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.
The Power of Transparency
February 13, 2012
No Comments
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
No Comments
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
No Comments
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
No Comments
Help your members combat the evolving forms of email fraud by offering them prevention tips.
What Does Your Brand Taste Like?
November 1, 2011
No Comments
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
No Comments
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
No Comments
A legislative staffer outlines the right and wrong ways of working with lawmakers’ offices.
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
Fintech Grounded In Mission As Much As Market Opportunity
Marc Rapport
Suncoast Credit Union balances near-term needs with longer-term bets, applying discipline to timing, valuation, and fit to decide when to invest and when to walk away.
Industry Intelligence For Credit Union Leaders
Callahan & Associates
Looking for quarterly data coverage, expert analysis, lessons from leading credit unions, and more? Callahan has it covered. Comparing top-level performance and digging into the details has never been easier.
Cost Pressures Are Changing Member Behavior
Savana Morie
First quarter data shows how rising costs are pushing consumers toward flexibility and reshaping borrowing and saving habits.
WSECU Invests In Innovation To Solve Pain Points
Marc Rapport
A dedicated CUSO holding company allows WSECU to move beyond building and back fintech partners it helps shape and scale.
When Employees Own Culture, Service Follows
Savana Morie
Advancial FCU links internal service standards, employee feedback, and peer recognition to create a more consistent experience for both staff and members.
How MSUFCU Builds And Backs Fintech Solutions
Marc Rapport
MSUFCU takes a hands-on approach to fintech, piloting solutions through its in-house lab before scaling and backing them through a wholly owned CUSO.
Members Demand Digital, But They Want Branches, Too
Savana Morie
Affinity Plus FCU has a clear member service mantra: digital for daily, human when it’s hard. Its CEO and CFO share what that looks like in practice.
How A Holding Company Helps Service Credit Union Win At Fintech
Marc Rapport
The New Hampshire cooperative shares how its fintech arm, Service Ventures, evaluates investments, balances risk, and defines success.
Future Bets From Today’s Credit Unions
Marc Rapport
Industry leaders share how they approach fintech investment, balancing immediate needs with longer-term bets while keeping member value and mission at the center.
AI Adoption Is Growing. Are Credit Unions Keeping Pace?
Andrew Lepczyk
New data from Gallup shows half of all employees who work for companies that pay for AI tools use them. Credit unions are building their own momentum.