Vancity releases business plan focused
on real economy and building
healthy communities

March 18, 2014, Vancouver, B.C. - Vancity has released its , titled Accelerating Impact, which demonstrates how the credit union will put its members’ assets to work to build the healthy communities they want.

Transparency, along with accountability and diversity, are important components of a financial sector that is designed to serve the needs of people.

Vancity’s definition of wealth is one that includes the financial, social and environmental well-being of its members and their communities. The credit union takes a long-term view of what is happening in the economy by looking beyond the financial markets to the production of goods and services that impact people’s daily lives. This is the real economy and the context within which Vancity is building healthy communities while building its members’ financial well-being.

“As a financial co-operative, it is important that our member-owners can see how their credit union will put their assets to work in ways that strengthen society, the environment and the economy,” says Tamara Vrooman, Vancity’s president and CEO. “We know that people want to be part of an organization with values that align with their own; transparency enables them to make that decision.”

Vancity wants to ensure it is putting its members’ assets to their highest and best use for the long-term well-being of its members and their communities. Embedded throughout the plan are Vancity’s guiding principles for building healthy communities: co-operative practices flourishing, environmental sustainability, and social justice and financial inclusion. This is about the credit union’s desire to put its whole balance sheet in service of helping members and communities thrive and prosper.

About Vancity

Vancity is a values-based financial co-operative serving the needs of its 501,359 member-owners and their communities through 57 branches in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Victoria and Squamish. As Canada’s largest community credit union, Vancity uses its $17.5 billion in assets to help improve the financial well-being of its members while helping to promote healthy, sustainable communities. Member deposits enable the credit union to loan to other members, businesses and organizations that are creating positive economic, social and environmental impact in their communities. In addition, since 1994, Vancity has given more than $257.1 million to members through dividends and to communities through grants and community investment initiatives. Vancity is a Living Wage employer and a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values, a network of the world’s leading sustainable banks sharing a commitment to achieving triple-bottom-line impact through responsible banking practices.

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For more information:

T: 778-837-0394
mediarelations@vancity.com