A proposed model: a social reporting framework for the credit union sector

Measures of financial security are generally accepted as being represented by the annual financial statements of an organisation, however the environmental and social impacts are still to find a meaningful and consistent reporting medium. To date there is no recognised conceptual framework for reporting despite a growing number of firms, both nationally and internationally, publishing reports detailing their social and environmental impacts. This paper draws on prior research which has documented the requirements for social accounting information by members and management associated with an organisation in the credit union sector to propose a reporting model for this industry group.The paper begins with a discussion of the literature pertaining to the reporting of social and environmental data by organisations before discussing the findings of a study exploring the reporting requirements of stakeholders in the Australian credit union sector. The proposed model based on these findings is then presented and discussed.