Membership in the credit union is voluntary and is open to all citizens bound by with joint work or residence, who wished to create a credit union to use its services and are willing to take on relevant commitments and responsibilities. In the U.S., credit unions have a clear organizational structure. All credit unions belong to one or the other parent credit union (there are 35 of them in the U.S.). Representative organization, leading the coordination work in the field of development of both global and national credit union movement is the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) established in 1971 (headquartered in Madison, USA). Typically new members of the credit union become citizens having suretyship or recommendations from their friends - members of the credit union. To reduce the risk of default on loans members of the credit union shall the joint guarantee. International cooperation has been particularly felt since the days when Alphonse Desjardins began the activity on development of credit union movement in North America. The main activities of credit unions, aimed at the organization of mutual aid and social support of citizens is not intended to profit. The relationship between credit unions and shareholders arise from the membership and are not customer relationship. In some cases, the initiators of credit unions can be trade unions, associations such as social support centers and others.