The Minnesota Credit Union Network and the Credit Union National Association are pleased to announce that applications for the annual Dora Maxwell, Louise Herring and Desjardins Financial Education recognition programs are now open. Submitted projects should have primarily taken place during 2022. 

The deadline for submissions is Friday, June 23. 

​Links to the individual award applications are below. Those who enter will compete with other credit unions in the same asset category. 

Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award recognizes credit unions that promote social responsibility. In particular, the focus of the award is to draw attention to external credit union projects and activities that benefit the community.

Louise Herring Award for Philosophy-in-Action focuses on the internal programs and services of a credit union. Credit unions who received the award have demonstrated the practical application of the credit union philosophy within the actual operations of the credit union.

Desjardins Youth and Adult Financial Education Awards recognizes the leadership of individual credit unions and chapters on behalf of youth and adult financial education. Activities eligible for consideration include those that raise awareness and marshal resources on behalf of financial literacy.

Award entries are judged by the Dakotas Credit Union Association Awards Committee to ensure unbiased results. The winners in each award category will advance to CUNA’s national contest where they will compete with credit unions across the country, with judging to take place this fall. 

Full program details and FAQs are available on the MnCUN Awards Page. Contact Julia Miller, MnCUN Director of Communications with questions by email at jmiller@mncun.org.

Save the date for MnCUN's biggest event of the year!

​ACCELERATE 24 will take place on April 18 & 19 at a new location - the Mystic Lake Center in Prior Lake. These 2 days will feature guest speakers, educational sessions, networking, the state’s largest tradeshow and opportunities to support great causes. 

Registration will open in January 2024. Visit the ACCELERATE Page for updates.

Recent CFPB HMDA Notice: Recently, the CFPB has been issuing notice to some credit unions for reporting of HMDA Loan/Application Register (LAR) from 2020-2022 concluding the data “may contain invalid entries” in the “Street Address” field. 

Update on CFPB Proposed Credit Card Late Fees Rule: MnCUN’s Regulatory Review Committee and CUNA have issued their respective comment letters on this proposed rule due May 3 which could cause great harm to the credit union community and our members. 

​Older Americans Month and Elder Financial Exploitation Resources: In recognition of Older Americans Month, the NCUA is partnering with the AARP and the CFPB to host a webinar that addresses how society views and talks about financial crimes against older adults. 

There are less than two weeks left in session and most of the remaining policy and budget priorities that MnCUN is monitoring have been passed by the House and the Senate and are being finalized in conference committee.

As a credit union, your goal is to help your members achieve all of their financial needs, wants, and dreams. To reach this goal you need a team that is consistently promoting the products and services that will help your members save time and money, make more money, and bring greater levels of financial security to their life. The only problem is the member service your team provides is best described as “Order Taking” rather than “Value Creating.”

​Join us for the May Credit Union Sales Intensive Workshops, Tuesday, May 16, 2023 - Thursday, May 18 in 2023, facilitated by Nick Brown, member services guru from SalesCU. Members of the Minnesota Credit Union Network receive discounted registration at $474 for the two-day frontline staff training and $699 for the three-day leadership training.

​The Credit Union Sales Training workshop is designed for a wide variety of credit union leaders and departments including branch, lending, and contact centers, regional and senior sales leaders, training and development professionals and even marketing staff. 

The Credit Union Sales Training workshops will be offered throughout the year and will be conducted over the span of two or three days.  Only 35 seats available per workshop. All workshops are conducted virtually via Zoom meetings.

P2P sessions are virtual roundtables, providing open forums for credit union staff throughout Minnesota, for knowledge sharing, resources and connections. This event is meant to be an opportunity to meet and share with one another. Come to the session prepared with questions and discussions topics and turn your webcam on. 

Collections P2P: Tuesday, May 16 starting at 1:00 p.m. via webinar and video conference. 
Accounting/Finance P2: Thursday, May 18 starting at 1:00 p.m. via webinar and video conference. 

​This event will be made only via webinar/conference call. Webinar and call-in instructions session materials and resources will be provided to registered attendees.

For a list of all P2P sessions, visit our Peer-to-Peer (P2P) webpage. With questions, please contact MnCUN Director of Engagement, Xiong Lee.

In April, the WINcentive Savings program, offered at 22 Minnesota-based credit unions, announced statewide winners of the monthly and quarterly prizes of up to $1,000.

Members from Affinity Plus FCU, Magnifi Financial CU, Mid Minnesota FCU and Hiway CU were the lucky winners of $1,000 quarterly prizes.

​Members participating in WINcentive have saved over $12 million dollars throughout Minnesota. Currently, over 8,600 members of credit unions throughout the state have a WINcentive savings account open.

WINcentive Savings incentivizes consumers to save by offering risk-free rewards. WINcentive prizes are awarded on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis, with prizes ranging from $100 to $5,000. Account holders in Minnesota qualify for up to four chances per month for each $25 increase in their month over month savings balance.

More information about WINcentive Savings, including a list of participating credit unions, can be found at wincentivesavings.org.

 ​Photo: WINcentive winner, Kari G., member of Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union, with credit union branch staff.

I am humbled, honored and excited to be the next President & CEO of MnCUN. 

I am enthusiastic about the opportunities for us collaborate. And I believe strongly that credit unions of all sizes across Minnesota can not only survive but thrive. 

​​And while I am proud of everything we have accomplished under Mark’s leadership; I am excited to get to work building the trade association of the future. Network version 2.0. 

​We are going to have to evolve – be faster, stronger, and more nimble- to meet the changing needs of credit unions. We must redefine how the Network can be Minnesota Credit Unions’ strongest partners and provide a strong value proposition to all credit unions in Minnesota.

​I look forward to connecting with you and getting your feedback on how MnCUN can be your best partner and strongest advocate for Minnesota credit unions.

I am excited to get to work and the future of Minnesota credit unions as we collaborate to build Network 2.0 together.

Cooperatively,
Mara Humphrey
MnCUN President & CEO