As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, the entire MnCUN staff would like to thank each and every member for supporting the credit union system. We truly value the important work you do every day for your members, which inspires us to advocate on behalf of your credit union to make that job easier.

In the midst of all 2020 has presented, we are proud of what we have accomplished by coming together. We’ve met with our peers on calls, webinars, and meetings; shared best practices, documents, and policies; connected with industry experts; contributed to online forums; advocated with legislators; supported front line workers and others in our communities; and supported each other as we’ve navigated the challenges of our day. We are thankful to belong to a movement that works for good, and thrives on cooperation. 
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Thank you all for your continued support of the Network, and Happy Thanksgiving. Together we are stronger!

Last week, MnCUN Chief Engagement and Advocacy Officer was honored at the virtual Top Women in Finance event.
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“Mara uses her coalition building skills to help credit unions confront challenges and succeed in their mission as not-for-profit financial cooperatives, said Mark Cummins, President & CEO of the Minnesota Credit Union Network. “The Network congratulates Mara on her accomplishments.”

This is the 20th year Finance & Commerce will be celebrating accomplished women from around Minnesota. View Mara’s profile in the Top Women in Finance magazine.

The Minnesota Credit Union Network presented the Outstanding Credit Union Volunteer of the Year and Outstanding Credit Union Professional of the Year awards at a ceremony held virtually during the MnCUN 2020 Annual Conference on November 19.

To help celebrate virtually, view the honorees acceptance speech and offer a congratulatory note! View video tributes of each honoree on the Outstanding Professional and Volunteer of the Year Award web page.

The Network’s Virtual Annual Conference is happening right now! Almost 440 credit union professionals, volunteers and partners are registered for the conference and will participate in some fantastic sessions, a virtual exhibit hall, breakout sessions, and even Virtual Trivia! 

In our first General Session “What's Next Following an Unprecedented Year for Minnesota Credit Unions,”  we were pleased to welcome the Honorable Rodney Hood, Chair of the National Credit Union Administration, who provided an update from our federal regulator. We also heard greetings from Minnesota’s Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan; and our Minnesota US Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar. 
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Make sure to follow #MnCUN2020 on social media for updates and insights throughout the two-day the event. We’ll provide a full re-cap of the conference in next week’s Pulse. 

Minnesota Credit Unions are encouraged to continue financial support the Minnesota Open Your Eyes to a Credit Union® Awareness Initiative for 2021. The ongoing investment to boost consumer awareness is paying benefits in growth and knowledge of credit unions across the state.

Our recent, state-specific consumer research indicates that fifty-two percent of non-credit union members age 18-34-years-old are likely to consider joining a credit union. This percentage has increased significantly since 2017, when Minnesota Credit Unions initiated a statewide Consumer Awareness campaign targeting this age group. And familiarity of credit unions among all ages increased 10 points in the past 18 months alone. We are extremely pleased to see these results in a year with so many challenges. The 2020 Awareness Initiative has garnered over 42 million impressions as of the end of October.
 
As we enter 2021, we will continue to focus on reaching Minnesota young adults. The tactics include digital display ads and pre-roll video with audience targeting; social media ads on Facebook and Instagram targeting Minnesota consumers with financial interests; and Over-the-Top steaming video commercials (such as Netflix, Hulu, etc.).

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 recommended contributions are noted on the 2021 pledge form. Please send your credit union’s pledge to Andrea Molnau, VP Communications & Engagement at amolnau@mncun.org, by November 30, 2020. 
 

The Minnesota Credit Union Network is gearing up for this year’s Virtual Annual Conference starting next Wednesday, November 18. Although we won’t get to see our attendees in person, we’re excited to share how we will continue to provide impactful content, foster connections and inspire engagement through our virtual event platform.

Attendees of the Virtual Annual Conference will receive access to the event platform this Thursday, November 12, to begin the event experience and start interacting with colleagues, speakers and supporting partners. Once in the site, attendees will be able to:

• Complete individual profiles to participate in the community
• Build a personalized agenda of sessions to attend
• Meet and interact with fellow attendees through private messages and conversations
• Engage with our sponsors and exhibitors

Attendees will also begin playing the built-in event game, simply by utilizing the various platform functions and interacting with others. Points can be accrued by an array of different actions, including seeking information from our exhibitor partners, uploading a profile picture, starting or joining a conversation, and setting up your agenda. Leading point recipients will have the opportunity to win prizes, including an Apple Watch and gift cards!

We can’t wait to see you at the Annual Conference next week!  With questions, please contact Director of Engagement Ben Hering via email or through the event site.

​The Minnesota Credit Union Network Marketing Awards acknowledges the outstanding programs credit unions have created to grow brand awareness and market to members and nonmembers alike.
 
There is no cost to submit entries for Minnesota Credit Union Network-affiliated credit unions and applications are open through 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, December 18.
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Winners will be notified in January 2021 and invited to share their work during an interactive discussion during a virtual ceremony.

Visit the MnCUN website for information on categories and judging criteria and to apply online. With questions, contact MnCUN Director of Communications, Julia Miller by email.

In addition to inspiring educational content and opportunities to network, the Virtual Annual Conference will provide an interactive, online exhibit hall where connections may reveal new solutions for your credit union.
 
40 exhibitors and sponsors are supporting our conference and virtual tradeshow. Each has their own company landing page with description, handouts and materials for attendees to download. You can also interact live with company representatives during exhibit hall hours on Wednesday and Thursday from 12:00 – 2:00 pm.
 
Make sure to check out their Prize Videos! Exhibitors are asked to post a video on their custom landing page that provides a brief introduction to their company and announce a prize drawing winner from registered attendees. Attendees must watch the videos in order to hear if they won a prize!
 
More chances to win
To ensure we all stay connected, engaged and having fun, MnCUN be rewarding participation at the event through a number of activities you can take part in via the event platform. Points will be awarded for visiting the live virtual trade show, for viewing a sponsor video, requesting information from exhibitors, participating in sessions, engaging in online conversations, and more. As a reward, we will be providing prizes to the top five participants on the game's leader board. Prizes will include: the new Apple Watch SE for the top point-getter and VISA gift cards for four runners up.
 
Registered attendees should watch for an email invitation to join the Virtual Annual Conference Event Platform coming late next week. If you haven’t registered, you may still do so by visiting the conference page on our website. Hurry! The registration deadline is Friday, November 6.  

​Thank you to our event sponsors!

Last week, UCare’s Associate Vice President of Sales, Brian Eck, provided an overview of how a Health Savings Account (HSA) compliant plan works, the advantages of such a plan, the tax advantages delivered by pairing an HSA compliant plan with an HSA account.
 
UCare and MnCUN have teamed up to connect Minnesotans with individual and family health plans that are compatible with health savings accounts (HSAs) to credit unions. HSA compatible plans were the most popular plan type for UCare in 2020, yet they found that the majority of people with those plans did not have an accompanying account at a financial institution.
 
UCare has developed materials to credit unions to promote and answer questions about these types accounts to members and prospective members, including:

• HSA Guide: The primary purpose of this guide to help consumers understand what an HSA is and what an HSA-compatible plan is and if this type of plan/account is right for them. 
• HSA Infographic: The infographic is a snapshot of key points, including advantages, of an HSA account and compatible plan. 
• HSA blog posts: Sample articles for use in newsletters or website.
•  ​HSA educational video

These materials are available on the MnCUN Members Only Publications Page. 

Additionally, UCare is offering to co-host webinars for your members to directly answer questions. UCare conducted focus groups and found that consumers had a lot of questions about health insurance, particularly HSAs.
 
If you would like to co-host a webinar with UCare – contact Brian Eck at beck@ucare.org.

​Minnesota Credit Unions are encouraged to continue financial support the Minnesota Open Your Eyes to a Credit Union® Awareness Initiative for 2021. The ongoing investment to boost consumer awareness is paying benefits in growth and knowledge of credit unions across the state.

Our recent, state-specific consumer research indicates that fifty-two percent of non-credit union members age 18-34-years-old are likely to consider joining a credit union. This percentage has increased significantly since 2017, when Minnesota Credit Unions initiated a statewide Consumer Awareness campaign targeting this age group. And familiarity of credit unions among all ages increased 10 points in the past 18 months alone. We are extremely pleased to see these results in a year with so many challenges.

As we enter 2021, we will continue to focus on reaching Minnesota young adults. The tactics include digital display ads and pre-roll video with audience targeting; social media ads on Facebook and Instagram targeting Minnesota consumers with financial interests; and Over-the-Top steaming video commercials (such as Netflix, Hulu, etc.).

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.

“I believe we can continue to move the needle on awareness and market share if we work together and sustain the efforts we’ve begun,” said Mark Cummins, MnCUN President and CEO. “Minnesota’s credit unions are committed to their members in good times and challenging ones - and there has never been a better time to help more people understand the advantages of being a credit union member.”

The recommended contributions are noted on the 2021 pledge form. Please send your credit union’s pledge to Andrea Molnau, VP Communications & Engagement at amolnau@mncun.org, by November 30, 2020.