CUs Supporting Local Businesses

Humanitarian Highlight 4.29.21

For this week’s Humanitarian Highlight, we want to take a look at communities coming together to support their local businesses. Is your credit union a stand-out when it comes to charity and community? Then hit us up on social media and let’s help get the word out on your good works!! From zoos to children and the most vulnerable let’s look at how CUs are supporting their local businesses.

Charter Oak Federal Credit Union

Charter Oak FCU located in Waterford, Connecticut, donated $32,000 in emergency food assistance to some of eastern Connecticut’s food pantries and centers. Their large donation was able to help 16 different organizations across eastern Connecticut, making a big difference in their community. Charter Oak FCU was able to make its donation through Charter Oak’s Community Giving Program.

GCS Credit Union

GCS Credit Union donated $950 for Macoupin County CEO. They achieved this donation through their Growing Community Schools program. If a GSC employee makes a donation of $15 or more, they are able to wear jeans on Fridays and Saturdays of that month. Macoupin County CEO was the program of the month that GSC employees donated to. Macoupin County CEO is an education program that aims to prepare anyone but more specifically children, to be proactive in the economy for the future. GCS CU picks a new organization every month to donate to and month by month are helping out their local community.

First Source Federal Credit Union

First Source FCU has donated $3,000 to Irwin’s Fine Food, a local business in Utica, New York. The donations were made through the Be a Neighbor Fund. This fund allocates donations to small businesses recovering from the financial stresses of the pandemic. Irwin’s Fine Food is one of 5 small businesses that has received donations this week, totaling up to $27,000. Thanks, First Source FCU for being a community leader and helping out their local businesses during these trying times.

Elevations Credit Union

Elevations CU has been a key leader in the rebuilding of the Boulder community shortly after a tragic mass shooting occurred on March 22^nd. Unfortunately, 10 lives were lost in the tragic experience. Fortunately, the Boulder community has come together during these trying times. With help from the Elevations Foundation and Elevations Credit Union, they offered to match donations up to $200,000 made to the families that lost their loved ones. The community donated $509,224, with the additional $200,000, they raised a total of $709,224. As a result of the successful campaign, the money is being divided between the 10 families that experienced loss during this tragedy. Our heart goes out to these families, the Boulder community, and Elevations Credit Union.

Maine Highlands Federal Credit Union

Since 1990, Maine Highlands FCU has been raising money each year for the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger. Due to the circumstances of the pandemic, their fundraising strategies were different. Thanks to their creativity, employees, and members of Maine Highlands FCU, they were able to raise $17,000. The large donation was able to help 21 local food organizations. Despite the challenging year, Maine Highlands FCU was still able to donate a significant amount and help many in the process.

California Coast Credit Union

California Coast Credit Union held a campaign to help support local minority-owned businesses and raised $35,000 for those businesses. The campaign that California Coast CU held was to incentivize their members to shop locally. When members used their Cal Coast MasterCard (debit or credit), the proceeds went directly to Strategic Alliance. Strategic Alliance supports the local minority-owned businesses. The campaign raised $20,000 and California Coast CU donated $10,000. The $5,000 came from members of the community and it went directly to local organizations.

Connections Credit Union

The 89-year-old zoo, Zoo Idaho located in Pocatello, Idaho has officially opened for the season. This year they are introducing The Zoo Connections Entrance and Gift Shop. They are hoping this will be the new centerpiece for the zoo. Thanks to donations from Connections Credit Union, Zoo Idaho is hoping for more visitors with their new attractions that could be done as early as mid-summer. Connections CU made it possible for Zoo Idaho to complete these new attractions.

Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.

Thank you for reading this Humanitarian Highlight! It was great to see so many CUs supporting their local businesses. Please check out last week’s, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions about our products & services through our email or by phone (800) 537-9598.

New Credit Union Member Acquisitions

Have you ever wondered why it takes so long to gain new members for your credit union? Well, let’s spend a few moments and take a closer look. As it turns out, there are several misconceptions surrounding the industry. The more you can understand the hesitancy of a potential member you can better suit your messaging to help convince them it is time to join your credit union. These credit union myths make it hard to get new credit union member acquisitions.

3 Common Credit Union Myths That Hinder Membership

Eligibility

A common misconception is that most people think credit unions are exclusive clubs. They feel that since credit unions exist to serve a specific group (such as college alumni or a particular industry), they don’t qualify. That used to be the case. But, since rules and regulations have been relaxed, membership eligibility is much broader than it used to be. Conveying that to a potential member could make all the difference.

Accessibility

Many people think that just because they don’t see a credit union on every corner, access is much more limited. However, most credit unions share a banking network. This network opens up access to ATMs and other independent branches, depending on how the network is structured. Communicating the shared network concept to potential members will open up their understanding a bit. Let them know that while they may not see as many physical locations, they will certainly have access to their money.

Switching is Difficult

Many banks have automatic bill pay services, which puts forth the idea that switching to a credit union would be more cumbersome than it actually is. It usually takes one bad customer service experience to encourage people to look elsewhere. When they are in those frames of mind and start looking at your credit union, make sure they understand how easy it is to switch. Most credit unions have free “switch kits” to make the process a lot smoother.

Don’t Lose Members!

That last point is double-edged, for sure. The points mentioned previously shed understanding on why it can be so difficult to gain new members. That last point cuts both ways, though. Customer service is everything. This is what sets the credit union industry apart. Rather than approaching potential members from the perspective of an informal financial institution, credit unions present an emphasis on customer service. When members feel like their needs are met, and they are really valued, they are less likely to look for other places to serve their financial needs.

Of course, our Credit Union Membership Documents package is perfect to help credit unions grow membership rosters and cement them as a part of your credit union family. If you’re not using the package currently, we invite you to give us a try. Our staff is on standby and would love to speak with you. It would be our pleasure to help you streamline the credit union membership process, and make your credit union a more attractive option to potential members. Get a quote at ClientServices@OakTreebiz.com.

Feeding Communities

Humanitarian Highlight 4.22.21

For this week’s Humanitarian Highlight we look at some ways in which credit unions are helping feed those in need. Credit unions are non-profit and almost all of them spend countless hours and dollars to help their communities. This drive to help others is we scour the internet every week, and then together with these lists of heroes. Is your credit union a stand-out when it comes to charity and community? Then hit us up on social media and let’s help get the word out on your great works!! Credit Unions feeding communities with donations, food, and inspiration ahead.

Visions Federal Credit Union

Visions FCU had a “Grow Hope” Initiative that helped them donate $6,000 to Café Esperanza. Café Esperanza is a restaurant that has “pay-what-you-can” pricing for the diners. The Café works with One World Everybody Eats in a collaborative effort to help build community and help feed those in need. Last year the Café was able to serve around 10,000 meals.

Connexus Credit Union

Connexus CU donated $1 million to the Wausau Community Partner Campus (CPC). The CPC is a non-profit center that is about offering the spaces to help organizations helping deliver the necessary things to survive and thrive to those in need. This makes it so much easier for those charities to do what they need and save money and time for the locations they use.

Commonwealth Credit Union

Commonwealth CU donated $1 million to the Cardinal Cupboard at the University of Louisville. This student-run food pantry has been helping feed those in need on the campus. This donation will help them renovate the space and even support paid student workers and scholarships. The Cupboard will also be renamed the Commonwealth Credit Union Cardinal Cupboard. They are feeding communities today and will be for quite some time with this donation.

Cornerstone Community Federal Credit Union

Cornerstone Community FCU donated $3,500 to the YWCA of Niagara Frontier, an organization that is improving the lives of women in their community. The credit union has long supported its programs with donations and volunteering as well. For over 100 years the YWCA and its partners have worked to provide classes and programs to help educate, house, and empower the women of Niagara County.

Freedom Credit Union

Freedom CU donated $2,117 from employees and customers to help purchase essential clothing for homeless children in the Greater Springfield area. They have also been collecting cash donations to help support local animal shelters. Last month they raised money for the Foundation for TJO Animals and the Franklin County Regional Dog Shelter. The donations were made directly to the local animal shelters as well as through a purchased “Paw Print” that was for sale at Freedom branches for $1 each. From children to abandoned animals we see Freedom really helping their community!

Thank you for reading this Humanitarian Highlight! Please check out last week’s, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions about our products & services through our email or by phone (800) 537-9598.

Checklist for Credit Union Compliance

It takes work to keep your credit union in compliance. It’s not easy, but there are a few basic things you can do. Read over our checklist and make sure you have these items covered. This will go a long way toward keeping you in compliance and out of the crosshairs of a potential regulatory audit, or other adverse events. Of course, there are so many things that come into play when keeping your credit union compliant, but this quick checklist for credit union compliance gives a good generalized overview.

Stay Current.

Make sure you stay in the loop regarding regulatory changes and other similar occurrences. Most vendors have websites devoted solely to timely information updates; and regulatory agencies such as the NCUA, Federal Reserve, Federal Financial Institutions Examine Council (FFIEC), and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau provide white papers and summaries to give perspective on updated laws and regulations. These help you stay up to date and informed.

Audit & Review Yourself.

Make sure you have a mechanism in place to review and audit your policies and procedures. The best way to think of these is as follows: they are always a work in progress. They should regularly be reviewed and tested to find shortcomings or problems that might be hidden from view.

Be Proactive.

Learn to anticipate regulatory changes. This is best accomplished by studying trends, and observing how other regulatory professionals in your industry are reacting. Speculate using past and current regulatory trends, then take all of this information and extrapolate a conclusion based on the inferences and present regulatory situation. Usually, you can align facts with trends to determine what will most naturally be the next course of action, and begin to position yourself accordingly.

Be Consistent.

Make sure you have a mechanism in place to maintain all current programs. This means reports should be submitted on a regular basis, updates should be regularly given, budgets should be maintained, and a plan for training staff should also be in the works. Oak Tree forms fit nicely into this category. All of our forms packages are kept current and up to date, providing you with the security and peace of mind needed to focus on other compliance issues.

Use the tips above as general guidelines. They are helpful with regard to perspective, and provide a broad-brush approach, allowing you to hone in on specifics as they relate to your institution.

Finally, if you are a compliance officer, set up a process for auditing yourself. This can be vital in preventing problematic instances in the long run. Maintaining compliance is a key part of credit union operation and management. It is a tough job with no guidebook or definitive set of rules. It takes everyone working together to ensure compliance is met and maintained. It is an ongoing necessity that must be upheld to meet members’ needs. We hope these tips and checklist for credit union compliance comes in handy for your credit union. Take advantage of Oak Tree compliant forms and obtain compliance support for your credit union.

CU Events Roundup Apr 16, 2021

Welcome to this week’s CU Events Roundup for Apr 16, 2021, where we will look at the Credit Union community and bring up some of the events we see going on. Oak Tree loves keeping tabs and participating in these credit union events. Please let us know if we missed out on yours and we’ll be sure to help promote it. The end of our SacTown Run event is almost upon us.

This Week’s Events

April has often been the busiest of months for us in the credit union industry when it comes to conventions and events. This year it has been a bit difficult to keep up with all the changes, but here is a few of the events we’ve been able to track.

Utah CU Association Annual Meeting & Convention

Utah’s Credit Unions came together this week for their 2021 VIRTUAL annual meeting. Did you see the speakers they had listed? I am sure it was a great event and here is hoping 2022 will be a live event!

Virginia Credit Union League Annual Meeting

We saw that VACUL had put out a call for the 2021 Annual Meeting, aka the “IGNITE” event, but we haven’t heard if plans changed or not. They had planned on the event being between April 14-16 at Virginia Beach.

SacTown 5k Run

We also wanted to bring up how we are participating in this year’s Credit Union SACTOWN Virtual 5k. The event ends next week, and if you have not signed up now you have until the 19th as a last chance entry date. They are allowing participants to do more than just running, so that’s great for those of us who tend to avoid running. Be sure to check out the Sacramento Running Association and remember that 100% of the funds go to benefit the Children Miracle Network Hospitals in California and Nevada. Thank you to the California Credit Union League and the Nevada Credit Union League for all you do as well!

Next Week’s Events

PSCU Virtual Member Forum is going virtual on April 20th.

Fintech is always in the news, and next week is a virtual hackathon for those interested.

Coming Soon

The Ohio Credit Union League usually has their inVest48 event around this time, but don’t worry — we saw they have it in May this year!

Speaking of events moving to later in the year, we saw that the NCPCU is doing their Strategy Summit in October this year.

That will do it for the CU Events Roundup on Apr 16, 2021. We hope you like this feature and we look forward to seeing how it can grow moving forward. If your credit union, credit union league, or credit union chapter has a big event coming up — drop us a comment or hit us up on social media.

CUs Building Communities

Humanitarian Highlight 4.15.21

For this week’s Humanitarian Highlight, we want to look at communities being built and rebuilt. Is your credit union a stand-out when it comes to charity and community? Then hit us up on social media and let’s help get the word out on your good works!! From animals to children and the most vulnerable let’s look at how CUs are building and rebuilding communities.

Hughes Federal Credit Union

Hughes Federal CU was able to raise $3,725 for the Tucson Wildlife Foundation with a Diana Madaras “Bobcat at the Pool” debit card. These cards were issued to their members in 2020 and each raised $5.00 for the cause. The card featured art by a local artist, Madaras and it was free to their members with a checking account and even offered discounts at the Madaras Gallery. The Tucson Wildlife Center is a great team of volunteers that help rescue native wildlife in need. This project has been ongoing since 2019 and has raised more than $7,875. These animals are an important part of our communities.

Hanscom Federal Credit Union

Hanscom FCU ran a #BuildHope campaign that raised $1,000 for the Great Divide Animal Rescue, and $500 to Kiva, Mental Health America, and Girls Who Code. The drive was based on an offer of $10 to their employees for a charity of their choice. The employees were also given an opportunity to turn that $10 into a $1,000 donation if they created a short video to show their reasons for their charity choice. Then the credit union posted the videos on their social media and had the public vote for their favorites.

Trumark Financial Credit Union

Trumark Financial CU put together many baskets containing essential cleaning supplies for use at local Pennsylvania organizations providing help to those who are experiencing domestic violence. The donations were given to A Woman’s Place, Domestic Abuse of Delaware County, Home of the Sparrow, Inter-Faith Housing Alliance, and St. Francis Inn. These charities are truly rebuilding communities and helping people find better tomorrows.

American Eagle Financial Credit Union

American Eagle FCU donated $5,000 to help kids learn science. The money was donated to the Evolutions (Evoking Learning and Understanding through Investigations of the Natural Science) program. This great cause provides all types of scientific resources to the students in New Haven and West Haven. What a great way to build a scientifically-minded community.

Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union

Evansville Teachers FCU donated $30,000 to the Evansville Vanderburgh County School Corporation (EVSC) thanks to their ETFCU/EVSC Debit Card Program. This program offered six different debit cards which took donations based on every purchase used by the cards. This program is still on-going, so check out their site for more details on how to support these schools. A great way to make the school community build on its strengths.

Robins Financial Credit Union

Robins Financial CU donated $5,000 to the Rebuilding Together Warner Robins in honor of National Rebuild Day. This great charity provides low-income homeowners with critical home repairs and truly helps rebuild their community. The repairs range from roofing, electrical, accessibility modifications, and even landscaping and other important issues.

Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.

We also wanted to bring up how we are participating in this year’s Credit Union SACTOWN Virtual 5k. The event started last Saturday and ends on the 20th of April. If you have not signed up now you have until the 19th as a last chance entry date. They are allowing participants to do more than just running, so that’s great for those of us who tend to avoid running. Be sure to check out the Sacramento Running Association and remember that 100% of the funds go to benefit the Children Miracle Network Hospitals in California and Nevada. Thank you to the California Credit Union League and the Nevada Credit Union League for all you do as well!

Thank you for reading this Humanitarian Highlight! It was great to see so many CUs Building Communities. Please check out last week’s, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions about our products & services through our email or by phone (800) 537-9598.

On a final note, we have started a new feature, the Credit Union Roundup, and we hope you return tomorrow to see what is going on in the Credit Union community and how the CUs Building Communities continue to happen every day!

What a CU Needs to Stay Compliant

While credit union compliance may have been under the radar just a decade ago, a recession, global pandemic, and going digital have all contributed to a multitude of new regulations and an emphasis on compliance. So let us look at what a CU needs to stay compliant because you need to keep your credit union compliant.

Utilizing a proactive mindset can prevent costly compliance litigation and fines. We have assembled a checklist to help you assess your CU’s compliance strengths and risks.

Regulations

It’s important to stay diligent. Implementing a plan to stay compliant is necessary to fulfill CU strategies for growth and longevity.

Regulatory agencies such as NCUA, Federal Reserve, Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau provide updated information on laws and compliance.

1.Study past and current trends.

Use the facts you have and projected trends to create a plan of action.

2.Execute a plan.

Create detailed reports, update budgets, and keep staff trained and informed on any changes.

3.Audit yourself.

As regulations change, so should your products and processes. Continuously think about how you can improve and decrease any weaknesses.

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Good Partners

Networking with other credit unions to talk about compliance is important not only for your branch but CUs as a whole. By finding out how others view compliance issues and how they have resolved those same issues can save you from future costly mistakes. What a CU needs to stay compliant sometimes is a good partner to watch their back.

Plus, if you place importance on forming a network of CU executives, you will have someone to call. Picking up the phone is much easier than taking a deep dive into compliance blogs or manuals that might not even fully answer your specific question.

Once you foster a friendship with several local or regional CUs, consider forming a committee that focuses on compliance. That way when any regulatory changes are introduced, you can talk about them as a committee and forward that information to everyone involved. This collaboration is a hallmark of the CU world, an advantage over most banks that prefer to keep a corporate distance.

For example, Washington State Employees Credit Union (WSECU) organized a consumer protection compliance committee back in 2014 in response to the Dodd-Frank mortgage rules and state examinations. As CUs need to conform to a growing list of regulations, the committee provides oversight and guidance to the CU’s management of compliance.

Tools

The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) provides three compliance resources that are worth adding to your toolbox. These free resources are a great addition to your current setup and can fill gaps when your budget is minimal for data compliance. What a CU needs to stay compliant is the proper tools.

FFIEC Information Technology Examination Handbook

The FFIEC IT Exam Handbook is the main guide used to assess compliance by auditors. Although it offers an outline for audits, it does not include everything. An auditor may suggest changes that aren’t included in the handbook.

FFIEC IT Exam Handbook includes information on the following topics:

• • Allocating staff and technology to information technology
• •Organizing an established information security culture within your CU
• •Defining risk identification processes
• • Risk monitoring and reporting
• •Consistent security operations

FFIEC Cybersecurity Assessment Tool (CAT)

Credit unions have access to the Automated Cybersecurity Examination Tool (ACET) which is based on the CAT. The ACET provides easy-to-interpret results that are easy to implement. This is an improvement over a standard PDF.

CIS Controls® (CIS)

For cyber-attack prevention, this free tool is a great addition to credit union cybersecurity programs, whether you build your own or use a third-party solution.

Online Security

Members of credit unions switch from traditional banks to experience an increase in personalized customer service, security, and trust. Online security is a key component of trust as members continue to lean toward digital products and processes.

As part of maintaining compliance, security monitoring is key in protecting your members’ information. By consistently following these three steps you can prevent future cyber-attacks.

1. Find Your weaknesses

Consistently check for weaknesses in your CU’s security monitoring. It is impossible to efficiently monitor your credit union logs manually. Using a security operations center (SOC) can provide cybersecurity 24/7.

2. Create a Plan

Once you start using a SOC, single out your vulnerabilities to see which ones need attention.

3. Fix Vulnerabilities

IT teams can benefit from a patch management system to fix vulnerabilities and keep them from creating a larger issue. This system saves man-hours by removing the task of manually determining which issues need a patch.

The Cloud

Cloud security is used by 75% of credit unions. The protocol of cloud security compared with traditional methods is virtually the same.

Involve Your Members

Keeping your members educated about their overall cybersecurity can help decrease cyber-attacks and even fraud. Over 80% of hacking-related breaches are due to weak or stolen passwords.

Simply adding password requirements to member accounts like character length, a mixture of both lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and special characters will help protect sensitive member information. You can also add multi-factor authentication as an additional layer of online protection.

ADA

Website and mobile apps should be secure, and also follow the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines.

Choose a web developer or ADA agency to audit your site to ensure that you are compliant on all devices including desktops, tablets, and mobile phones. They can also check to see if your site is accessible through text readers and audio scanners.

Post-Coronavirus World

As credit unions have catered to their members during coronavirus in the form of pandemic-specific products and processes, this new way of doing business has opened up a whole new set of regulatory changes and compliance issues.

New trends, such as digital notary signings, have changed the way credit unions complete the loan process. CUs also had to put a priority on the government-issued SBA Paycheck Protection Program to fully serve its members struggling to fund their small businesses during the pandemic. With the increase in remote member transactions, it’s important to protect members against fraud not only during the coronavirus but post COVID-19 as well.

The silver lining from coronavirus is the opportunity to test remote work among credit union employees and digital products and services for CU members. As credit unions set future risks, goals, and marketing strategies, compliance is at the forefront of success. All of these changes required swift compliance action from training, to sensitive advertising content, as well as reforming loan processes.

As the global pandemic continues to shape member preferences toward digital, it’s a great time for CUs to re-think strategies regarding member engagement and how that affects their brick and mortar world.

Avoid excess anxiety about compliance by networking with other CUs, taking advantage of free resources, and investing in online tools that will keep your CU compliant and your members’ information secure.

CU Events Roundup Apr 9, 2021

Welcome to this week’s CU Events Roundup for Apr 9, 2021, where we will look at the Credit Union community and bring up some of the events we see going on. Oak Tree loves keeping tabs and participating in these credit union events. Please let us know if we missed out on yours and we’ll be sure to help promote it. We signed up for the Sactown, see below for more info on this.

This Week’s Events

April has often been the busiest of months for us in the credit union industry when it comes to conventions and events. This year it has been a bit difficult to keep up with all the changes, but here is a few of the events we’ve been able to track.

Hawaii Credit Union League’s 82nd Convention

Hawaii CU League went with “Renewed Commitment” for their 2021 virtual event. The HCUL looks to have lined up some great speakers and interesting discussions. Granted, we all have to agree having an excuse to visit Hawaii makes us really hope that 2022 is a live event again.

Cornerstone League’s Annual Meeting

Cornerstone has long operated as a membership and trade association for the credit unions located in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. They are at the tail-end of their Annual Meeting as this is being published. We can’t wait to hear more about how the event went! They had Sarah Thomas as their featured keynote, and we have to imagine it was very inspirational.

SacTown 5k Run

We also wanted to bring up how we are participating in this year’s Credit Union SACTOWN Virtual 5k. The event starts tomorrow and ends on the 20th, if you have not signed up now you have until the 19th as a last chance entry date. They are allowing participants to do more than just running, so that’s great for those of us who tend to avoid running. Be sure to check out the Sacramento Running Association and remember that 100% of the funds go to benefit the Children Miracle Network Hospitals in California and Nevada. Thank you to the California Credit Union League and the Nevada Credit Union League for all you do as well!

Next Week’s Events

Utah CU Association Annual Meeting & Convention

Utah’s Credit Unions will be coming together online as their 2021 annual meeting is going virtual. We see a bunch of great speakers from the credit union community! Remember, let us know about your annual meetings or conventions and we’ll be sure to help get the word out!! And we’re always on social media ready to engage with you about whatever you want to discuss! They have the speakers and other information posted.

Coming Soon

PSCU Virtual Member Forum is going virtual on April 20th.

The Ohio Credit Union League usually has their inVest48 event around this time, but don’t worry — we saw they have it in May this year!

Speaking of events moving to later in the year, we saw that the NCPCU is doing their Strategy Summit in October this year.

That will do it for the CU Events Roundup on Apr 9, 2021. We hope you like this feature and we look forward to seeing how it can grow moving forward. If your credit union, credit union league, or credit union chapter has a big event coming up — drop us a comment or hit us up on social media.

Leadership Within the CU Community

Humanitarian Highlight 4.8.21

For this week’s Humanitarian Highlight, we want to look at leadership within the CU Community. Is your credit union a stand-out when it comes to charity and community? Then hit us up on social media and let’s help get the word out on your good works!!

Alaska USA Federal Credit Union

Alaska USA Federal Credit Union has had a longtime commitment to helping their community. One of those commitments has been helping the United Way of Anchorage. United Way of Anchorage needed to find a new space to call home and so reached out to the community for assistance. Alaska USA stepped up and offered a new space for them to call theirs. Along with the office space, Alaska USA FCU also presented the organization with a $42,000 donation.

Members Choice Financial Credit Union

Due to COVID, many fundraisers and events had to be canceled, including Members Choice Charity Golf Tournament. Their team still banned together and came up with a plan to donate to two local charities. They were the American Legion Post #40 Veterans Emergency Relief, and ThinkBIG. Members Choice held a BBQ, basket raffles, and its first-ever food truck. They were able to collect and donate a total of $7,000 to their chosen charities.

PSE Credit Union

PSE Credit Union announced that they will be sponsoring the EVERFI Financial Literacy Bee, taking place the first two weeks of April. The EVERFI Financial Literacy Bee is a nationwide financial literacy challenge for high school students. The literacy Bee provides an opportunity for students to learn the critical importance of saving and budgeting for short-term and long-term goals.

State Employees’ Credit Union 

SECU Foundation is working with the North Carolina Alliance for School Leadership Development (NCASLD) and the North Carolina Principals and Assistant Principals’ Association (NCPAPA) to help increase leadership among school principals through a new initiative called the Distinguished Practitioners Network (DPN). Virtually, DPN will provide leadership development sessions to principals in high-needs schools addressing concerns highlighted by COVID-19. The $80,000 grant from SECU will help fund this new initiative.

Trumark Financial Credit Union

Early this year Trumark Financial created a Concern for Community initiative to support the local organizations during the pandemic. Every month the credit union chooses an organization to receive the resources needed. This month, the credit union donated baskets of cleaning supplies to five local organizations that offer support services for individuals transiting in different periods of their lives.

Advantage Credit Union

Advantage credit union donated $924 to the Newton Athletic Booster Club. The credit union donated $1 for every point scored during a Newton boys and girls varsity basketball home game.

Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.

We also wanted to bring up how we are participating in this year’s Credit Union SACTOWN Virtual 5k. The event starts April 10th and ends on the 20th, if you have not signed up now you have until the 19th as a last chance entry date. They are allowing participants to do more than just running, so that’s great for those of us who tend to avoid running. Be sure to check out the Sacramento Running Association and remember that 100% of the funds go to benefit the Children Miracle Network Hospitals in California and Nevada. Thank you to the California Credit Union League and the Nevada Credit Union League for all you do as well!

Thank you for reading this Humanitarian Highlight! Please check out last week’s, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions about our products & services through our email or by phone (800) 537-9598.

On a final note, we have started a new feature, the Credit Union Roundup, and we hope you return tomorrow to see what is going on in the Credit Union community.

How Charity Helps Your Credit Union

There is no question that donating and being active in the community helps brand awareness and image. In the case of credit unions, it goes deeper than that since institutions are heavily centered on members. This is why it is important to maintain a positive presence in the community. Considering a majority of your members make up that population and have come to expect nothing but the best. There are articles helping spread the word on how charities help your credit union and it makes great press!

Being active with your community and your members takes on many different forms. We see credit unions do anything from present checks to organizations, sponsor events, have fundraisers, and even donate to their members directly through contests and giveaways. Simply being aware of community events and causes is a great way to start planning a charity campaign. Take notice of the types of activities your members are involved with and develop ways to cater to them. There is no shortage of ways to show you care about your community and it is all up to your institution to find a way to do so.

With that being said, your efforts do not go unnoticed. Your members appreciate being taken care of and your community will see the benefits of your support. After all, the whole point of doing charitable work is to create a better environment and to help people. Show them what the credit union difference is, and remind them of why they chose to bank with a credit union in the first place. Also, when you create a positive image for your credit union it opens the door for other opportunities. Not only do you get the satisfaction of doing something positive, but you also get the added benefit of people wanting to share your kind actions. This can develop into a great marketing strategy for social media platforms and other outlets.

Even Credit Union Vendors Participate

At Oak Tree, we encourage your credit union to give back as much as they can to help maintain a positive image and to keep members happy. We love to see the awesome things going on in the credit union community every day and are always looking for a feel-good story. We love acts of charity so much that we write about them in our weekly Humanitarian Highlight blogs on our website. Check them out to see all of the great things happening in the credit union world, and hopefully, we can feature you next!

Speaking of charity and the credit union community, we also wanted to remind you how this weekend begins the SacTown Virtual Run for 2021, a great cause to help the Children’s Miracle Network of Hospitals.

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CU Events Roundup Apr 2, 2021

Welcome to this week’s CU Events Roundup for Apr 2, 2021, where we will look at the Credit Union community and bring up some of the events we see going on. Oak Tree loves keeping tabs and participating in these credit union events. For CU Events Roundup Apr 2, 2021, we don’t have much outside of the upcoming events.

We are hopefully on the tail end of this pandemic that has disrupted so much, including the events that we often participate in for our industry. We know that there are some “LIVE” events coming up soon, as well as at least one Virtual/Live event. Stay tuned on those and more.

We saw there were a lot of schools and training that went virtual this week, but we’re a bit dry on any annual meetings or big conventions. Please let us know if we missed out on yours and we’ll be sure to help promote it. We signed up for the Sactown, see below for more info on this.

Next Week’s Events

Cornerstone League’s Annual Meeting

Cornerstone has long operated as a membership and trade association for the credit unions located in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. They are having their Annual Meeting next week, April 8-9. Is your credit union participating?

SacTown 5k Run

We also wanted to bring up how we are participating in this year’s Credit Union SACTOWN Virtual 5k. The event starts April 10th and ends on the 20th, if you have not signed up now you have until the 19th as a last chance entry date. They are allowing participants to do more than just running, so that’s great for those of us who tend to avoid running. Be sure to check out the Sacramento Running Association and remember that 100% of the funds go to benefit the Children Miracle Network Hospitals in California and Nevada. Thank you to the California Credit Union League and the Nevada Credit Union League for all you do as well!

Coming Soon

Utah CU Association Annual Meeting & Convention looks to be going virtual on April 15th.

PSCU Virtual Member Forum is going virtual on April 20th.

The Ohio Credit Union League usually has their inVest48 event around this time, but don’t worry — we saw they have it in May this year!

Speaking of events moving to later in the year, we saw that the NCPCU is doing their Strategy Summit in October this year.

That will do it for CU Events Roundup Apr 2, 2021.

We hope you like this feature and we look forward to seeing how it can grow moving forward. If your credit union, credit union league, or credit union chapter has a big event coming up — drop us a comment or hit us up on social media.

Making An Impact

Humanitarian Highlight 4.1.21

This is no April Fools’ joke. #CreditUnions from all over are making an impact within their local communities, and with the members, they proudly serve on a daily basis! They are truly making an impact on their communities!

Press play to watch this week’s #HumanitarianHighlight and to see why Oak Tree proudly serves the #CUindustry 🏆👍

Bellwether Community Credit Union

Bellwether Community CU employees donated $1,200 to Families in Transition-New Horizons, which helps families and individuals struggling with homelessness and food insecurity within the greater Manchester area and throughout the state.

Bowater Employees Credit Union

A Bowater Credit Union member has received a $1,000 Pay It Forward prize for her favorite non-profit doing good in the local area, Wild River Retreat. Bowater CU has asked its members to nominate their favorite non-profit, helping people in the counties eligible for credit union memberships. Up to five $1,000 prizes are awarded each year.

Dow Chemical Employees’ Credit Union

The pandemic prevented Dow Chemical Employees’ CU from holding their annual donation drive, which helps restock local pantries. This year, in lieu of their donation drive, DCECU purchased items to deliver to local organizations in a “donation blitz” over a period of a few weeks. This pivot allowed the credit union to provide a much-needed boost to a few organizations and would allow for restocks.

Land of Lincoln Credit Union

Land of Lincoln Credit Union donated $7,000 to several Illinois Police Departments for them to use as they see fit within the local community. The Departments received Visa Gift Cards, and the gift cards will be used at the discretion of the patrolling officers and offered to citizens of the communities they work in as they see a need.

Oahe Federal Credit Union

There was a large apartment fire that displaced many residents of the Edgewater Apartments last January in Pierre, South Dakota. Thankfully no casualties, but the fire left severe damage and many residents were left homeless. The credit union starting spreading the word that they would accept household donations, as well as an established account for cash donations at the credit union. The community came together and the donations came pouring in. At the end of the collection, the credit union was able to donate numerous household items and a total of $112,730.26.

Vermont State Employees Credit Union

Vermont State Employees Credit Union is providing a total of $50,000 to five Vermont non-profits through their member-directed giving program, We Care 2. These donations will help these selected organizations continue to help Vermonters meet their essential needs, focusing on food, shelter and heat, and COVID-19 relief efforts.

Zia Credit Union

Zia Credit Union employees collected $1,045 through the Zia CU Employee Giving Campaign. All of the funds raised were donated to the United Way of Northern New Mexico, an organization that helps fight for health, education, and financial stability.

Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.

We also wanted to bring up how we are participating in this year’s Credit Union SACTOWN Virtual 5k. The event starts April 10th and ends on the 20th, if you have not signed up now you have until the 19th as a last chance entry date. They are allowing participants to do more than just running, so that’s great for those of us who tend to avoid running. Be sure to check out the Sacramento Running Association and remember that 100% of the funds go to benefit the Children Miracle Network Hospitals in California and Nevada. Thank you to the California Credit Union League and the Nevada Credit Union League for all you do as well!

Thank you for reading this Humanitarian Highlight! Please check out last week’s, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions about our products & services through our email or by phone (800) 537-9598.

On a final note, we have started a new feature, the Credit Union Roundup, and we hope you return tomorrow to see what is going on in the Credit Union community.