Last Friday, the US House passed the Biden Administration’s Build Back Better bill. The IRS reporting provision WAS NOT included in this version, marking a tremendous victory for credit union advocacy. The bill will now move to the Senate, where it is expected to undergo significant revisions and will most likely come back to the House for a vote looking very different than it does now. MnCUN will continue to monitor the bill’s progress and keep up our communications with our Minnesota Senators but we’re cautiously optimistic that the IRS reporting provision is effectively dead.
 
Thank to our credit union advocates for voicing opposition on this issue.

​Please join us for a webinar on Monday, December 13, 2021 from 1 – 2pm, to review the analytics from the 2021 campaign, hear our most recent ad recall poll results, and learn more about what’s coming next in 2022. We will be joined by Christopher Lorence of CUNA Awareness, and Blois Olson of Fluence Media.

The Awareness program has achieved fantastic results, and we’re already building on that success towards an even brighter future. New consumer-focused website, new credit union locator, and brand new customizable marketing materials focused on elevating the credit union difference and driving consumers to take action to join a credit union. We are excited for the next phase of this incredibly important initiative, and we THANK YOU for your continued support! 

​Check out this preview video debuted at Accelerate 21.

The webinar is free although we ask that you please register. The session will be recorded. With questions, please contact  Andrea Molnau, VP Communications & Engagement at [email protected]. 

The Baker Group’s Interest Rate Risk and Investment Strategies Seminar was developed specifically for managers of financial institutions. Designed to meet current financial challenges, it is an in-depth examination of topics including: 
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•  Economic Update: Post-Pandemic Policy and Market Conditions,
•  Recent Banking Industry Trends,
•  Regulatory Hot Button Issues for 2021,
•  Best Practices for Interest Rate Risk Management and Liquidity Risk Management, 
•  Developing an Investment Strategy Process to Successfully Deploy Excess Liquidity,
•  Finding the Best Relative Value in Today’s Bond Market,
•  Municipal Credit Risk and Recommendations: What to Buy and What to Avoid, and
•  Mortgage Market Prepays and Cash Flow Analysis: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

Date: Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Location: JW Marriott Minneapolis, Mall of America, 2141 Landau Lane, Minneapolis, MN 55425
Agenda:
Breakfast 7:30 am
Seminar 8:30 am
Lunch 12:00 pm
Conclusion 4:00 pm

Who Should Attend:
Financial institutions’ CEOs, CFOs, investment officers, board members, and those who are directly or indirectly responsible for financial management functions will benefit from this seminar. There is no cost for this seminar.

The Foundation Scholarship Council (FSC) annual scholarship program is accepting applications through November 30, 2021 with recipients being announced in March 2022.

​​This year the council will be awarding $16,000 which includes eight $1,000 scholarships to traditional applicants and eight $1,000 scholarships to non-traditional applicants. Any member of a Minnesota Credit Union Network affiliated credit union pursuing post-secondary education in the fall 2022/spring 2023 OR is a high school senior graduating in 2022 is eligible to apply.

Applications are accepted online with a submission deadline of November 30, 2021. Applicants are asked to answer the following essay question: How did the way you interact and communicate with businesses change during the pandemic and what would you like to see continue in the future? From these experiences what suggestions do you have for your credit union?

The Foundation Scholarship Council (FSC) is a committee of the Minnesota Credit Union Foundation. The FSC strives to build credit union brand awareness and strengthen member relationships through their scholarship program. Since its inauguration in 1997, the FSC has awarded over $200,000 in scholarships to Minnesota credit union members.

With questions about the scholarship program, contact the FSC.

​Covid-19 Safety Guidelines
MnCUN is committed to the wellbeing of all attendees, guests, sponsors, speakers, and staff as we return to in person events. See the current Covid-19 guidelines and Health Attestation policy.

Social
Have something to share about the event? We’ll be using #ACCELERATE21 on social media. Be sure to follow MnCUN on Facebook (@MinnesotaCreditUnions), Twitter (@mncreditunions), and Instagram (@mncreditunions).
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Event App
Attendees will have exclusive access to the conference mobile app, which will include schedules, speaker and session details, attendee engagement and information about our supporting partners! This is also where we will post speaker presentations and surveys.  Download the app by visiting the app store and searching for the "Minnesota Credit Union Network."

The Association for Black Economic Power (ABEP) is a nonprofit organization created to establish a Black-led credit union to address systemic financial challenges impacting Minneapolis residents, particularly people of color. ABEP is currently raising capital for post-opening operating expenses for Village Financial Credit Union. 

As the philanthropic arm of the Minnesota Credit Union movement -  the MnCU Foundation has established a special fund to receive donations from supporters for Village Financial Credit Union, and is seeking to raise $1 million from the credit union community.

“Establishing the only Black-led, cooperative credit union in Minneapolis is an opportunity to effect positive change, empower growth and economic stability while directly addressing the core cause of systemic poverty on a variety of levels,” said Debra Hurston, Executive Director Association for Black Economic Power. “The original organizers were very passionate about having a community led credit union that would directly respond to the community wealth gap.
Also, having the credit union owned and operated by the community provides a huge source of pride and independence for the members.” 
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Credit union history and principles are rooted in serving the underserved and cooperation among cooperatives. Please consider contributing to this effort. To learn more, visit mncun.org/villagefinancial or contact Minnesota Credit Union Foundation President Mark Cummins or Executive Director Andrea Molnau.

Federal Appeals Court Issues Permanent Stay on OSHA’s Vaccine Rules: Last Friday, a three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals - Fifth Circuit issued an order permanently staying enforcement and implementation of OSHA’s emergency temporary standard that required “large” employers to implement vaccination and testing requirements (ETS). 

​Meeting Flexibility for Federal Credit Unions Extended to 2022: The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) extended the flexibility for federal credit unions to conduct meetings virtually in 2022.

​This month we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of Credit Union House (CU House), the credit union “home away from home” in Washington, D.C. It serves as a convenient, permanent venue on Capitol Hill where CUNA, League and credit union representatives meet to discuss strategies, plan Hill meetings and share feedback from Congressional visits.

​The facility is a perfect example of the CUNA-League System working together to advance our shared mission. Its prime location makes it a landmark for credit unions in Washington. Minnesota credit unions support the CU House through contributions to the MnCUN Advocacy Fund.