The 8 Cooperative Principles: Vizo Financial Style

Jaime E.S. Agostino -

“Let it never be forgotten that a credit union is, above all else, an association of people, not of dollars.” Those are the infamous words of Alphonse Desjardins, a forefather of the credit union movement. It’s a quote that I’m not sure anybody in this industry could forget, even if they tried. Why? Because it speaks so clearly of our people helping people philosophy.

That philosophy is what gave life to the eight cooperative principles that continue to move our institutions forward. Say them with me, you know the words!

  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
  8. Diversity, equity and inclusion

And here at Vizo Financial, we put our own spin on these governing principles, giving them life with our signature brand of credit union cooperation. Let me show you how:

Voluntary and Open Membership

“Credit unions are voluntary, cooperative organizations, offering services to people willing to accept the responsibilities and benefits of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.”

Vizo Financial serves any credit union, regardless of asset size, location, SEG, etc., and we work with more than 1,000 institutions nationwide. Our membership stretches from the New England region to the West Coast. And with benefits such as a no-tiers flex account, our Member Incentive Credit (MIC) program, certified expert staff, competitive service pricing and more, we welcome all credit unions to explore the value of a Vizo Financial membership.

Democratic Member Control

“Cooperatives are democratic organizations owned and controlled by their members – one member one vote – with equal opportunity for participation in setting policies and making decisions.”

Every year, we hold a board of directors election and Annual Meeting, giving each of our credit unions the opportunity to participate in our decision-making process. From volunteering your time on the board or one of our committees to casting your vote in our annual elections, your institution has a say in the way Vizo Financial operates. But beyond the board and Annual Meeting, our members’ voices are heard through a variety of other ways, including our annual member survey, event and webinar surveys and additional feedback opportunities. As a member-owner, it’s your right to speak up…and we’re here to listen!

Member Economic Participation

“Members are the owners. As such they contribute to, and democratically control, the capital of the cooperative. This benefits members in proportion to the transactions with the cooperative rather than on the capital invested.”

Vizo Financial offers two levels of membership, one involving a capital investment with the Corporate. That membership not only comes with traditional dividends and a free line of credit, but it also qualifies your institution for our MIC program, where we give back part of our earnings to reward members for their support and usage of key services through the Corporate and its payments CUSO, MY CU Services. Vizo Financial has given back $3.8 million and $4.1 million in 2023 and 2024, respectively, through service usage credits and bonus rates on Perpetual Contributed Capital (PCC) accounts. So, if your credit union is a member of Vizo Financial, not only do you have a say in how our earnings are used, but you also benefit directly from our collective success!

Autonomy and Independence

“Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If the cooperative enters into agreements with other organizations or raises capital from external sources, it is done so based on terms that ensure democratic control by the member and maintains the cooperative autonomy.”

When it comes to big decisions – new product offerings, member rewards, new partnerships – we do nothing without our members in mind. Furthermore, every move we make is strategically significant to the well-being of our members, whether that be offering a new service that allows you to implement innovative technologies or updating our systems to ensure compliance and top-of-the-line security. When you see us out at tradeshows and events, we’re not just providing updates about the Corporate and telling you about our latest and greatest service – we’re taking note of your pain points and goals to make sure that our decisions contribute directly to your success, a responsibility we don’t take lightly.

Education, Training and Information

“Cooperatives provide education and training for members, elected representatives, managers and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of the cooperative.”

Education is second to none for Vizo Financial, and that’s a notion that should be easy to understand when you see the amount of educational opportunities we provide for credit unions. Conferences, workshops, webinars, on-demand recordings, training videos, a blog, a podcast, market commentary and so many other educational resources are a pivotal piece of what we offer as a corporate credit union. Maybe you’ve heard of our big events, like the Financial, Risk Management and Payments conferences; maybe you’ve attended one of our many no-cost, CPE-qualifying webinars; maybe you’ve listened to past episodes of our podcast where we interview experts on topics that are pertinent to credit unions. No matter how you prefer to learn or what method of education fits best into your busy schedule, Vizo Financial offers something for everyone.

And the best part of all is that we don’t just offer education – we share rewards for those who attend. Our Education Rewards Program was launched earlier this year to give rewards at both the credit union and individual level. The premise is simple: participate in our educational events, earn rewards points, get prizes that range from free event registration to Yeti tumblers and more.

At Vizo Financial, we believe credit union education is vital to fulfilling our mission and to the success of the credit union movement – and we do everything in our power to make sure all credit unions have a chance at quality, expert-led and actionable education to make those aspirations a reality.

Cooperation Among Cooperatives

“Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, state, regional, national and international structures.”

Partnerships are a key part of what makes Vizo Financial a successful cooperative. From a service standpoint, we search for fellow cooperatives and like-minded organizations to provide forward-thinking products and solutions that credit unions can utilize now and in the future. From our partners at Vertice AI (to help grow credit union membership), DefenseStorm (to improve credit union cybersecurity) and CU*Answers (to offer a flexible and cooperative-owned core solution) – just to name a few – to our investments in CUSOs and innovative companies, collaboration is always top of mind so you have the best services to support your institution.

In addition, we work cooperatively with credit unions and foundations to ensure they are able to meet their goals with assistance via our Empowerment Grants. Through our Empowerment Grants, we allocate funds to foundations within our footprint so they can offer those grant dollars to credit unions for financial and community wellness initiatives. These are just one of the many ways we work together with cooperatives to spread the word about our movement’s dedication to financial well-being for all.

Concern for Community

“While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable development of communities, including people of modest means, through policies developed and accepted by the members.”

Credit unions are difference makers in our communities, and Vizo Financial takes that difference to heart. Not only do we give back to our credit union community through sponsorships of programs like the Exploring Why Workshop and volunteer opportunities with credit union financial reality fairs, but we also participate in community events for lots of charitable organizations. Over the years, we’ve held several fundraisers Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals – including my own personal annual bake sale where the Corporate matches donations – while also participating in radiothons, telethons and run/walk events for the credit union’s charity of choice. We’re also a big supporter of Victory Junction, a race-themed camp for children with disabilities and illnesses.

We even have an annual Day of Service where staff and their families can volunteer their time at various organizations within our local communities for hands-on activities that benefit people in need. This year, we’ll be holding our Day of Service on October 13, 2025. We’re so excited to support organizations like Hospice, CMN Hospitals, Oliver Gospel and more! You can keep up with all of Vizo Financial’s community efforts on our Community Involvement page – check it out now to see how we’re making a difference!

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

“Cooperatives believe we are stronger when a proactive effort is put forth to engage everyone in governance, management and representation.”

As we all know, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) was the most recent cooperative principle to be added to the lineup – but Vizo Financial embraced it wholeheartedly and has been actively sharing the benefits of inclusivity ever since. At the Corporate, we put a lot of effort into ensuring DEI is a priority within our culture, policies and everyday practices. Shortly after the DEI principle was adopted, Vizo Financial created a DEI Champions group to share stories, education and general information about this community. In addition, we complete an internal DEI survey to ensure an inclusive workplace for all staff, and we provide educational opportunities – including blog articles, podcast episodes and a designated DEI page on our website – for credit unions to learn more about the importance of this principle and why it is crucial to our people helping people philosophy.

And our dedication to DEI hasn’t gone unnoticed. Jennifer Hogan, president/CEO of Community CU in Lewiston, Maine, had this to say: “We were also really inspired by Vizo Financial’s strong focus on DEI. Community Credit Union places a lot of importance on DEI and we have specific products and services based on those principles because we serve an area where a lot of immigrants reside, so that resonated a lot with us. It shows that Vizo Financial holds the same values as our institution…” Thank you for the kind words, Jennifer!

The Vizo Financial Way – Principles Above Dollars

I’ve been in the credit union movement for a long time. Even after decades of service, the mission still speaks to me, and I’m proud to say that Vizo Financial lives the cooperative principles that guide our mission each and every day. In fact, it’s not just part of our foundation, it’s our whole lifestyle. From concern for community to education, training and information, I’m reminded every day that we are, as Mr. Desjardins so wisely said, “above all else, an association of people, not of dollars.”

As the VP of sales, marketing and education for Vizo Financial, Jaime Agostino oversees marketing, sales and educational offerings for the Corporate. Ms. Agostino holds a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from the Pennsylvania State University. She currently holds her Series 7 (Registered General Securities Representative) and Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination) investment licenses from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and has also achieved the following professional designations: Certified Trade Show Marketer (CTSM), Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE), SIE - Securities Industry Essentials Examination, Inbound Marketing Certified and Content Marketing Certified.