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.
Best Of 2023: Building Vibrant Communities
December 26, 2023
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No matter how a credit union defines its community, strengthening that common bond is a major role for credit unions.
How To Measure Mission
December 20, 2023
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A dashboard at Marine Credit Union helps the Wisconsin cooperative focus on member and community impact.
7 17 Steps Up To Tackle The Nation’s Mental Health Crisis
December 19, 2023
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With Americans under more stress than they were before the pandemic, the Ohio-based credit union has seen a roaring response after adding mental healthcare to its benefit offerings.
Want To Prevent A Food Desert? Just Add Hope.
December 18, 2023
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The Gulf-area credit union and its Hope Enterprise Coalition have helped a popular grocery not only stay in town but also expand operations.
Jen Kuhn On Leadership
December 18, 2023
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The Bank-Fund Staff executive focuses on employee empowerment in her role as chief human resources officer.
Exit Interview: Tom Berquist, BECU
December 11, 2023
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BECU’s longtime chief marketer helped build the cooperative’s considerable legacy as an industry leader.
The Evolution Of Leadership Development At Together Credit Union
November 27, 2023
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A comprehensive program at the Missouri cooperative helps those outside its walls become better leaders, too.
CEO Onboarding: Jenny Vipperman, ORNL FCU
November 27, 2023
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The first-time CEO leans on her experience, her network, and, last but hardly least, her talented staff to chart the future for the East Tennessee cooperative.
Exit Interview: Dan Berger
November 20, 2023
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NAFCU’s long-time front man reflects on leadership, legacy, and what lies ahead.
A Safe Place For Members With Dementia
November 6, 2023
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A new designation is helping Landings Credit Union better serve a population projected to grow in coming years.
Best Of 2023: Building Vibrant Communities
No matter how a credit union defines its community, strengthening that common bond is a major role for credit unions.
How To Measure Mission
A dashboard at Marine Credit Union helps the Wisconsin cooperative focus on member and community impact.
7 17 Steps Up To Tackle The Nation’s Mental Health Crisis
With Americans under more stress than they were before the pandemic, the Ohio-based credit union has seen a roaring response after adding mental healthcare ...
Want To Prevent A Food Desert? Just Add Hope.
The Gulf-area credit union and its Hope Enterprise Coalition have helped a popular grocery not only stay in town but also expand operations.
Jen Kuhn On Leadership
The Bank-Fund Staff executive focuses on employee empowerment in her role as chief human resources officer.
Exit Interview: Tom Berquist, BECU
BECU’s longtime chief marketer helped build the cooperative’s considerable legacy as an industry leader.
The Evolution Of Leadership Development At Together Credit Union
A comprehensive program at the Missouri cooperative helps those outside its walls become better leaders, too.
CEO Onboarding: Jenny Vipperman, ORNL FCU
The first-time CEO leans on her experience, her network, and, last but hardly least, her talented staff to chart the future for the East Tennessee ...
Exit Interview: Dan Berger
NAFCU’s long-time front man reflects on leadership, legacy, and what lies ahead.
A Safe Place For Members With Dementia
A new designation is helping Landings Credit Union better serve a population projected to grow in coming years.
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.
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.
The Great Wealth Transfer Is Also A Relationship Transfer
Savana Morie
Harvard FCU combines digital estate planning with human financial guidance to support positive, proactive wealth transfer across generations.