The DE Program helps established and emerging leaders within the credit union movement understand and leverage credit unions’ unique business model to serve members and communities in new and better ways. Upon completion of the DE Program, individuals earn their CUDE designation and join over 2,000 credit union advocates from around the world.

This coming spring, the National Credit Union Foundation will host two DE Training classes in a virtual learning environment. Over 4 weeks, participants will engage in a mix of on-demand and live learning sessions. Live learning sessions will be held on Mondays and Tuesdays between the hours of 10 AM – 4 PM CT for the duration of training.
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March 15 – April 9, 2021
April 26 – May 21, 2021

Registration will begin for our March and April DE Training Programs on January 12, 2021, at 10 AM CT.

Please note, that with all the uncertainty around COVID-19, the National Credit Union Foundation will be running two registration cycles in 2021. We are hopeful that we will be able to resume in-person training in 2021 however, the health and safety of future DE participants is most important in determining how we will offer DE Training next year. Programming details, registration information, and scholarship applications for Fall 2021 DE Training will be shared in early June. 

Who Should Attend DE?
DE Training is intended for emerging or established leaders from credit unions, system partners and organizations that support credit unions*. Employees from all organizational levels are eligible to attend - from c-suite, to MSRs, accounting or IT folks, marketers and board directors... all are encouraged to attend! 

Spring 2021 DE Training Scholarships
The National Credit Union Foundation is proud to support DE scholarships - provided by the DE Scholarship Fund – which offer registration for individuals to attend one of the U.S. DE Programs in 2021. These scholarships are intended to support individuals who may have difficulty finding the necessary funding to attend DE Training. Each scholarship will cover the full cost of attending DE Training in a virtual learning environment. The application for a scholarship to attend either the March or April DE Training session is now available. Applications will be accepted through EOD January 11, 2021. To apply: www.surveymonkey.com/r/MYBMTQV

For more information on requirements and scholarships visit: https://www.ncuf.coop/development-education/program/

Watch for more information about Minnesota Credit Union Foundation CUDE Scholarships coming soon. With questions, contact Andrea Molnau.

​Please join us for the most important date on the MnCUN calendar next year with one big change – Credit Union Day becomes Credit Union Impact Week at the Capitol, from February 1-4, 2021! While it will look very different in 2021 than in previous years, the importance of engaging our elected officials has not changed one bit and we want to try to have the biggest virtual impact possible.

This year, we are changing our format from one day of action to several days to maximize our political engagement efforts. On Monday, February 1 starting at 9 a.m., participants will see legislative leaders from both the House and Senate addressing our entire conference, followed by a legislative briefing on important issues and then virtual meetings with key committee members. The rest of the week will consist of actions that can take place from home, with email and mailed communications to the entire legislative body, talking up the importance of credit unions and our ability to serve our members. MnCUN will actively work to connect advocates their legislators throughout the session. 
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Just because we can’t all be together in Saint Paul doesn’t lessen the importance of ensuring legislators understand who we are and what we stand for. Please join us to help do your part to help our industry survive and thrive during the Credit Union Impact week 

MnCUN will provide a briefing on the 2021 MN Legislative Session and a preview of the CU Impact week at the Capitol on Jan. 13, 2021 at 9:00 am. 

In a year with so many challenges, Minnesota’s Open Your Eyes Initiative made strides in boosting consumer awareness of credit unions. At a webinar yesterday, the analytics from the 2020 campaign and most recent ad recall poll results were reviewed and updates shared for 2021 enhancements.
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122,000,000 impressions were delivered in 2020 through OTT Streaming Ads, Social Media, Banner and Video Pre-roll, and statewide radio and transit ads. Our most recent, year-end Google Poll noted 34% of respondents in our target demographic recalled seeing our ads, and 50% indicated they are likely or very likely to join a credit union.
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Digital ad performance improved in 2020 as well. Click thru Rates ranged between .7-1.16;  increasing from .4 in 2019; while the CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions) was reduced by half. 

The 2021 Awareness Initiative will continue to focus on reaching Minnesota young adults. New, fresh creative will be launched in first quarter, and included in digital display ads and pre-roll video, social media, and Over-the-Top steaming video commercials. Contributors to the campaign will have access to new branded marketing materials; plus preferred placement on YourMoneyFurther.com. We are excited to introduce a number of enhancements and new features coming next year for contributors,  like "audience sharing”, "join now” buttons, a credit union matcher, and more.

The session was recorded and MnCUN members can access both the video and the slide deck online. Please note a log in is required. With questions, please contact  Andrea Molnau, VP Communications & Engagement at amolnau@mncun.org. 

The Minnesota Credit Unions for Kids Committee invites all credit unions to participate in the 2021 Chain of Hearts fundraiser to benefit Minnesota and western Wisconsin’s Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare.

​Jan. 4 to Feb. 28, 2021 are the campaign dates but credit unions may participate during any time frame that best fits their calendar. This campaign can also be postponed into the spring or summer if you prefer to hold it when your lobbies are open. Future supply orders can be made at any time by emailing Becky Holst at bholst@gillettechildrens.com. Allow 2 weeks for your supplies to be shipped and delivered.

The MnCU Foundation has several current Grant opportunities available for credit unions:

• Financial & Audit Professionals Grant applications are now open. Funding from the Financial & Audit Professionals Grant program is intended to cover or defray the costs for credit union professionals and/or volunteers to attend timely and accurate educational events, conferences and seminars on financial and audit-related topics. Applications will be accepted until Dec. 31, 2020 for use in 2021.  
  
• Funds are still available in the $65,000 Grant Pool available for Pandemic Relief. MnCUN affiliate members under $100M in assets are eligible to apply for up to $2,500 in funding to address a past, current or future expense - expenses that have been incurred after March 15th, 2020 will be considered. If your credit union previously applied for a grant lower than $2,500, you may submit another application for the balance if needed. A portion of the available funds were provided by a generous donation from Alloya Corporate Credit Union. Applications will remain open until the fund has been exhausted.
  
• ​The GAC Scholarship was created to provide financial assistance to credit union staff and/or volunteers who are members of the Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN) and wish to participate in CUNA’s Governmental Affairs Conference. The Foundation has a $8,000 scholarship pool, and funds allocated to applicants may be used for the cost of the conference registration. The premier event for political impact in the credit union industry, will be an interactive virtual format for 2021. The GAC Grant application deadline has been extended to January 28, 2021.

​To apply for any of the grants noted above, visit mncun.org/apply-for-a-grant. With questions, please contact the Minnesota Credit Union Foundation’s Executive Director Andrea Molnau. 

The Minnesota Credit Union Employee Benefits Plan (Plan) saw growth in membership for 2021. All credit unions that participated in the inaugural year of the Plan (2020) renewed for 2021. The average renewal increase was 5.9% with many credit unions seeing renewal increases of less than 5%. Three additional credit unions joined the Plan for 2021, bringing the total number of employer groups in the Plan to 17 and the total number of covered employees to over 400.

The Plan is currently fully-insured by Medica with the goal of becoming self-insured within the new few years. The benefits of being self-insured include, reduced costs and volatility, more control and flexibility. Although the Plan is helping participants save money now, it’s the long-term savings and benefits we are focused on because they will have the largest impact in the long-run.

The faster  the plan can grow, the sooner this goal can be achieved. If you are interested in learning more about the Plan, please contact Tim Tacheny or Tommy Rempfer. Information is also available on our website. 

To sustain and increase the political prominence and influence of Minnesota credit unions, it is imperative to have a strong and sustainable fundraising program for our state and federal political action committees.
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To achieve this objective, MnCUN’s Political Involvement Committee (PIC) has endorsed the Fair Share plan, which challenges each credit union in the state to financially support political fundraising initiatives. Last week, the Network’s Political Involvement Committee (PIC) voted to keep the Fair Share goal for our member credit unions at $30 a person.
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“The Fair Share program was developed to encourage every credit union employee to help protect their industry in the halls of government and has resulted in contributions from hundreds of people across the state,” MnCUN Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer Mara Humphrey said. “The small dollars raised from so many people demonstrate the depth and breadth of support from credit union staff and we want to thank each and every one that contributed to helping to further the mission of Minnesota’s credit unions.”

Thank you to the credit unions who have met their Fair Share goal:

City & County
Co-Op Credit Union of Montevideo
Embarrass Vermillion
HBI Employees
Hiway
Mid Minnesota
Minnco
North Memorial
Northwoods
Red Wing
Riverview
Royal
TopLine
United Employees
Minnesota Credit Union Network

To check your credit union’s progress toward its Fair Share Goal, or for information on any other fundraising programs, please contact MnCUN Director of Political Advocacy Ryan Smith by email.

Late Monday night, during the 7th special session during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Minnesota legislature approved a $216 million relief package for businesses and workers in Minnesota.

The key components of the bill included:

• $114.8 million for counties to make grants to eligible struggling businesses and nonprofits. Each county would receive the greater of $200,000 or a per capita amount based on its 2019 population;
• $88 million to businesses that have seen at least a 30 percent decline and that provide on-site food and beverages; including bars, restaurants, breweries and wineries; bowling alleys; and fitness or sports recreation centers. Payments would be $10,000-$45,000 based on the number of employees; and
• $14 million for movie theaters and multipurpose convention centers with a capacity of at least 1,500 people. A per screen formula would be used to help movie theaters and several factors would be considered for convention center allocations. Convention center awards would need to be used for direct operations and facility upkeep.

The bill also included a provision for Minnesotans nearing their unemployment-collection cap that would allow them to receive 13 more weeks of benefits, from Dec. 27, 2020 to April 10, 2021. It would not be stacked with any future federal benefit extension, meaning the most a person can get is 13 extra weeks. An estimated 100,000-125,000 Minnesotans are slated to lose unemployment benefits Dec. 26 without a state or federal extension.

Bureau Finalizes Changes to Qualified Mortgages
​​Last Thursday (12/10) the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) issued final rules on qualified mortgage (QM) loans.