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CUNA and its League partners are the most influential financial services organization and one of the top ten most effective advocacy organizations in Washington, D.C., according to an independent study conducted by Ballast Research (formally National Journal Research) earlier this year.
For the fifth year in a row, the CUNA-League system earned the distinction as a leading association at representing the interests of its members by creating the credit union narrative and sharing the movement’s story among Washington policymakers. "The Minnesota Credit Union Network is proud to work alongside CUNA to amplify credit union voices on Capitol Hill," said MnCUN President & CEO Mark Cummins. "Now more than ever, it is critical the Members of Congress understand the CU Difference and MnCUN is pleased that our message is well-received and respected." Key findings of the study include:
According to the Ballast study, one policy advisor serving in the U.S. Senate noted: “CUNA has a competitive advantage in showcasing local voices. They have more civic engagement, they have more members, they try to do more in the community.” CU FORWARD Day, the annual celebration of credit unions spreading kindness, will be held on Monday, October 12, 2020. So far, 39 credit unions and organizations have committed to give back to their communities on the traditional bank holiday.
What can we accomplish for 2020?
There are many opportunities to take part at home, virtually or in socially-distant small groups. Visit the CU FORWARD Day Resource page (Member Login required) for ideas and resources to help plan. To register for CU FORWARD Day, contact Director of Engagement, Ben Hering, by email. NetGiver and the Minnesota Credit Union Network will be launching a giving campaign this year starting on CU Forward Day (October 12th) and running through the end of the year. CU Forward Day has traditionally been an opportunity for credit union employees to volunteer and engage in the community, to give back through donations and volunteer hours. This year however, credit unions have the option to engage their membership in "social distanced giving". In this year‘s initiative, Minnesota credit unions and members will be encouraged to donate to two organizations that aid in the support of COVID-19 relief: Second Harvest Heartland and Mayo Clinic.
As a credit union community, we are asking you to consider donating to help with food insecurity or medical research. Second Harvest Heartland and Mayo Clinic will receive 100% of your donation when given using NetGiver. NetGiver is a charitable giving platform exclusively for members. “We are all coming together at this critical time, to support initiatives that are important not only to our credit union and our members, but every credit union’s members in the country. We’re proud of the work that is happening at the Mayo Clinic, and excited to encourage our communities to support the great research with 100% donations through NetGiver,” said Mary Hansen, Mayo Employees Federal Credit Union. Minnesota credit unions and their members which do not have access to NetGiver are also invited to make online donations to Mayo Clinic’s COVID-19 response effort. Gifts to this initiative will help fund the development and evaluation of vaccines and other emerging coronavirus therapies. With questions about NetGiver, please reach out to Kris Jacobsen. With questions about CU Forward Day, please contact Ben Hering. The Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN) is pleased to announce the state-level winners of the 2020 Dora Maxwell, Louise Herring and Desjardins award competitions. These awards are sponsored each year by MnCUN and the Credit Union National Association (CUNA).
The 2020 Minnesota award-winners in the asset categories noted are: Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award $250 million - $1 billion in assets: SouthPoint Financial Credit Union More than $1 billion in asset: Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union Louise Herring Award for Philosophy in Action $50 - 250 million in assets: First Alliance Credit Union $250 million - $1 billion in assets: SouthPoint Financial Credit Union More than $1 billion in assets: Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union Desjardins Adult Financial Education Award $50 - 250 million in assets: HomeTown Credit Union $250 million - $1 billion in assets: TopLine Federal Credit Union More than $1 billion in assets: SPIRE Credit Union Desjardins Youth Financial Education Awards $50 -$250 million in assets: North Star Credit Union $250 million - $1 billion in assets: TopLine Federal Credit Union More than $1 billion in assets: SPIRE Credit Union “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 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. CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council is now officially accepting entries for the 2021 Diamond Awards. To honor the critical and challenging work executed by credit unions this year, a Crisis Management category has been added. The Diamond Awards are the pinnacle of achievement for creative excellence in the credit union industry.
“This year’s new Crisis Management category gives applicants the opportunity to showcase their response and community impact during the pandemic,” says Amy McGraw, Diamond Awards Chair. “We know there’s no shortage of stories demonstrating the value of credit unions and the work they’re doing to provide members with stability and comfort as we all discover what our new normal looks like.” Proceeds collected from entry fees for the all-new Crisis Management category will be donated to one of three organizations making a difference across the country. Applicants can choose to allocate their entry fee(s) towards Family Promise, Feeding America or The Salvation Army by indicating their choice on the entry form. Submitting a campaign to the 2021 Diamond Awards gives you and your credit union the opportunity to earn recognition as an industry influencer. Winning entries are put in the spotlight at the annual CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council Conference to help inspire great work across the movement. “Becoming a judge is another great way to give back to the industry by shining a spotlight on incredible work,” says Lynn Heider, Recognition Awards Chair. “It’s also a behind-the-scenes look at how credit unions across the country are pushing boundaries to engage and sell products and services in fresh, exciting ways.” Judging applications will be accepted through October 19, 2020. The judging period will last between one and two weeks and will occur through a private online platform. Get the full details here. The early bird deadline for submitting entries to the 2021 Diamond Awards is December 21, 2020, with a final deadline of January 15, 2021. Explore all 2021 Diamond Award categories here, including the all-new Crisis Management category. The pre-event survey, capturing your credit union’s commitment and involvement in CU FORWARD Day 2020 is ready and will remain open through Monday, September 14! Please see below for the link to confirm your credit union’s participation and give us an initial glimpse of your impact.
Confirm Your Participation: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/cuforwardday2020 As you continue to put together the pieces for your CU FORWARD Day involvement, please take a few minutes to complete the pre-event survey. For now, our main goal is to understand if your credit union is participating and what you’ll be doing on the day. Best estimates and approximations for impact are great – we will continue gathering impact data after the day. More details, ideas for involvement and updates regarding the day to come! For now, you can stay up-to-speed via these resources: CU FORWARD Day Home Page CU FORWARD Resource Page And, don’t forget to register for the CU FORWARD Day Media and Check-In Call on Tuesday, September 15 at 11 a.m. Mary Ann Kosel passed away on Sunday, August 30, 2020. Funeral service details are pending.
Mary Ann has over a half century of service to credit unions in Minnesota as a member, volunteer Board member, an employee and as a consultant. Most recently, she was Operations Support Specialist at South Metro Federal Credit Union. Additionally, she serves as the Board Treasurer at Wakota Federal Credit Union. Mary Ann served as a volunteer at Wakota on both the Board and Supervisory committee since 1991. Mary Ann believed strongly in the credit union principles “People helping People,” and “Cooperation Among Cooperatives,” and has personally been instrumental in perpetuating the movement here in Minnesota. She was recognized with the Credit Union Builder Award in 2017 for her contributions to the Minnesota Credit Union movement. We’re looking forward to celebrating how credit unions have spread kindness in 2020 on CU FORWARD Day on Mon. Oct. 12, 2020.
If your credit union hasn’t determined what participation will look like this year, we’ve compiled virtual and in-person opportunities: Second Harvest Heartland Food Packing Brooklyn Park:
Virtual Food Drive for Second Harvest Heartland
HandsOn Twin Cities
NetGiver App The NetGiver platform is available to any credit union that wants to engage members in charitable giving through your credit union on CU FORWARD Day and beyond. #CUs4U Challenge Over the past several months, credit unions have been stepping up to spread kindness to our communities through the #CUs4U challenge – inspiring credit unions to provide meals from local restaurants to workers on the frontlines of the pandemic response. If your credit union branches are remaining open or have limited staffing capabilities, this is a simple way to give back and show support for multiple organizations in one act, over breakfast, lunch or midday snack! To tell us how your credit unions will participate or if you have any questions about these opportunities, email MnCUN Director of Engagement Ben Hering. The Minnesota Credit Union Network’s compliance efforts provides assistance to reduce credit unions’ exposure to regulatory penalties, prepare credit unions for visits by regulators and protect the credit union and its members from liabilities that have the potential to affect income, member service, reputation.
Resources for Members including recorded webinars and trainings and guides can be accessed at https://www.mncun.org/compliance.html under the Member Resources section of the website. If you are unable to log in or need to set up your credentials, email us info@mncun.org As reported this spring, the Minnesota Credit Union Awareness Initiative shifted strategy to focus on how credit unions are supporting their members and communities through the pandemic. This included paid Public Service Announcements on web, social media and radio running throughout Minnesota. On the national level, CUNA paused the digital Open Your Eyes to a Credit Union® ads as of March 20 due to Covid-19. They have since retooled and calibrated the marketing assets, and have released updated ads into market in several states. Minnesota began transitioning our Public Service Announcements in July and have now relaunched the Open Your Eyes to a Credit Union digital assets.
The targeted digital campaign continues to focus on reaching Minnesota young adults to increase awareness and consideration of credit unions. The tactics include digital display ads and pre-roll video with audience targeting, leveraging contextual category and keyword retargeting; social media ads on Facebook and Instagram targeting Minnesota consumers with financial interests; and Over-the-Top video commercials (such as Netflix, Hulu, etc) targeted with the contextual audience parameters of the digital and social strategies. We continue to monitor results and sentiment to the messages and will be nimble with changes as needed. A Minnesota specific consumer poll will be conducted in late August, with results shared with MnCUN members in mid to late September, which will provide further insight into consumer attitudes about credit unions and messages that resonate in the current environment. Yourmoneyfurther.com remains live, and credit unions participating financially in the Open Your Eyes to a Credit Union campaign have access to social media tools and an updated messaging guide via the Contributor Headquarters portal. With questions about the Awareness Initiative, contact VP Communications & Engagement Andrea Molnau. |
The PulseThe Pulse is MnCUN's newsletter that keeps credit union professionals and board members updated on current news and information. Archives
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