A history inspired by a very humanistic and universal vision
Driven by his ideal of social justice and solidarity, and inspired by his extensive research on European savings and loan cooperatives, Alphonse Desjardins founded the first caisse in Lévis, Québec, on December 6, 1900. He was hoping not only to improve access to credit for all social classes as one way to fight poverty, but also to provide his fellow citizens with a financial institution that would belong to them, and that they themselves would control. That first caisse inspired the winds of social change that would soon sweep across North America and became a model for other financial cooperatives world-wide. Today, Desjardins Group stands as Canada's largest integrated financial cooperative group.
Desjardins today*
5.8 million member-owners
400,000 business members
40,000 employees
7,020 elected officers
1,471 points of service in Québec and Ontario, including 549 caisses and 922 service centres
53 business centres in Québec and 3 in Ontario
32 Desjardins Credit Union branches in Ontario
Some 20 subsidiaries, many of which are active across the country
Three Desjardins Bank branches in Florida
A state-of-the-art virtual network
Assets of $135.1 billion
Total revenues of $9.4 billion
Surpluses of $988 million
$483 million in patronage dividends
$64 million in sponsorships, donations and scholarships
