What Caisse d'Économie Solidaire Desjardins does

Caisse d'Économie Solidaire Desjardins is a Quebec-based cooperative financial institution and the specialized social-economy and responsible-investment arm of the Mouvement Desjardins, founded in 1970. It serves collective enterprises (cooperatives, NPOs, cultural organizations), community and social housing organizations, unions, and roughly 22,000 individual citizen members seeking values-aligned banking. The institution deploys member savings — totaling $1.6 billion in loans outstanding — primarily to Quebec's collective and social-housing sector, with 60% of 2024 enterprise lending directed to community housing and $631 million in new financing extended in 2025. Total assets stand at approximately $2.5 billion CAD.

The product portfolio spans standard Desjardins banking (chequing, credit, mortgages, REER, REEE) plus a differentiated set of social-finance instruments: the Garantie Solidaire (a partnership-based guarantee enabling financing for under-collateralized collectives), the collective ristourne (surpluses redirected to community projects rather than individual refunds), a participatory budget allowing members to vote on fund allocation, the socio-ecological transition fund, and the Bourse Laure-Waridel scholarship in partnership with Équiterre. Core technology infrastructure is provided by Desjardins via the AccèsD digital banking platform and a sector-routed Desjardins.com account-opening flow, while proprietary value sits in cooperative governance mechanisms and a board game, Le Responsable, that operationalizes financial-literacy education.

The business model is cooperative, member-owned, and mission-driven: revenue is generated through net interest income on the loan book and fees on Desjardins-routed financial products, while annual surpluses are distributed via individual ristourne (product- and volume-based) and a collectively voted ristourne ($2.1M granted to 203 community projects in 2024). Go-to-market combines physical service across six Quebec locations, dedicated enterprise relationship management (1-888-AFFAIRES line), community-led acquisition through social-movement networks, and referral routing from the broader Desjardins ecosystem.

Name

Caisse d'Économie Solidaire Desjardins

Legal name

Caisse d'économie solidaire Desjardins

Website

https://caissesolidaire.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Caisse d'Économie Solidaire Desjardins is a Quebec cooperative financial institution within Mouvement Desjardins that provides values-aligned banking, financing, and responsible-investment products to cooperatives, NPOs, social-housing organizations, unions, and engaged citizen members across Quebec.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooperative Banking (Social Economy & Responsible Investment)

NAICS

Credit Unions (522130), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Savings Institutions, Not Federally Chartered (6036), Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable Rental & Multifamily Housing Finance Programs (LIHTC/Tax Credits/Subsidized Loans) (FSALAKAF), Agricultural & Rural Cooperatives (Farm Credit/Co-op Banks) (FSABAEAG)

Keywords

• Cooperative banking services
• Social economy finance
• Community housing financing
• Responsible investment products
• Collective enterprise lending

Headquarters

HQ city

Québec

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Lending and financing to collective enterprises: The Caisse provides loans and financing solutions to cooperatives, NPOs, social housing organizations, cultural enterprises, and unions across Quebec. In 2024, more than 90% of financing was extended to collective organizations in Quebec. In 2025, the Caisse provided $631 million in financing for projects strengthening cooperation and the social economy across Quebec. In 2024, 60% of enterprise loans were dedicated to community housing.
2. Individual member financial services: The Caisse offers the full range of Desjardins savings and credit products to its individual members, including chequing accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and investment products (RRSPs, RESPs, social investment placements). Members benefit from both standard Desjardins products and specialized responsible investment advisory services.
3. Responsible investment products: Specialized savings and investment products (Placement à rendement social, REER, REEE responsable) where member deposits are directed toward social economy and environmental projects, with returns measured both financially and in social/environmental outcomes.
4. Cooperative surplus distribution (ristourne): As a cooperative, the Caisse distributes a portion of its annual surpluses back to members (individual ristourne) and to the community (collective ristourne). In 2024, $2.1 million in collective ristourne was granted to 203 collective projects. Individual ristourne includes product-based and volume-based components.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Caisse d'Économie Solidaire Desjardins is a cooperative financial institution within the Mouvement Desjardins that channels member savings into loans to collective enterprises (cooperatives, NPOs, cultural organizations) and social/community housing organizations in Quebec. It offers the full range of Desjardins banking products to individual members alongside specialized responsible investment and solidarity savings products, and operates distinctive cooperative mechanisms such as the Garantie solidaire, the Ristourne collective, and the participatory budget. Its lending activity targets cooperatives, OBNLs, social housing cooperatives, cultural enterprises, and unions, with more than 90% of 2024 financing directed to collective organizations and approximately 60% dedicated to community housing.

Product overview

Caisse d'économie solidaire Desjardins operates as a cooperative financial institution within the Mouvement Desjardins, offering a comprehensive suite of banking and financial products alongside specialized social economy services. The product portfolio includes core savings products (REER, REEE, social investment placements, solidarity savings), financing solutions for collective enterprises and community housing, and unique social programs such as collective dividends (ristourne collective), participatory budgeting, and grant programs including the Bourse Laure-Waridel scholarship and Prix François-Saillant housing award. The institution also offers educational tools like the Le Responsable board game on responsible finance. Services are delivered through six service centers across Quebec, with all standard Desjardins banking products available through the institution's specialized social economy and responsible investment approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Le Responsable: The first board game on responsible finance, a collaborative educational tool developed to teach responsible investment concepts.

Products and services

• REER (Registered Retirement Savings Plan) Registered Retirement Savings Plan (REER) allowing individual members to save for retirement with tax advantages, available within the Caisse's responsible investment orientation.
• REEE responsable (Responsible Registered Education Savings Plan) Registered Education Savings Plan (REEE) with a responsible investment approach, helping families save for children's post-secondary education through social-economy-aligned investments.
• Placement à rendement social (Social Return Investment) Investment product generating financial returns while creating positive social and environmental impacts; member deposits are directed toward social-economy and environmental projects.
• Épargne solidaire (Solidarity Savings) Solidarity savings product that supports workers in labor disputes by providing financial support during conflicts, channeling deposits into the social economy.
• Garantie solidaire (Solidarity Guarantee) Solidarity guarantee program enabling collective enterprises and OBNLs to access financing through a partnership with private foundations and the Caisse, even when traditional collateral is unavailable.
• Services de financement aux entreprises collectives Specialized financing services for cooperatives, OBNLs, and cultural organizations, including custom financial engineering, solidarity guarantee, young collective enterprise assistance, and expertise in collective business transfers (employee buyouts).
• Services d'habitation communautaire (Community Housing Services) Specialized housing financing and savings management for housing cooperatives and non-profit housing organizations (OSBL d'habitation), including preferential rates and partnership with SCHL, SHQ, RQOH, CQCH, FHCQ, and ROHQ.
• Services aux syndicats (Union Services) Specialized services for unions including investment management, liquidity management, and solidarity savings during labor disputes; more than 700 union members have chosen the Caisse.
• Budget participatif (Participatory Budget) Participatory budget program allowing members to vote on how a portion of the Caisse's collective surpluses are allocated to community projects, fostering democratic participation in financial decision-making.
• Ristourne collective (Collective Rebate) Cooperative dividend mechanism where the Caisse returns surpluses to communities through collective development projects in social and environmental fields, approved by the general assembly, instead of individual rebates; $2.1 million was granted to 203 collective projects in 2024.
• Bourse Laure-Waridel (environmental research scholarship) $15,000 CAD scholarship created in 2008 in partnership with Équiterre, supporting university students contributing to ecological transition, accompanied by 10 hours of mentorship with Laure Waridel. Open to bachelor's holders, master's/PhD students, or recent graduates (under 35, Canadian citizen or permanent resident, Quebec resident).

Quantifiable outcome

• $631 million in financing provided to 360+ collective projects in 2025
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TIESS (Territoires innovants en économie sociale et solidaire)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026TIESS is a key strategic partner for the Caisse in documenting and disseminating innovations in the social and solidarity economy. In the 2026 innovation call for projects in community housing, TIESS was tasked with documenting each of the five winning initiatives to maximize knowledge sharing across the sector. The partnership leverages TIESS's expertise in territorial innovation and social economy to strengthen organizational capacities of housing organizations.
• Le Centre (Centre de transformation du logement communautaire)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Le Centre co-designed and co-funded the $500,000 innovation call for projects (2026) aimed at strengthening organizational capacities in community housing through innovation. It also provides financial support ($155,000) to additional promising projects through the Fonds d'aide au développement du milieu. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to addressing Quebec's housing crisis through systemic innovation.
• FondactioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFondaction served as the venue partner for a major housing forum organized by the Caisse, hosting approximately 100 participants in its spaces for a full-day event dedicated to non-market housing. The partnership reflects ongoing collaboration between major social finance actors in Quebec.
• ÉquiterrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerÉquiterre co-created and co-delivers the Bourse Laure-Waridel with the Caisse. This 16-year-old scholarship program awards $15,000 plus 10 hours of mentorship with Laure Waridel to university students contributing to ecological transition. Équiterre provides visibility for selected projects through its platforms and networks. The partnership combines Équiterre's environmental expertise with the Caisse's financial resources.
• Institut québécois du logementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Institut québécois du logement, founded by Jean-François Tremblay, co-organized a full-day housing forum with the Caisse, providing content expertise and facilitation. The Institut is dedicated to developing innovative and sustainable models for impact housing in Quebec.
• Dumoulin bicyclettesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerA commercial partnership where Dumoulin Bicyclettes offers a 10% discount on cargo bikes to Caisse members, and the Caisse provides 5 grants of $2,500 to members purchasing cargo bikes from Dumoulin's Montreal store. The partnership promotes active mobility as part of the Caisse's environmental commitment.
• Rhizome StratégiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRhizome Stratégies designed the physical game board and animation framework for 'Le Responsable', working alongside a multidisciplinary expert committee to develop content. The partnership created an innovative financial literacy tool now used in organizations and educational institutions.
• SCHL (Société canadienne d'hypothèques et de logement)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Caisse works closely with the SCHL as a key financing partner for social housing development in Quebec. SCHL funding programs complement the Caisse's lending activities for housing cooperatives and NPOs.
• SHQ (Société d'habitation du Québec)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Société d'habitation du Québec is a key government partner in financing social and community housing projects that the Caisse supports through specialized lending products.
• RQOH (Réseau québécois des OSBL d'habitation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRQOH is a key network partner representing OSBL d'habitation organizations in Quebec. The Caisse collaborates with RQOH on housing financing solutions and policy advocacy for affordable housing.
• FRAPRU (Front d'action populaire en réaménagement urbain)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFRAPRU is a co-founder and partner of the Prix François-Saillant, awarded annually by the Caisse to recognize collective action for housing rights in Quebec. This partnership is a flagship initiative combining advocacy and recognition to advance the right to housing.
• Coalition des organismes communautaires en habitation (CQCH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCQCH represents and supports community housing organizations in Quebec. The Caisse collaborates with CQCH on financing solutions and sectoral initiatives.
• FHCQ (Fédération des coopératives d'habitation de la Capitale-Nationale)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Caisse works closely with housing cooperatives federations across Quebec including FHCQ on financing and support programs tailored to cooperative housing needs.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fondaction: Quebec solidarity fund that channels retirement savings into social economy and cooperative enterprises. Directly comparable to the Caisse as a Quebec-based social finance institution serving the same ecosystem of cooperatives and NPOs, with overlapping members and partnerships (Fondaction has hosted Caisse events).
• Vancity Community Investment Bank: Canadian credit union with a strong social and environmental mandate, offering responsible banking products and community investment. Most direct North American peer to the Caisse given its cooperative governance, mission-driven lending, and values-aligned deposit products.
• Fiducie du Chantier de l'économie sociale: Quebec trust dedicated to financing collective enterprises and social economy through capitalization and specialized loan products. Directly comparable to the Caisse's mission of providing tailored financing to cooperatives and NPOs that mainstream banks underserve.

Others

• Équiterre: Quebec environmental organization co-creating the Bourse Laure-Waridel scholarship with the Caisse for 16 years. Relevant as a strategic partner in the Caisse's ecological transition programs, not a financial peer but part of the same social economy ecosystem.
• Affordance Studio: Quebec digital studio that developed the digital application component of 'Le Responsable' board game for the Caisse. Included as an ecosystem partner that supports the Caisse's educational and community engagement initiatives rather than a true peer.

Emerging players

• Investissement Québec: Quebec government investment agency that co-invested in the $12.3M CN2i package with the Caisse. Functions as a partner more than a competitor, but provides capital to Quebec social economy projects, partially overlapping with Caisse's collective enterprise lending mandate.

Broad incumbents

• Triodos Bank: European sustainable bank focused on environmental and social lending. Comparable in mission (financing only projects with positive social/environmental impact) and product approach (responsible investment placements), though operating across multiple European countries rather than a single region.
• Desjardins Group: Parent cooperative financial group and one of Canada's largest financial institutions. The Caisse operates as a specialized caisse within Desjardins, so Desjardins is both parent and broad incumbent offering the full banking product suite that the Caisse leverages (AccèsD, account opening, payment infrastructure).
• Crédit Coopératif: French cooperative banking group serving cooperatives, mutuals, and social economy actors. Comparable as an established European incumbent cooperative bank with a similar social-economy mandate, though operating at much larger scale and broader geographic scope.

Regional players

• Vision Credit Union: Alberta-based credit union serving rural and small communities in Western Canada. Comparable as a Canadian cooperative financial institution with community-development focus, but operates in a different geography and does not specifically target social economy enterprises.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@caissesolidaire
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaisseSolidaire
• Xx.com/CSolidaire

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Caisse d'Économie Solidaire Desjardins