On February 6, 2025, Cooperation Canada celebrated the 2024 Cooperation Canada Awards ceremony recognizing excellence and merit in the field of international cooperation by awarding prizes to individuals or organizations that have distinguished themselves in the past year.
Cooperation Canada and World University Services Canada (WUSC) were proud to present the 2024 Organizational Innovation and Impact Award, recognizing Canadian organizations that are doing impactful and innovative work, to Développement International Desjardins (DID)!
DID was honored with the award for its groundbreaking work in inclusive finance through the Aequitas investment fund. Launched in 2021, Aequitas supports inclusive financial institutions that promote sustainable inclusion for entrepreneurs and farmers, gender equality, and climate action. By providing patient capital, Aequitas helps empower vulnerable populations, enabling them to create decent jobs, improve access to healthcare and education, fight hunger, and escape poverty.
Initially funded with CAD 50 million from DID and Desjardins, Aequitas received an additional CAD 22.9 million in 2024 from Global Affairs Canada (GAC) through the International Aid Innovation Program (IAIP). This was GAC’s first investment in a Canadian limited partnership. In response, Desjardins reinvested CAD 15 million, bringing the total fund to CAD 87.9 million. Additionally, DID and GAC have collaborated on a technical assistance program to strengthen the capacity of Aequitas-supported financial institutions, enabling them to better serve their customers, particularly women, and improve their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance.
Congratulations, Développement International Desjardins (DID), on this well-deserved recognition! Read more about the other winners of this year’s Cooperation Canada Awards.