Consumers are facing a costly holiday season this year. The National Retail Federation estimates buyers will spend nearly $900, on average, on gifts, food, and decorations alone. It’s the second-highest amount in the history of the survey.
As consumers navigate these record-breaking holiday costs, credit unions across the country are stepping in to make a meaningful impact through creative financial solutions, philanthropic efforts, and community programs. Check out the standout efforts below.
Collaboration Makes For Meaningful Impact
Rebuilding Together OKC
In 2025, 42 volunteers from 10 credit unions contributed 121 hours of service work.
- Allegiant Credit Union
- Communication FCU
- Energize Credit Union
- Focus FCU
- MECU
- Oklahoma’s Credit Union
- Tinker FCU
- True Sky FCU
- USE FCU
- WEOKIE FCU
Every year, a cohort of Oklahoma credit unions joins forces with a different local nonprofit to make a positive impact on the Oklahoma communities they serve. This November, 10 credit unions teamed up with Rebuilding Together OKC to make home repairs for a low-income senior and veteran.
Sarah Flanagan, manager of The WEOKIE Foundation, says the collaboration has been the highlight of her year.
“My favorite part of this experience was walking up to the home and seeing volunteers proudly wearing their credit union shirts working side by side to make a difference in this individual’s life,” she says.
Forty-two volunteers contributed a combined 121 hours across the day, making repairs to the home’s siding, floors, countertops, and more.
In a local news segment, homeowner Kent Murphy shared his home had been in his family since his grandparents.
In Minnesota, a day of service launched in 2013 by Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union ($4.4B, St. Paul, MN) has since blossomed into a multi-state initiative. Today, the Minnesota Credit Union Network (MNCUN) sponsors the initiative under the CU Forward Day banner.
Andrea Molnau serves as the director of public engagement and strategic initiatives for the MNCUN. She says the sizable impact that comes from dozens of credit unions working in tandem demonstrates how the industry can amplify its power to make a difference.
“It feels good to put some good in the world,” Molnau says. “That’s part of the attraction of the day.”
MNCUN has packaged the program and made it available to other states, with Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Maine, and others now also carrying the mantle. The toolkit includes information on the day itself, how to promote it to credit unions, how to organize around it, what data to collect, sample media materials, and more.
Read more about this multi-state day-of-caring initiative in “There’s Nothing Random About These Acts Of Kindness.”
Seasonal Solutions Ease The Strain
Credit unions are also stepping up ahead of the holidays with limited-time promotions and relief programs.
First Choice Credit Union ($77.1M, New Castle, PA) is offering eligible members the opportunity to skip a personal or auto loan payment through Jan. 30, 2026. Sierra Pacific Federal Credit Union ($176M, Reno, NV) is running a similar promotion through the end of the year on any one qualifying loan payment.
Holiday loans are another popular tool to ease the financial burden of this time of year. AmeriCU Credit Union ($2.8B, Rome, NY) recently announced a holiday loan program that provides up to $5,000 on an unsecured personal loan with rates as low as 5.75% APR.
Other credit unions mix and match multiple seasonal offerings. CPM Federal Credit Union’s ($673.2M, North Charleston, SC) “Holiday Happenings” include a holiday loan special, a skip-a-pay option, and a community-giving campaign.
Credit unions aren’t reserving innovative and impactful products solely for the holidays, though.
Earlier this year, First Alliance Credit Union ($284.4M, Rochester, MN) launched a savings certificate designed for depositors who want their money to not only earn interest but also actively support community-impact lending. The minimum deposit for the Impact CD is $100,000 and term options include five-, seven- and 10-year certificates with APYs ranging from 2.0% to 3.0% (although rates might change). Importantly, the credit union earmarks funds raised through these deposits for things like low-income mortgages and vehicle loans, small-business growth, under-banked or non-traditional credit profiles, and others seeking a “financial fresh start.”
“I’ve always said I see us not as a financial institution but as a community development institution that happens to offer financial services,” says CEO Brent Rempe.
Read more about turning private prosperity into shared possibility in “First Alliance Debuts Mission-Driven Deposits.”
Foundations Fuel Community Giving
Credit union foundations play an invaluable role in the industry, and the season of giving naturally keeps many executive directors and their teams extra busy.
In Utah, the Mountain America Foundation solicited public involvement in this year’s Giving Tuesday campaign. The foundation will award $1,000 grants to 28 nonprofits, with organizations selected through community voting that took place from Oct. 20 to Nov. 14.
“By voting, our members, employees, and the public, can help strengthen organizations that are making meaningful contributions in our communities,” says Suzanne Oliver, executive director of the Mountain America Foundation. “We are eager to see where the $28,000 in funding will go. Together, we can uplift lives and build brighter futures.”
Read more about Mountain America’s foundation work in “From Foster Care To Financial Wellness.”
In Louisville, KY, the Park Community Foundation’s Pathways to Prosperity grants fund projects backing education, financial wellbeing, and community. Since 2019, the foundation has contributed more than $580,000 to local causes that support these three areas of impact. The 10 nonprofits selected as grant winners for 2025 will receive $97,960 in total, with winners announced on Nov. 21.
“These organizations are small, grassroots nonprofits that are making a difference and changing lives in Kentucky and Southern Indiana,” says Shannon Kisselbaugh, executive director of the foundation.
Read more about how Park Community reimagines local philanthropy “How A Credit Union Foundation Builds Equity And Access.”
Real People. Real Impact. Real Credit Unions. Credit Unions are making a meaningful impact in their members’ lives, from gestures big and small. For proof, check out The Member Story Project on CreditUnions.com. Don’t forget to submit your own!