MnCUN Signs onto League Letter Urging Congressional Action on PPP Loan Forgiveness

On Monday, MnCUN joined CUNA and 34 other state credit union leagues in sending a letter to the Democratic and Republican leaders in both the US House and Senate to urge them to take up and pass S. 4117 and H.R. 7777, the Paycheck Protection Program Small Business Forgiveness Act.

Minn. Senate Rejects Appointment of Gov. Walz’s Commerce Commissioner

Last Friday, in a move that had been rumored for weeks, the GOP-controlled body voted to not confirm the appointment of Commerce Commissioner Steve Kelley. 

CUNA and its League partners are the most influential financial services organization and one of the top ten most effective advocacy organizations in Washington, D.C., according to an independent study conducted by Ballast Research (formally National Journal Research) earlier this year.
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For the fifth year in a row, the CUNA-League system earned the distinction as a leading association at representing the interests of its members by creating the credit union narrative and sharing the movement’s story among Washington policymakers.

"The Minnesota Credit Union Network is proud to work alongside CUNA to amplify credit union voices on Capitol Hill," said MnCUN President & CEO Mark Cummins. "Now more than ever, it is critical the Members of Congress understand the CU Difference and MnCUN is pleased that our message is well-received and respected."

Key findings of the study include:

• The CUNA-League system was #1 in representing the views of credit unions among organizations studied
• The CUNA-League system’s reputation was rated #1 in the financial services industry and #5 overall against other prominent associations by Washington's Senior Policymakers.
• The CUNA-League system gained significant strides for respect as an organization in the public debate field, proving our marketing and strategic communications as successful.
• The CUNA-League system outperforms its peers in the financial services industry in all areas of advocacy, including:
  • Activating members and state Leagues to directly engage policymakers,
  • Contributing accurate and reliable research & data for policy conversations,
  • Consistently and effectively communicating with Washington policymakers,
  • Having strong engagement from executives,
  • Building credible partnerships, and more.
• The CUNA-League system is uniquely bipartisan, scoring well above the average of other prominent associations with both Republicans and Democrats.

According to the Ballast study, one policy advisor serving in the U.S. Senate noted: “CUNA has a competitive advantage in showcasing local voices. They have more civic engagement, they have more members, they try to do more in the community.”

CU FORWARD Day, the annual celebration of credit unions spreading kindness, will be held on Monday, October 12, 2020. So far, 39 credit unions and organizations have committed to give back to their communities on the traditional bank holiday.

What can we accomplish for 2020?
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There are many opportunities to take part at home, virtually or in socially-distant small groups.
Visit the CU FORWARD Day Resource page (Member Login required) for ideas and resources to help plan.
 
To register for CU FORWARD Day, contact Director of Engagement, Ben Hering, by email.

Webinar on CCPA Next Week
On September 21, the Minnesota Credit Union Network is hosting a webinar giving an overview of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and its accompanying regulations. 

FFCRA Leave Rules Updated
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued revised regulations on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act’s (FFCRA) paid sick leave and paid family leave provisions. 

Created in 2008, the Credit Union Builder Award honors an individual’s dedication to the success, growth, and vitality of the not-for-profit financial movement in Minnesota. Dedications are typically made at a special time of significance to acknowledge their contributions to credit unions.

In total, 72 individuals have been designated as Credit Union Builders. The name of the recipients are permanently displayed in lobby of  the Minnesota Credit Union Network as a tribute to those who have dedicated time and energy to building the credit union movement.

The honorees (or their families, in the case of a memoriam contribution) receive acknowledgement from the Minnesota Credit Union Foundation, and donors are also listed online and in the Foundation’s annual report. A minimum $1,500 contribution is required to designate a Credit Union Builder Award.
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Visit the CU Builder page for more information. With questions, contact Andrea Molnau, Executive Director of the Minnesota Credit Unions Foundation.

​Member expectations and financial needs are changing in ways credit unions could not have anticipated at the beginning of 2020. Join us for the Innovation Peer-to-Peer (P2P) on Tuesday, September 29 at 1 p.m. via webinar and video conference to discuss what innovation at credit unions looks like during and as a result of the pandemic. 

​Join the Minnesota Credit Union Network's Strategic Alliance partner, Credit Union Loan Source (CULS), on Thursday, September 24 at 10 a.m. to learn about ways in which their services can support your auto loan portfolio needs. The Network has partnered with CULS to provide state-chartered credit unions the opportunity to supplement direct auto loan growth by investing in indirect auto loan participations.

The Minnesota Credit Union Foundation seeks your feedback! As we look ahead to 2021 and beyond, your feedback and input will help guide the Foundation as it strives to provide resources for credit unions and communities to prosper and thrive.
 
Founded in 1969 by the Minnesota Credit Union Network, the Foundation is governed by a seven-member board of directors from various Minnesota credit unions and is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
 
Please provide your response to our 2020 survey by Friday, September 25. This survey will take 5 minutes of your time, and all comments and suggestions are welcome.
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NetGiver and the Minnesota Credit Union Network will be launching a giving campaign this year starting on CU Forward Day (October 12th) and running through the end of the year. CU Forward Day has traditionally been an opportunity for credit union employees to volunteer and engage in the community, to give back through donations and volunteer hours. This year however, credit unions have the option to engage their membership in "social distanced giving". In this year‘s initiative, Minnesota credit unions and members will be encouraged to donate to two organizations that aid in the support of COVID-19 relief: Second Harvest Heartland and Mayo Clinic.
 
As a credit union community, we are asking you to consider donating to help with food insecurity or medical research. Second Harvest Heartland and Mayo Clinic will receive 100% of your donation when given using NetGiver. NetGiver is a charitable giving platform exclusively for members.
 
“We are all coming together at this critical time, to support initiatives that are important not only to our credit union and our members, but every credit union’s members in the country. We’re proud of the work that is happening at the Mayo Clinic, and excited to encourage our communities to support the great research with 100% donations through NetGiver,” said Mary Hansen, Mayo Employees Federal Credit Union.
 
Minnesota credit unions and their members which do not have access to NetGiver are also invited to make online donations to Mayo Clinic’s COVID-19 response effort. Gifts to this initiative will help fund the development and evaluation of vaccines and other emerging coronavirus therapies.
 
With questions about NetGiver, please reach out to Kris Jacobsen. With questions about CU Forward Day, please contact Ben Hering. 

​The Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN) is pleased to announce the state-level winners of the 2020 Dora Maxwell, Louise Herring and Desjardins award competitions. These awards are sponsored each year by MnCUN and the Credit Union National Association (CUNA).
 
The 2020 Minnesota award-winners in the asset categories noted are:
 
Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award
$250 million - $1 billion in assets: SouthPoint Financial Credit Union
More than $1 billion in asset: Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union
 
Louise Herring Award for Philosophy in Action
$50 - 250 million in assets: First Alliance Credit Union
$250 million - $1 billion in assets: SouthPoint Financial Credit Union
More than $1 billion in assets: Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union

Desjardins Adult Financial Education Award
$50 - 250 million in assets: HomeTown Credit Union
$250 million - $1 billion in assets: TopLine Federal Credit Union
More than $1 billion in assets: SPIRE Credit Union
 
Desjardins Youth Financial Education Awards
$50 -$250 million in assets: North Star Credit Union
$250 million - $1 billion in assets: TopLine Federal Credit Union
More than $1 billion in assets: SPIRE Credit Union
 
“The Dora Maxwell, Louise Herring, and Desjardins statewide award winners illustrate how credit unions live the “people helping philosophy” through their everyday operations, community service and education,” MnCUN President & CEO Mark Cummins. “We are proud of the work that they do to improve their members’ financial well-being and communities as a whole.”
 
The Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award was created in 1987 and recognizes credit unions for the activities they coordinate that benefit the community or a specific charity. This award promotes social responsibility among credit unions by formally recognizing their achievements outside the credit union.
 
The Louise Herring Philosophy in Action Member Service Award is given to a credit union for its practical application of the "people helping people” philosophy in internal operations. Created in 1990, this award promotes the credit union philosophy by formally recognizing credit unions that demonstrate in an extraordinary way the application of the movement's principles in serving their members.
 
The Desjardins Youth and Adult Financial Education Awards formally recognize the leadership of individual credit unions and chapters in their efforts to better educate youth and adults in financial literacy.