The CBA today
Today, the Canadian Bankers Association is the voice of more than 60 domestic and foreign banks operating in Canada and their 280,000 employees and it continues to provide governments and others with a centralized contact to all banks on matters relating to banking in Canada. The CBA advocates for public policies that contribute to a sound, thriving banking system to ensure Canadians can succeed in their financial goals.
The Association promotes financial literacy to help Canadians make informed financial decisions and sponsors two financial literacy seminar programs: Your Money Students and Your Money Seniors.
The Association also works with banks and law enforcement to help protect customers against financial crime and promote fraud awareness.
Member service
The CBA provides its members with information, research and operational support, and contributes to the development of public policy on issues that affect financial institutions. The Association is continually involved in financial data collection and analysis, consumer protection efforts, fighting bank fraud, and developing industry consensus on issues impacting banks in Canada.
Our purpose, vision, mission and values guide our efforts:
PURPOSE: Ensuring the sector is at the forefront of growing a sustainable economic future for Canadians.
VISION: To be an industry-driven and forward-looking organization that is responsive to the needs and interests of its membership.
MISSION: The CBA is an industry-driven organization that works to advocate for and promote banking in Canada.
Values
Service: Service-oriented toward our members to define the industry's position.
Transparency: Transparent in our communications, activities and services we provide to our members and with each other.
Collaboration: Collaborative in our work, leveraging open communications among ourselves and members to arrive at the best solution.
Adaptability: Embrace change and continuous learning, recognizing they are necessary for growth.
Professionalism: Operate with the highest code of ethics to enhance trust in the sector and among our members.
CBA Community Involvement
Banks and their employees are among Canada's top corporate donors to charities and non-profit organizations and have a long tradition of community participation. As the industry association for the banks, the CBA and its employees are also committed to giving back to communities. Over the years, employees of the CBA have participated in events and fundraisers and provided donations to the United Way of Canada, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society, the North York Harvest Food Bank, the North York Women's Shelter, Denise House and the Cure Foundation.
As part of its efforts to support youth, the Parliamentary Internship Programme (PIP) has also received funding and support from the CBA for more than 30 years. The PIP is a non-partisan initiative that gives young Canadians an opportunity to work on Parliament Hill with both Government and Opposition Members of Parliament. Since 1969, almost 400 young Canadians have benefited from the Programme, with many going on to senior positions in the academic, public and private spheres.
Governance
The Association’s rules and procedures are contained in the Special Act of Parliament of Canada incorporating the CBA, as amended, and the bylaws of the CBA. Decisions are made by committees that are comprised of member bank representatives.
Board of Directors
The composition of the CBA’s Board of Directors includes:
- A councillor (senior executive) from each individually represented bank (nine largest banks)
- Two representatives from the Domestic Bank Group
- Two representatives from the Foreign Bank Group
The CBA President also sits on the Board of Directors.
The CBA adheres to federal and provincial lobbyist registration rules and requirements.
The CBA operates on the basis of a privacy policy and related procedures that guide its handling of the personal information it collects. This policy deals only with personal information handled by the CBA.
Working with others
In Canada
The CBA works with federal and provincial governments, business associations and consumer groups to help ensure that regulations and other rules impacting the banking industry are efficient and effective. The banking industry is a strong driver of the Canadian economy and annually contributes tens of billions of dollars to Canada’s GDP and delivers financing for consumers and businesses. With more than 40 banks offering retail financial products and services to Canadians, consumers are well served by an innovative and competitive marketplace.
Internationally
The Canadian Bankers Association actively promotes the Canadian banking system internationally and contributes to consultations on global regulatory standards for banks lead by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. The CBA is also a member of the International Banking Federation (IBFed).