​In mid-May, the Minnesota state legislature adjourned their regular session with an agreement between the House and Senate leaders on the overall state budget numbers and tasked committee chairs with working out the details of their respective budgets.

MnCUN is pleased to announce two new leadership development opportunities for Minnesota Credit Union professionals looking to further their careers in the movement: the Tristate Mentorship Match and MnCUN Trailblazers Executive Readiness Training. We are hosting informational webinars on both programs in the coming weeks.

Join us on June 30 at 11:00 a.m. to learn more about the Tristate Mentor Match. This new mentorship opportunity is a 12-month program is designed to build, grow, support, and inspire credit union professionals in their careers and commitment to the Credit Union Movement. The program is a partnership among the Minnesota Credit Union Network, Montana’s Credit Unions and the Wisconsin Credit Union League to expand our reach and bring our collective members a rich and diverse opportunity to network and grow. We are seeking applications for both mentors and mentees. Follow this link to register.

Join us on July 8 at 10:00 a.m. to learn more about  MnCUN’s Trailblazers  Executive Readiness Training. This 12-month program is designed to accelerate executive level leadership skills and build credit union specific knowledge needed to succeed in our industry. Learn more about this exciting opportunity, hear from several of the Minnesota Credit Union professionals who helped design the program, and get your questions answered. Follow this link to register.

Both sessions are free and will be recorded. With questions, contact Mara Humphrey , Andrea Molnau or Ben Hering.

Get recognized for your credit union's efforts to give back to the community, demonstrate the people helping philosophy, and provide financial education.

Submissions for the annual Dora Maxwell, Louise Herring and Desjardins Financial Education recognition programs are due next Friday, June 25. While last year's awards programs encouraged submissions through the first half of 2020, submitted projects for this year should have primarily taken place during 2021. 

​​Links to the individual award applications are below. Those who enter will compete with other credit unions in the same asset category.

• Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award recognizes credit unions that promote social responsibility. In particular, the focus of the award is to draw attention to external credit union projects and activities that benefit the community.
   
• Louise Herring Award for Philosophy-in-Action focuses on the internal programs and services of a credit union. Credit unions who received the award have demonstrated the practical application of the credit union philosophy within the actual operations of the credit union.
   
• Desjardins Youth and Adult Financial Education Awards recognizes the leadership of individual credit unions and chapters on behalf of youth and adult financial education. Activities eligible for consideration include those that raise awareness and marshal resources on behalf of financial literacy.
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Award entries are judged by the Dakotas Credit Union Association Awards Committee to ensure unbiased results. The winners in each award category will advance to CUNA’s national contest where they will compete with credit unions across the country, with judging to take place this fall. Full program details and FAQs are available on the MnCUN Awards Page.
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Contact Julia Miller, MnCUN Director of Communications with questions by email at [email protected].

​We can't wait to share kindness once again for CU Forward Day® 2021 on Oct. 11! We have ideas and tools to help your credit union get started with planning.

​​​​Coordinators of CU Forward Day, please confirm your credit union's participation in CU Forward Day 2021 via the event registration page. Coordinators will receive communications regarding kick-off, scheduled activities, and planning meetings. CU Forward Day coordinators, credit union leadership and staff are all welcome to join as planning gets started. 

With questions, please reach out to MnCUN Director of Engagement, Ben Hering, via email.

Learn more about the outstanding programs, new initiatives and well-deserved recognition received by your peers recently. 

​​Got news of your own? Send stories, pitches, press releases and published articles to MnCUN Director of Communications Julia Miller.
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•  Royal Credit Union Receives $1.8 Million CDFI Rapid Response Grant. Royal Credit Union has been awarded more than $1.8 million from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Rapid Response Program.  
• Tackling the Problem of Fraud Targeting Seniors (Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union): June 15 is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, which is an international call to action to recognize the threat posed by elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
• Topline Credit Union Members And Employees Help Our Neighbors In Need. TopLine Federal Credit Union’s annual Personal Care Drive held during the month of May benefited three local non-profits, Avenues for Youth, Keystone Community Services and Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities. 
• ​City & County Credit Union Hosts Shred Days & Donates 3,000 Pounds of Food.  To help the community safely and securely shred their sensitive documents, City & County Credit Union hosted a Shred Day event at the Maplewood and Minnetonka Branch
• Will Offices In The Twin Cities Ever Return To The Way They Were? (Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union)​. Fourteen months ago, every desk on the third floor of the Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union in St. Paul was occupied.