members, and the community as a whole, take control of their finances and their quality of life. That's why we encourage cooperative, economic and financial education.
Caisses financially support the community
- Desjardins caisses have been financially supporting the community for over 100 years, through community development funds, subsidies, sponsorships and donations.
- Here are some examples of our commitment:
- Providing financial products for people who don't have access to traditional financing
- Building homes for seniors or young people
- Partnering with various community development organizations
- Running the CRÉAVENIR program, which provides training and financial help to young people who want to start a business
Desjardins believes environmental protection and sustainable development are crucial
- In 2005, Desjardins Group adopted a sustainable development policy that led to new environmental measures and programs for all its subsidiaries and several environmental projects.
- Here are some examples of our commitment:
- Investment products that are friendly to the environment and to communities
- The Sustainable Home Program for people buying new constructions and making green renovations
- Car insurance discounts for owners of hybrid or electric vehicles
To learn more, see Social responsibility and cooperation.
Desjardins is one of the pioneers of microfinance
Développement international Desjardins (DID), a component of Desjardins Group, has been working for 50 years to help provide disadvantaged communities around the world with access to financial services.
This longstanding commitment is concrete proof that Desjardins wants to make the world a fairer and more prosperous place for everyone.
Learn more about Développement international Desjardins.
- In accordance with provincial legislation, certain conditions regarding member dividends may differ in Ontario.
We use the strength of cooperation to provide our members with a wide range of financial services, and to contribute to the economic and social development of their communities.
| The Desjardins caisse | A publicly-traded financial institution |
|---|---|
| Is a financial services cooperative that belongs to its members. | Is a private establishment, profiting shareholders. |
| Works for the economic and social betterment of its members and the economic development of the community. | Works to enrich shareholders |
| Is owned by all its members, and is managed locally by elected directors and members. | Is owned by a select group of shareholders. Centralized management. |
| Seeks to offer the best possible services to members. | Seeks to provide the best possible returns for shareholders. |
| Invites members to participate in their caisse's Annual General Meeting and run for the position of elected director. 1 member = 1 vote | Invites shareholders to attend the Annual General Meeting. 1 share = 1 vote |
| Gives back a portion of its surplus earnings to its members and community through individual member dividends. | Gives a portion of its profits to a group of shareholders through dividends. |
To find out more, read 10 reasons to choose Desjardins.
To open an account in a Desjardins caisse is to become a member of a savings and credit cooperative. Contrary to clients of a traditional financial institution, the members of a caisse are its owners and have voting rights at the Annual General Meeting.
Individuals
Open a personal account.
Businesses
Open a business account.