Do existing lending products of credit unions meet the financing needs of co-operatives – The case of Libro Credit Union and Ontario’s Co-operative Sector

Credit unions and co-operatives share a common identity and foundational values as organizations that meet the economic, social, and cultural needs of their member-owners. A perennial concern for the credit union and co-operative sectors has been the need to identify opportunities for collaboration to advance the prominence of member-owned models. This research surveys and interviews co-operatives in Southwestern Ontario to understand their financing needs, and to identify why existing financial products do not meet these needs. The researchers will facilitate a focus group with Libro Credit Union staff to reflect on the survey and interview findings with the goal of identifying opportunities for new lending products that meet the needs of both credit unions and co-operat

Faculty Supervisor:

Sean Geobey

Student:

Sean Campbell

Partner:

Libro Credit Union

Discipline:

Environmental sciences

Sector:

University:

University of Waterloo

Program: