Vancity is committed to ensuring equitable access to financial services for all and treating everyone with dignity, respect, and understanding. In 2023, Vancity launched its Money is a Drag campaign, which explored financial literacy from the perspectives of local Drag performers in a three-part video series.
Vancity, the largest credit union in Canada, was boldly founded to use the tools of finance to widen economic participation, help people with real-life needs, tackle systemic challenges faced by their members, and realise its responsibility to help each other.
In 2023, Vancity launched its Money is a Drag campaign, which explored financial literacy from the perspectives of local Drag performers in a three-part video series. Posted across its social media channels, these videos offer relatable financial experiences and tangible financial tips.
Vancity’s Money is a Drag video series and supporting social media content has garnered an overwhelmingly positive response from their audience, bringing its average engagement rate on TikTok and Instagram to 5.89% (industry standard is 1%) and over 110K video views.
Their employees responded positively, too. In tandem with the video series, Vancity held two employee learning sessions, focused on defining active allyship in their work and personal lives. In post-session surveys, employees noted the value of learning everyday ways to support the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, including opting for gender-neutral language.
Facing systemic exclusion
Vancity is committed to helping improve the financial wellbeing of people and communities historically left behind, and to addressing systemic challenges faced by people living and working in their communities.
The Money is a Drag campaign is a testament to Vancity’s vision to create a clean and fair world where their members and communities can thrive. In the future, the credit union plans to share how they are making policy and systemic changes to be an inclusive and equitable institution, while continuing to uplift the voices of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Jonathan Fowlie, Chief External Relations Officer, Vancity:
“Vancity believes that everyone should have the same access to economic opportunity and prosperity. Systemic exclusion creates barriers for the excluded groups, and we have a responsibility, as a financial institution, to stand by these groups. We hope the Money is a Drag campaign sent a clear message of allyship, inclusion and welcoming to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community during a challenging time.”
When creating safe spaces, it’s critical to acknowledge the legacies of discrimination and exclusion that continue to impact the daily lives of many people. This is evidenced by many recent events, like the increase in police-reported hate crimes in Canada and anti-2SLGBTQIA+ legislation in the United States, which led to a state of emergency being declared by the Human Rights Campaign.
For over 75 years, Vancity has been committed to ensuring equitable access to financial services for all and treating everyone with dignity, respect, and understanding. It’s why they were the first Canadian financial institution to market to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community through mainstream advertising, and it’s why — together with their members — Vancity is a financial force for change.
