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

• RCU Foundation Announces Support for Science and Technology Innovation Center at UW-River Falls,
•  SPIRE Welcomes Baseball Great Tony Oliva as Newest Partner,

• ​ St. Thomas Athletics enters multi-year partnership with Wings Financial Credit Union,

•  TopLine Credit Union Members and Employees Bring Comfort to Those in Need
•  Minnesota Credit Unions Band Together to Offer Commercial Lending, and
•  TruStone Financial Donates $9,000 to Aiding Ukraine.

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​Got news of your own? Send stories, pitches, press releases and published articles to MnCUN Director of Communications Julia Miller.

Across Minnesota, credit unions are highlighting the importance of financial education and offering resources to their members and communities to meet their goals and achieve financial well-being: 

•  Affinity Plus and Junior Achievement North Launch Financial Literacy Curriculum Project Across Minnesota
•  Accentra Sponsors Program to Teach Financial Literacy to Students of All Ages (Albert Lea Tribune)
•  First Alliance is hosting a Youth Financial Literacy Contest where kids (and parents) can learn about managing   money and win totally awesome prizes!

•  Northern Communities Credit Union Introduces Soar Program members understand fundamental financial   concepts and help them meet their financial goals.  

​Share your financial education initiatives and activities for the month of April with MnCUN, by emailing Director of Communications Julia Miller. 

Log into the Member Portal for sample social media messages and images to support your credit union’s activities this month. 
​

​CUNA and the Cooperative Trust - a young professionals group through the Filene Research Institute - have partnered with state leagues to send young credit union professionals from each state and D.C. to take part in the event. Taubel will join 51 other crashers to attend the core schedule of GAC events, along with exclusive speaker sessions for young adults to help promote credit unions locally and nationally.

Details about CUNA GAC can be found on the event’s website. Please visit the Cooperative Trust's webpage to stay informed on future Crash opportunities. 

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

• ​ SPIRE’S Burleson Appointed to National Examination & Supervision Task Force,
•  Affinity Plus Gives All Employees Raises, Extra Days Off For Serving Members During Record Year,
•  Wings Financial Credit Union Surpasses $2 Million Returned to Members Through HomeAdvantage Program,
•  TruStone Financial Supports Veterans and Donates $6,177 to Tee It Up for the Troops,
•  Associated Healthcare Credit Union Helps Henrietta Schmoll School of Health Students at St. Catherine  University, and
•  Royal Credit Union Receives CDFI Financial Assistance Grant.

​Got news of your own? Send stories, pitches, press releases and published articles to MnCUN Director of Communications Julia Miller.

​The Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN) is pleased to announce the state-level winners of the 2021 Dora Maxwell, Louise Herring and Desjardins award competitions. These awards are sponsored each year by MnCUN and the Credit Union National Association (CUNA).

​​“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 2021 Minnesota award-winners in the asset categories noted are:

Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award
$50 - 250 million in assets: North Star Credit Union, "People Helping People: Giving Back"
$250 million - $1 billion in assets: Minnco Credit Union, "Minnco Moments"
More than $1 billion in assets: Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union, "Coins for a Cause"

Louise Herring Philosophy-in-Action Member Service Award
$50 - 250 million in assets: Centricity Credit Union, "Distance Learning and Back 2 School Drive"
$250 million - $1 billion assets: SouthPoint Financial Credit Union, "Community Advisory Committee inception"
More than $1 billion in assets: Hiway Credit Union, "Hiway Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (DEI)"

Desjardins Adult Financial Education Award
$50 - 250 million in assets: Northwoods Credit Union, "Senior Day in Cloquet"
 $250 million - $1 billion in assets: TopLine Federal Credit Union, "Virtual Workshops"
More than $1 billion in assets: SPIRE Credit Union, "SPIRE-Twin Cities Live "Money Makeover"

Desjardins Youth Financial Education Awards
$50 - 250 million in assets: United Educators Credit Union, "Bringing Virtual Financial Literacy to Members"
$250 million - $1 billion in assets: TopLine Federal Credit Union, "Virtual Youth Financial Literacy Workshops"
More than $1 billion in assets: SPIRE Credit Union, "Saving Cash" SPIRE Children's Book

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.

More information can be found on the National Awards Page. 

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.
​

•  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.

​As the Minnesota Credit Union Network is recognizing April as Financial Well-being for All month, we are proud to highlight how credit unions are committed to empowering their members and communities with financial education:

​Congratulations to the Minnesota Credit Union Network members who are the recipients of the 2021 CUNA Marketing & Business Development Diamond Awards. The most prestigious annual credit union marketing competition, the Diamond Awards recognize and reward creative excellence and outstanding results.

8 credit unions and NetGiver are among the winners:

• Altra Federal Credit Union, Onalaska, WI
• City & County Credit Union, Maplewood, MN
• First Alliance Credit Union, Rochester, MN
• Hiway Credit Union, St. Paul, MN
• Members Cooperative Credit Union, Duluth, MN
• MY CREDIT UNION, Bloomington, MN
• NetGiver, Minneapolis, MN
• Royal Credit Union, Eau Claire, WI
• SPIRE Credit Union, Falcon Heights, MN

​Winners were announced following the Marketing & Business Development Council virtual conference and each day during the week of April 12, winners will be honored from a portion of the 35 Diamond Award categories in a fast-paced, virtual environment. More details on Diamond Awards week is available on the CUNA Councils website.