JetStream FCU Turns CDFI Funding Into Lifelines After Hurricane Maria
A pair of CDFI grants allowed the Florida-based credit union to help members restart their lives on the island or relocate to the United States.
Impact/Purpose
Our Purpose page is your central resource to explore strategies that elevate products and services from run-of-the-mill commodities to powerful tools that support members and communities and set credit unions apart from competitors.
Top Impact/Purpose Articles
Wright-Patt Turns Purpose Into Property For First-Time Homebuyers
The Ohio credit union’s Sunshine Community Fund is backing new homes in Dayton, combining financial support, education, and cross-team collaboration to empower first-time buyers.
First Alliance Debuts Mission-Driven Deposits
The Minnesota-based cooperative invites high-dollar depositors to turn private prosperity into shared possibility through a savings product designed around social impact.
What Does The December NCUSIF Audit Mean For Credit Unions?
February 22, 2012
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NCUSIF’s audited financials can help credit unions evaluate NCUA’s management of the $11 billion in cooperative system’s capital.
The Power of Transparency
February 13, 2012
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Transparency allows for all to take informed action, which is why disclosure is built into the cooperative system.
Members’ Choices Aren’t So Rational
February 13, 2012
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Goldilocks and Starbucks offer lessons in behavioral economics that credit unions can use to help members make decisions that are “just right.”
The Darkness Spreads Over Credit Union Land: $50B Unaccounted For
December 21, 2011
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There has been no public accounting for the Temporary Corporate Credit Union Stabilization Fund for nearly two years. Where are the voices calling for light?
Email Fraud’s Latest Design
November 22, 2011
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Help your members combat the evolving forms of email fraud by offering them prevention tips.
What Does Your Brand Taste Like?
November 1, 2011
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A South American bank gives its brand a whole new look (and feel, and smell, and sound).
Is The NCUA Board Helping — Or Hurting — Credit Unions’ Soundness?
September 20, 2010
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NCUA’s 0.124% NCUSIF premium announcement follows this logic: Things are bad because we said so. Therefore, we’re taking this premium action because things are bad.
Lobbying Dos And Don’ts
November 12, 2009
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A legislative staffer outlines the right and wrong ways of working with lawmakers’ offices.
What Does The December NCUSIF Audit Mean For Credit Unions?
NCUSIF’s audited financials can help credit unions evaluate NCUA’s management of the $11 billion in cooperative system’s capital.
The Power of Transparency
Transparency allows for all to take informed action, which is why disclosure is built into the cooperative system.
Members’ Choices Aren’t So Rational
Goldilocks and Starbucks offer lessons in behavioral economics that credit unions can use to help members make decisions that are “just right."
The Darkness Spreads Over Credit Union Land: $50B Unaccounted For
There has been no public accounting for the Temporary Corporate Credit Union Stabilization Fund for nearly two years. Where are the voices calling for light?
Email Fraud’s Latest Design
Help your members combat the evolving forms of email fraud by offering them prevention tips.
What Does Your Brand Taste Like?
A South American bank gives its brand a whole new look (and feel, and smell, and sound).
Is The NCUA Board Helping — Or Hurting — Credit Unions’ Soundness?
NCUA’s 0.124% NCUSIF premium announcement follows this logic: Things are bad because we said so. Therefore, we’re taking this premium action because things are bad.
Lobbying Dos And Don’ts
A legislative staffer outlines the right and wrong ways of working with lawmakers’ offices.
Browse Topics
Why Financial Empowerment Matters More Than Financial Literacy
Savana Morie
Alltru FCU stopped treating education as the end goal. Now, financial empowerment guides product design, access, and risk decisions.
42% Of U.S. Households Experience Financial Hardship
Tony Waltrich
More than 50 million U.S. households earn less than the minimum average income needed to cover basic costs of living.
Excite Foundation Breaks Down Barriers For Children’s Savings
Savana Morie
Automatic enrollment and community partnerships help the credit union foundation expand access to early savings for underserved families.
Consumers Are Financing The Future Any Way They Can
Aaron Passman
Studies show credit card debt and Buy Now, Pay Later usage continue to rise. Bigger increases could be around the corner.
Credit Human Redefines ‘Green’ In The Heart Of Texas
Savana Morie
The credit union completed a three acre headquarters campus in 2021 that offers 52% more space while consuming a fraction of the resources. It’s a model of how cooperatives can lead on sustainability without sacrificing performance.
CDFIs By The Numbers
Omar Shalabi
CDFI credit unions might be fewer in number, but their impact reaches millions of members, and their footprint highlights how targeted mission can translate into broad, measurable reach.
Serving The Underserved Without Accepting Preventable Fraud Losses
Callahan & Associates
Preventable fraud losses quietly erode credit union margins. The difference between a 25% and 6% loss rate isn’t risk. It’s execution.
Inside An In-School Model That Links Classrooms With College And Careers
Savana Morie
Holy Rosary Credit Union has embedded itself into a local high school’s career and technical education program, offering scholarships, internships, and courses eligible for college credit.
6 Credit Union Executive Priorities For 2026
Jay Johnson
Credit union leaders want to know where peers are placing their focus. These six priorities reflect how leadership teams are responding to change with intention and clarity.
What’s Next For Credit Union Earnings?
Omar Shalabi
As margin support begins to fade, earnings performance is becoming more sensitive to revenue mix and harder to interpret through public reporting alone.