Our shared purpose and values make us who we are.

Who We Are

As a financial cooperative, who we are has remained steadfast since 1964, with variations of how we’ve expressed ourselves throughout the years. As our marketplace has changed, we have adapted and we continue to adapt, with our foundation remaining strong.

Our shared purpose and values as well as our heritage make us who we are. These shape what we do and how we go about doing that together – through mutual aid, economic justice, and selfless service in our day-to-day financial lives.

Our Shared Purpose

We exist to provide cooperative banking that connects values and faith with finances, inspiring peaceful, just, and prosperous communities.

As we partner with members who want to align their financial choices with the purpose and values we share, together we cultivate the ground for thriving communities.

Our Shared Values

Our shared values – integrity, compassion, stewardship – are woven into everything we do. From how we treat each other as teammates, members, and in community, to how we approach our personal and business finances, these values motivate us. Financial decisions are not values-neutral. They can impact the world in amazing, positive ways, and money can be a force for good.

More than simple honesty
Integrity is more than simply being honest. True integrity means we strive to align our words and actions with our values at all times. We hold ourselves accountable to keep promises and follow through on commitments. When a mistake happens, we make it right. We strive to do the right thing in the right way for the right reasons.

Caring for each other
Compassion guides how we relate to each other and our communities, when it’s easy and when it’s not. We start with empathy, grace, and a deep appreciation for the equal value of each person, while also encouraging each other’s growth. Our mutual wellbeing depends on caring for one another in community where everyone is welcome.

Entrusted with so much
Stewardship acknowledges that all we have has been entrusted to us and we are called to be wise with the money, time, and other resources in our care. We will be a trustworthy expert our members can rely on to do what’s in their best interest and that of our credit union.

Our shared values are intentional, authentic, and the key to what makes us a values-centred financial institution.

Our Roots

We are rooted in our founders’ radical vision to see mutual aid put into faithful practice – individuals or groups bearing one another’s burdens, helping each other out in times of need and in times of plenty. Simply put, it means supporting each other in community to achieve mutual wellbeing.

It all began on March 21, 1964 when twenty-two Waterloo County Mennonites got together and deposited $22 in a cash box with the idea of creating a credit union to serve members of their faith community. This group of Mennonites was actively looking for ways to take the lessons they learned on Sundays – about following Jesus’ example of love, compassion, grace, community, sacrifice, and non-violence – and live them out during the rest of the week – applying their Anabaptist values to the practical ways they carried out business in the broader society.

Our founders purposefully chose the credit union model, a financial cooperative, to provide financial services that brought together those who could serve and those who were underserved. A cooperative is a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise that supports the common economic, social, and cultural needs of its members. We’re a business driven by our shared values that acts to build a better world through cooperation with other likeminded individuals and businesses.

Cooperative Principles
As a credit union, we share the seven cooperative principles that have been in practice for more than one hundred years:

1. Voluntary and Open Membership
2. Democratic Member Control
3. Member Economic Participation
4. Autonomy and Independence
5. Education, Training, and Information
6. Cooperation Among Cooperatives
7. Concern for Community

These beginnings continue to uniquely shape how we operate today as we live out our commitment to mutual aid through the products we offer, the services we provide, and the partners we engage with. We welcome all Ontarians who share our values and purpose to join us in working to impact the world in amazing ways.

By the Numbers

Leadership and Governance

Kindred’s leadership consists of three groups: the Board of Directors, a Senior Leadership Team, and the Council of Members. These teams work closely together to ensure the continuing success and sound governance of the credit union. The Board of Directors establishes Kindred’s strategic direction, monitors the overall strength and financial performance of the organization, as well as the satisfaction of members, and ensures that Kindred continues to be an engaging employer. Representing the best interests of the members, the Board works closely with the Senior Leadership Team and holds the organization accountable for its success. Guided by Kindred’s purpose, the Board applies prudent financial practices and business standards to fulfill its responsibilities to members.

The Council of Members is a committee of a minimum of eight member volunteers with representation from various Kindred branches. Each year the Council seeks volunteers for governance roles on the Board of Directors and ensures the Council of Members has a full complement. This approach to discerning qualified candidates has resulted in diverse and competent boards for Kindred, who have served the membership well and been excellent guardians of our values.

Meet the Executive Leadership Team