Join the National Credit Union Administration’s third summit focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. This year’s event will take place November 2-4, 2022, with a theme promoting action: All-In on DEI & ACCESS. The two-and-a-half day, hybrid event will bring together professionals from credit unions and other financial institutions to promote the value proposition of diversity, equity, and inclusion for the credit union industry; share DEI and financial inclusion best practices; and develop solutions to industry-specific challenges. The Summit will take place at the Hilton Washington Dulles Airport in Herndon, VA, and sessions will live-stream to remote participants.

​‌We are proud to share Dawn Dunkelberger, North Memorial FCU’s VP of Financial Services and Ben Herring, MnCUN’s Director of Engagement, will join a panel discussion on Increasing Financial Inclusion and Attracting Deposits through Prize Linked Savings Accounts on November 3rd, from 3:30pm to 4:30pm ET. Industry experts will discuss member research around PLS and provide actionable steps credit unions can take to address this important subject.
Additional information, including the full summit agenda, is available on the 2022 All-In on DEI & ACCESS Summit web page.

This summer, MnCUN partnered with Coopera to offer a series of webinars that connected the MnCUN Multicultural Opportunity Report with actionable examples for credit unions and communities to grow and prosper. Presented by Coopera, a full-service multicultural analytics and consulting firm, the series included three, one-hour virtual sessions: Financial Wellbeing from a Multicultural Perspective, Opportunities for Credit Unions to Serve Growing Multicultural Populations in Minnesota, and How can we do better? Addressing and closing the Wealth Gaps in Minnesota.

​PowerPoints from each session are available for MnCUN member credit unions under the Resources to Improve Member Engagement and Attract Prospective Members section of our online DEI Resource page. Please note log in is required. Credit unions can also access the full MnCUN Multicultural Opportunity Report.

With questions, reach out to Andrea Molnau, VP Communications & Engagement. 

The Association of Black Economic Power held a townhall meeting last week to provide updates to the community on the new credit union and to announce the results of voting for the new name. The community voted for “Arise Community Credit Union” by a landslide. The new name will be used in place of Village Financial Credit Union going forward.

Also last week, CUInsight published an article by Nation Credit Union Foundation executive director Gigi Hyland and MN CU Foundation Executive Director Andrea Molnau on the importance of the creation of the credit union and its opportunity to truly impact Financial Well-being with cooperative values.
​
The Minnesota Credit Union Foundation is seeking both Capital Contributions, Individual Donations, and Pledges of Deposit to help support this effort. To learn more, visit mncun.org/villagefinancial or contact Minnesota Credit Union Foundation President Mark Cummins or Executive Director Andrea Molnau.

Is your credit union looking to leverage Multicultural Opportunities in your market? Our final session with Coopera that connects the MnCUN Multicultural Opportunity Report with actionable examples for your credit union and your communities to grow and prosper will focus on the current wealth gaps in Minnesota.

​We’ll take a closer look at our own bias around lending, branding, and risk; and explore practical ways to overcome those biases to improve financial well-being for all.

Date: Wednesday, Aug. 10
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM CST
Cost: $49

As one of the final steps in the new credit union charter application process, the Association for Black Economic Power (ABEP) is seeking volunteers for credit union Board of Directors, Supervisory and Credit Committees. 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.

​It has been advised by state and federal regulators that credit union executive staff should not be on a board or committee of another credit union; however, staff and mid-level management would be acceptable based on the approval of the employing credit union.

“This would be an excellent professional development opportunity for those with financial, credit or compliance and audit experience,” said Mark Cummins, President & CEO of the Minnesota Credit Union Network. “Volunteering for the new credit union is a chance to build something from the ground up, and make a real difference in the lives of North Minneapolis community members.”
​
To learn more, visit https://www.learnaboutvillage.org/careers; or reach out directly to Debra Hurston, Executive Director of ABEP. 

The Association for Black Economic Power (ABEP) is pleased to provide the following update on the status of the new credit union charter application process. 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. Project updates include:

•  In going through the process to vet the name Village Financial Credit Union, it was determined that there is another financial institution in the Twin Cities using the name “Village Bank.” Due to trademark laws, ABEP was not able to receive legal approval to use the name Village Financial Credit Union for the new credit union. As a result, the Board of Directors underwent the process of selecting several options for a name. These options have been vetted to avoid any additional trademark concerns; and the Board feels these options reflect the mission and values the new credit union. The name options will soon go to the community so they may have input on selecting the final name.
  
  
• Discussions on additional funding have been submitted to the Gates Foundation, CNote, and several community Foundations. Talks have been re-established with the city of Minneapolis regarding grant options. The Minnesota Credit Union Foundation has raised $758,000 in capital donations and just under $3.9 million in deposit pledges. 
  
  
• The Charter Application is anticipated to be submitted by the end of June.

The Minnesota Credit Union Foundation continues to seek both Capital Contributions and Pledges of Deposit to help support this effort. To learn more, visit mncun.org/villagefinancial or contact Minnesota Credit Union Foundation President Mark Cummins or Executive Director Andrea Molnau.

A monthly call has been scheduled through MnCUN to provide additional updates and the opportunity to ask questions. 

MnCUN Director of Engagement, Ben Hering, was honored with an African American Credit Union Coalition (AACUC) Commitment to Change Young Professional Leadership Award last week during a virtual ceremony. 

The awards ceremony is part of the AACUC’s Commitment to Change: Credit Unions Unite Against Racism initiative. The initiative focuses on valuing the 8th Cooperative Principle of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; advocating for financial inclusion, closing the racial wealth gap and fostering community involvement. Each honoree was selected considering the initiative’s “Be Bold. Be Mindful. Be Brave.” appeal to credit union industry professionals.
 
Hering received the Brave Award for his allyship and shining a light on the needs of – as well as fighting for financial justice for – the Minneapolis community members after the murder of George Floyd.
 
“We are very proud of Ben for his accomplishments and thankful for his commitment to advancing economic equality and financial well-being for all Minnesotans,” said MnCUN President and CEO Mark Cummins.

Hering is currently working closely with the Association for Black Economic Power to create the state’s only Black-led credit union. A dedicated community volunteer, Hering is a Filene Research Institute i3 alumnus, led the development of Minnesota’s first bicycle loan program, and, as an artist, has paintings installed in several Minneapolis local businesses.
Hering graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. He has been recognized as the Emerging Leader of the Year by the Minneapolis Regional Chamber, a Credit Union Rockstar by Credit Union Magazine and a Next Top Credit Union Executive Finalist by CUES. 

Upon accepting the award, Hering said, “As we continue this work, let these moments be our bridge.  Let today resonate with ripples of hope, for change and toward a brighter tomorrow.”

By Opal Tomashevska, Director, Multicultural Business Strategy, CUNA Mutual Group. This article is provided as part of MnCUN's partnership with CUNA  Mutual Group. 

As I talk with credit unions around the country, I’ve been able to engage with many in the movement around multicultural business strategy, and there is one message I repeat over and over.

​To be competitive and to live up to our founding principle of people helping people, multicultural business strategy isn’t optional. It’s essential.

While multicultural business strategy is gaining traction in our industry, there are still some who believe that for their community or their credit union, it doesn’t apply. But that thinking doesn’t match our reality. Take a look at the evidence:

• Over the last five years, multicultural consumers accounted for 100% of U.S. population growth and 61% of credit union growth. [1]
• By the year 2044, the U.S. population is projected to be more than half multicultural. [2]
• Multicultural consumers have buying power. For example:
  • Black and Hispanic consumers are almost two times more likely to purchase payment protection when compared to white consumers. [3]
  • Fewer Hispanic and Asian consumers have owned life insurance, but are buying it at a higher rate now, and overall Black Americans have the most life insurance than any other demographic group. [4]
  • Purchasing power of Asian consumers is growing at a rate more than three times that of white consumers and purchasing power of Hispanic consumers is growing at a rate more than double white consumers. [5]

Focusing on multicultural consumers is not a nice to have or an add on. If you are going to stay competitive and not fall behind, it’s an essential part of your core business strategy.

The same multicultural business strategies that enhance empowering relationships with members when focusing on race, age, ethnicity, and culture, extend to your ability to better serve members along all aspects of diversity including gender identity, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, and socioeconomic status.

Is your credit union looking to leverage Multicultural Opportunities in your market? Please join us for a series of webinars that connect the MnCUN Multicultural Opportunity Report with actionable examples for your credit union and your communities to grow and prosper. Presented by Coopera, a full-service multicultural analytics and consulting firm, the series continues on June 22nd; and August 10th. All sessions will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. Further descriptions of each session are noted below. Follow this link to register.

June 22: Opportunities for Credit Unions to Serve Growing Multicultural Populations in MN
This session will provide a further “deep dive” into the financial needs of Mexicans, Hmong, and African Americans – which are the largest growing ethnic groups in Minnesota. We’ll share practical examples of how credit unions can meet those needs via products, community outreach, staff, and more. This is session is particularly useful for credit unions looking to enhance outreach and services for Minnesota’s immigrant/refugee and African-American communities.

August 10: How can we do better? Addressing and closing the Wealth Gaps in Minnesota
Our final session will focus on the current wealth gaps in Minnesota. We’ll take a closer look at our own bias around lending, branding, and risk; and explore practical ways to overcome those biases to improve financial wellbeing for all.