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.
Is Your Credit Union Prepared for the CDFI Emergency Support and Minority Lending Grant?
March 16, 2022
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The Treasury has said it will be rolling out the long-awaited $1.75B Emergency Support and Minority Lending Program Grant funds in the spring of 2022. That’s over five times as much as the CDFI’s FY 2022 FA budget, and Spring is just a few weeks away… are you ready?
DEI Best Practices For Credit Unions
March 14, 2022
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Three executives share success stories learned from their cooperatives’ DEI journeys.
Awkward Conversations: How To ‘ACT’ On The Crisis In Ukraine
March 8, 2022
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Key stakeholders in the credit union movement are perhaps feeling anxious or uncertain. What should we, as leaders, be saying to members and employees?
Women CEOs On Leadership
March 7, 2022
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In honor of International Women’s Day, CreditUnions.com offers insight into what makes an effective leader from women executives across the industry.
Affinity Plus Learns Lessons Of Its Own By Investing In Staff MBAs
February 28, 2022
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The Minnesota cooperative leaned on insight from industry peers to create a path for building employees’ skills and knowledge.
Organizational Structures And Today’s Credit Union: A View From The Top
February 28, 2022
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Org charts reflect key responsibilities, but what do variations in top-level structures say about business strategies, compliance goals, CEO priorities, and more?
Kellogg Community Balances Loan Growth With Member Impact
February 28, 2022
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Substantial loan growth is helping propel Kellogg Community Credit Union ($818.1M, Battle Creek, MI) toward the $1 billion-asset mark. But rather than concentrating on asset milestones, it remains focused on the impact it can deliver to the members and communities it serves. Year-over-year loan growth during the third quarter of 2021 was 18.5%, nearly three
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.
Is Your Credit Union Prepared for the CDFI Emergency Support and Minority Lending Grant?
The Treasury has said it will be rolling out the long-awaited $1.75B Emergency Support and Minority Lending Program Grant funds in the spring of 2022. ...
DEI Best Practices For Credit Unions
Three executives share success stories learned from their cooperatives’ DEI journeys.
Women CEOs On Leadership
In honor of International Women’s Day, CreditUnions.com offers insight into what makes an effective leader from women executives across the industry.
Affinity Plus Learns Lessons Of Its Own By Investing In Staff MBAs
The Minnesota cooperative leaned on insight from industry peers to create a path for building employees' skills and knowledge.
Organizational Structures And Today’s Credit Union: A View From The Top
Org charts reflect key responsibilities, but what do variations in top-level structures say about business strategies, compliance goals, CEO priorities, and more?
Kellogg Community Balances Loan Growth With Member Impact
Substantial loan growth is helping propel Kellogg Community Credit Union ($818.1M, Battle Creek, MI) toward the $1 billion-asset mark. But rather than concentrating on asset ...
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 ...
Browse Topics
AI Boot Camp Is More Than Basic Training At Clearview FCU
Aaron Passman
Hands-on work with artificial intelligence tools is future-proofing staff members, giving them the confidence to adoption new technology and embrace efficiencies.
Stable Economy. Strained Households.
Andrew Lepczyk
Wages briefly caught up with inflation, but rising costs have pushed them back into negative territory. Here’s what that shift means for member finances and credit union performance.
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.
Awkward Conversations: How To ‘ACT’ On The Crisis In Ukraine