Due to the worsening situation with COVID-19 and low anticipated attendance, MnCUN has made the difficult decision to cancel our Fall Leadership Conference for 2020. We had hoped at the time of opening registration conditions would continue to improve; unfortunately, that is not the case. We are disappointed not to be gathering in person, however, the safety of our members, partners and staff remain our top priority.

We hope to see you online soon at one of several virtual events to connect with your credit union community. Upcoming events include the Small Credit Union Webinar Series, P2P sessions, Women’s Leadership Network, and CREW.  Check out upcoming professional development opportunities at mncun.org/professional-development.  We are also working on programming changes to our rescheduled Annual Conference in November. Watch for more details coming in the next couple weeks.  

With questions, please contact Andrea Molnau, VP Communications & Engagement by email or phone at 651-288-5527.

NCUA
 
Regulatory Alert - Treatment of Certain COVID-19-Related Loss Mitigation Options Under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act – July 28, 2020 

MnCUN works proactively to create an environment for credit unions to grow market share. To help achieve this goal, MnCUN has established restricted funds to strengthen our advocacy efforts on behalf of Minnesota’s credit unions – the Awareness Fund and the Advocacy Fund.

Expenditures from the Advocacy Fund are used to enhance MnCUN’s dues supported advocacy activities and increase credit unions’ impact through:

• Sponsorship of Minnesota’s Hospitality Suite at the GAC and the GAC Luncheon for more than 100 Minnesota attendees.
• Election sponsorships in the 2020 election cycle. This included debates, web ads and election coverage to ensure that Minnesota Credit Unions’ messages were in front of candidates during a tumultuous election. 
• Minnesota support for Credit Union House in Washington D.C.  Credit Union House is owned by state leagues and AACUL to provide an event center and meeting space on Capitol Hill. 
• The National Advocacy Fund, which is coordinated by CUNA, and finances grassroots advocacy, electoral polling, research, and partisan communications. National Advocacy Fund dollars have been deployed in Minnesota for election engagement, taxation polling and radio ads.
• Sponsorship of the Wrong About Everything podcast. Wrong About Everything is a fun, irreverent and bipartisan look at Minnesota and national politics. Two Liberals and Two Conservatives debate the issues of the day with humor and vigor. The podcast is listened to by legislators and public opinion leaders in Minnesota. 
• Grassroots materials and collateral.
• NASCUS Membership to enhance efforts to strengthen the state charter. 

Expenditures from the Credit Union Awareness Fund support MnCUN’s public affairs strategies, including public relations and media relations activities, research, and consumer awareness initiatives.

In 2019, Minnesota was the first state to launch the national Open Your Eyes to a Credit Union Consumer Awareness Initiative. The campaign met or exceeded its goals, and state specific research showed Minnesota consumers likely or very likely to join a credit union increased by 11.7 points.

Nearly 60% of Minnesota Credit Unions contributed financially to the 2020 Awareness Fund. Digital ads placed by CUNA for the Open Your Eyes campaign ran in 1st quarter from January through March 20 on social media. Transit ads continued in the Twin Cities market, and new messaging on transit was launched in Greater Minnesota markets.
In light of the Covid-19 crisis, the Minnesota Credit Union Awareness Initiative shifted strategy to focus on how credit unions are supporting their members and communities through the pandemic. This included paid Public Service Announcements on web, social media channels, and radio running throughout Minnesota.
​
On the national level, CUNA paused the digital Open Your Eyes to a Credit Union® ads as of March 20 due to Covid-19. They have since retooled and calibrated the marketing assets and are now releasing updated ads into market in several states. Minnesota will begin using the updated marketing assets in July.
 
Along with the consumer awareness initiative, the Awareness Fund supports additional Public Affairs activities on behalf of Minnesota’s Credit Unions:

• Managed the Credit Union News Channel to share credit union news more efficiently. 96 stories have been published January – June 2020 and MnCUN influenced 65 earned media mentions.
• Partnered with Fluence Media to sponsor editions of “Morning Take,” “Business Take,” “Ag Take,” and “Law Take,” daily online news previews, which reach 10,000 influencers in Minnesota.   

​The Minnesota Credit Union Network would like to thank credit unions for their support of the Awareness and Advocacy Funds. Full report details and financial statements have been mailed to member credit unions.

The Women’s Leadership Network invites female credit union colleagues to our next virtual event on August 27 from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
 
Leadership Coach and Facilitator Lisa Hayes will be joining us again for the second session in her series Your Leadership Coordinates for Leadership Presence.
 
In this session, Lisa will focus on Powerful Communication; how to make your voice heard, have confidence in communication, influencing your audience, and being assertive.
 
Join us for an engaging conversation online, connect with your Women’s Leadership Network
colleagues, and receive resources from the day.
 
Registration is now open and available until August 21.
 
For more information about the Minnesota Credit Union Women’s Leadership Network, visit
the group page online.

​Join thousands of credit union leaders across the country online, Thursday, August 13 for a day of Discovery! This free conference, presented by CUNA Mutual Group, is designed to help boost your strategic planning with innovative ideas and key insights. 
 
Discovery 2020 is designed for credit union leaders and agenda topics are carefully chosen each year. This year’s conference includes topics that were most requested by credit union leaders as well as two panel discussions that will cover very timely subjects. An exclusive panel of influential credit union leaders will discuss collaboration within the credit union movement to meet the needs of members during pivotal times.

Don’t miss this valuable opportunity. Check out the Agenda and Register Today! 

A great deal of advertising has shifted online as people hunkered down at home. Yet essential businesses remained open, including gas stations and the convenience stores attached to them. GSTV—which broadcasts advertising and content at the pump—found that messaging on the platform’s 24,000 locations became essential communication. GSTV reaches one-third of American adults each month and counts Nielsen, Comscore, IRI, Placed and others as data partners.

Americans are hitting the road again for the summer months. Behaviors have shifted, though – and the personal vehicle is now more important than ever. You can engage them at the start of their journey, with GSTV.  

68% OF DRIVERS WILL DRIVE MORE / AS MUCH AS THEY DID PRE-COVID (IPSOS POLL)

“We’ve always been 3-5 minutes of someone’s day running errands,” said Sean McCaffrey, GSTV president and CEO. “We realized that those errands were more important because people were stocking up, or are essential workers. At a minimum, people want something informational and, at best, something a little entertaining.” added McCaffrey. 

Credit Unions can take advantage of the natural access GSTV has to their audience. Auto loans may be especially timely, since 1 IN 3 US CONSUMERS ARE CONSIDERING BUYING A CAR IN 2020 according to the Capegemini Research Institute. 

No matter your message, GSTV gives you to reach engaged audiences near your targeted branches. Running a GSTV promo is an extremely cost-effective way to drive local awareness, and as a credit union, you also enjoy an exclusive discount from GSTV.  

If you are interested in learning more about GSTV, please contact andremello@cusolutionsgroup.com.

The Minnesota Credit Union Network is excited to announce the findings of a report published by Commonwealth, highlighting the benefits members of credit unions have experienced through prize-linked savings accounts.
 
The report, conducted with participating members of the WINcentive program, shows that offering the chance to win a prize is effective in promoting savings habits, and also may attract members to their first committed savings product.
 
The full report can be viewed on Commonwealth’s website.