User:ReVeluv02/sandbox/Kindred Credit Union

Kindred Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative based in Ontario, Canada. Headquartered in Kitchener, the cooperative operates eight branches across Southern Ontario and is the province's 12th largest credit union.

History and structure
Kindred Credit Union was founded on April 21, 1964 by local Mennonite communities to provide faith-inspired options to financial services.

Originally called the Waterloo County Mennonite Credit Union, it had two name changes prior to being renamed Kindred Credit Union in 2016. The name change was done to appeal to a broader range of prospective clients. The credit union had already previously extended its membership eligibility beyond Mennonites, Amish, and Be in Christ church members in 2010.

Brent Zorgdrager was the CEO from 2010 until his retirement in 2018, when he was replaced by incumbent CEO Ian Thomas.

The cooperative is a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values. Since December 2016, they are Certified B Corporation. Kindred also is a Certified Living Wage Employer, part of the Ontario Living Wage Network.

The credit union has over 200 staff who provide services to nearly 24,000 member-owners through its head office and eight service branches across southwestern Ontario.

Kindred's governance and leadership consists of the board of directors, a senior leadership team, and the council of members.

Services and investments
Kindred Credit Union is a provider of financial services and offers personal and business accounts, automated fund transfer, overdraft protection, mobile and ATM banking, business borrowing, residential mortgages, and other services.

As a credit union, they have invested $1.2 million back into local communities, through their Crisis Care GIC, Church Builder GIC, Profit Shares, and Charitable Fund. Their total assets grew to $2.12 billion as of December 31, 2021.

As a "faith-inspired" financial cooperative, the credit union strictly limits investments in alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, gambling, military and weapons, as well as other areas that have negative impacts on human rights, employees, and animal welfare. Focusing on socially responsible investments is a key component of their financial strategy in combining mutual aid put into faithful practice.

Partnerships
Kindred Credit Union partners with organizations, faith communities, credit unions, local businesses, and others to connect people, networks, financial resources, physical spaces, and products and services to make significant impact on important themes, found in their Community Inspiration Framework.

A main partner for the credit union is the Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement at Conrad Grebel University College (part of the University of Waterloo). The Centre officially opened in 2014 with the aim of recognizing the value of collaborative, interdisciplinary, and multisector approaches to the advancement of peace. Kindred's contribution creates a space for young leaders with skills to tackle a problem they're passionate about in the community with the Peace Innovators Scholarship & Mentoring Program.

The credit union has also historically contributed (and continues to contribute) in a variety of ways to the Coalition of Muslim Women in Kitchener-Waterloo, Parkwood Seniors Community, MennoHomes, and others.

Awards
As a Certified B Corporation, Kindred Credit Union has been on the "Best For The World" annual list since 2017, ranking within the top 5% in their corresponding size group of all B Corporation members. For the past three years, they have consistently ranked Best For the World: Customers, including 2022.

The credit union was also a Platinum Winner for Aon's Canada's Best Employers in 2019, scoring among the top 25% of all companies surveyed.