Louise Herring Award for Philosophy in Action
About the Louise Herring Award
The award 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 that benefit membership. Our philosophy and the way we put it into practice is the heart of the credit union difference.
Credit unions compete with others in their asset category for the Louise Herring Award. State level winners are recognized annually during the Chairman's Awards Banquet at Convention. First-place winners are forwarded to CUNA for the national competition. An overview of CUNA's Louise Herring Award can be found here.
Eligible Activities
Credit unions could receive the award for programs or policies that demonstrate their commitment to the practical application of the "People-Helping-People" philosophy. Examples Include:
- Provisions for the small saver or borrower
- Member programs for groups that are often economically challenged
- Internal programs or services that help to differentiate the credit union from other financial services' providers
- Programs that do an extraordinary job of encouraging thrift and provide a source of unbiased money management and consumer information, which would be difficult or impossible to obtain elsewhere.
- Evidence of an exceptional degree of service to members
Click here for the entry form.
Who was Louise Herring?
1909-1987
Louise Herring was the embodiment of credit union philosophy. Dubbed "the Mother of Credit Unions" by the Ohio General Assembly, Louise was involved in starting nearly five hundred credit unions.
Louise maintained a philosophical ideal she was unwilling to compromise. She was an outspoken advocate for women, minorities, the poor and near-poor.
She strongly believed that the role of the credit union was to provide a means to achieve economic justice for all. At the time of her death, she was enthusiastically involved in the Over the Rhine project, a Greater Cincinnati effort to provide opportunities, including low-cost financial services, to a severely depressed area.