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.
Inside CAP COM’s Focus On Infrastructure
February 21, 2022
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Top-Level Takeaways CAP COM provides infrastructure grants that fund needs that don’t normally appeal to gifting. The credit union’s foundation is in its second year of granting $100,000 to a diverse array of service providers. Infrastructure is an essential need that doesn’t easily attract funding, especially in the non-profit world. Its costs underly the ability
Langley Members Help Other Homebuyers
February 14, 2022
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A new program for first-time mortgage applicants intends to substantially reduce burdens around closing costs.
The CDFI Landscape for Credit Unions in 2022
February 2, 2022
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CU Strategic Planning’s Chief Strategy and Advocacy Officer Mike Beall, along with John McKechnie, Senior Partner of Total Spectrum, discuss the current environment for CDFI certification.
How To Reduce Financial Stress And Boost Productivity
January 19, 2022
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A Massachusetts cooperative shows what financial coaching looks like when it’s done the Workers way.
VSECU: The Budding Cannabis Market
January 12, 2022
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VSECU is one of a few financial institutions that serves the needs of cannabis businesses in Vermont. By doing so, the credit union addresses an area of financial exclusion within its field of membership.
VSECU: Community Impact
January 12, 2022
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As a values-based organization, VSECU takes seriously the cooperative principle of concern for community. This is evident in the community programs it supports, which range from securing better fuel prices to fighting food insecurity.
VSECU: A Green Future In Vermont
January 12, 2022
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Leaders at VSECU discuss culture, environmental impact, the growth of green lending, and cooperative finance at the Vermont cooperative.
Looking For More In The New Year
January 11, 2022
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The same motions will offer the same results in 2022. For results rooted in purpose and impact, try thinking and acting in a whole new way.
10 Ways VSECU Embraces Community Impact
January 10, 2022
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VSECU participates in a number of programs to improve the lives of the members and communities it serves. Serious support for a range of groups and projects should not be surprising coming from the second-largest credit union in Vermont one that prides itself on being a values-based organization that publicly focuses on member economic prosperity,
Credit Unions And Community Impact
January 10, 2022
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Three ways credit unions are delivering on a promise to support members, neighborhoods, communities, and more.
Inside CAP COM’s Focus On Infrastructure
Top-Level Takeaways CAP COM provides infrastructure grants that fund needs that don’t normally appeal to gifting. The credit union’s foundation is in its second year ...
Langley Members Help Other Homebuyers
A new program for first-time mortgage applicants intends to substantially reduce burdens around closing costs.
The CDFI Landscape for Credit Unions in 2022
CU Strategic Planning’s Chief Strategy and Advocacy Officer Mike Beall, along with John McKechnie, Senior Partner of Total Spectrum, discuss the current environment for CDFI ...
How To Reduce Financial Stress And Boost Productivity
A Massachusetts cooperative shows what financial coaching looks like when it’s done the Workers way.
VSECU: The Budding Cannabis Market
VSECU is one of a few financial institutions that serves the needs of cannabis businesses in Vermont. By doing so, the credit union addresses an ...
VSECU: Community Impact
As a values-based organization, VSECU takes seriously the cooperative principle of concern for community. This is evident in the community programs it supports, which range ...
VSECU: A Green Future In Vermont
Leaders at VSECU discuss culture, environmental impact, the growth of green lending, and cooperative finance at the Vermont cooperative.
10 Ways VSECU Embraces Community Impact
VSECU participates in a number of programs to improve the lives of the members and communities it serves. Serious support for a range of groups ...
Credit Unions And Community Impact
Three ways credit unions are delivering on a promise to support members, neighborhoods, communities, and more.
Browse Topics
Growth Is A Mindset, But Success Is In The Contract
Callahan & Associates
Arriba Advisors co-founder Tom Russell explores how credit unions can bridge the gap between a growth mindset and their technical reality.
Fraud Is Faster, Smarter, And Harder To Stop. Here’s How To.
Callahan & Associates
RKL offers insight, expertise, and experience to help fight off growing threats.
The Numbers Are Good. The Moment Is Hard.
William Hunt
Members are anxious about their financial futures, even as credit unions remain financially strong. Institutions that respond to this moment can make 2026 a turning point.
Wages Are Growing. Wallets Are Not.
Sherry Virden
Global events are flowing directly into household budgets, reshaping how credit union members save, borrow, and cope. Such trends don’t always show up in headline data.
Credit Unions Are Having A Margin Moment
Tony Waltrich
Credit unions are benefiting from a rare margin advantage as loans reprice slower than deposits. The question now is how institutions will use that strength to better serve members.
Where Have All The Members Gone?
Omar Shalabi
Membership growth is slowing, but financial activity is not. What does the modern financial relationship look like?
5 Takeaways From First Quarter Credit Union Performance Data
William Hunt
Inflation, war, and uncertain futures have reshaped members’ needs in 2026. What does credit union performance data from the first quarter of 2026 say about household budgets, inflation pressures, and more?
New Highs For Equity Markets Despite Iran And Oil Prices
Jason Haley
Look beyond the headlines to better understand what is driving current market trends and how they could impact credit union investment portfolios.
New Graduates Face A Cautious Job-Hiring Landscape
Tony Waltrich
Today’s job market is shaped by skills based expectations, with employers slowing entry level hiring and placing greater emphasis on applied experience.
A Credit Union Journey Into Cryptocurrency And Stablecoins
Savana Morie
St. Cloud Financial is betting on digital assets to protect member relationships and future relevance. It’s picked up lessons for other leaders along the way.
Looking For More In The New Year