Nearing 40 years of experience in the Credit Union Industry, Oak Tree is a leading provider for lending documents and forms for Credit Unions. We provide all types of forms (all types of formats), data linking services, training, compliance support, legal opinion letters, preprinted brochures and documents, as well as web-based and mobile forms. Marketing Services for credit unions also available.
PRESS RELEASE Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc. teamed up with local charities, including the OC Foodbank and the 2020 Community Cup Charity, to give back to the surrounding communities. Credit unions, employees, members, families, and friends were asked to help us in this fight against hunger. Community Charity Campaign Success!
With community support, Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc. donated more than 100 pounds of food and over $300 in online donations to the OC Foodbank. We thank Capstone Federal Credit Union and The Irvine Company for their support.
“The OC Food Bank works with nearly 400 local charities, soup kitchens, and community organizations to end hunger and malnutrition. CAPOC personnel distributes over 23,000 food boxes each month at 55 distribution sites in Orange, Los Angeles, and Riverside Counties. The program provides nutritional assistance to relieve situations of emergency and distress through the provision of food to the poor.”
About Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.
Now celebrating over 37 years of experience in the Credit Union Industry, Oak Tree is a leading provider of compliant lending documents and forms for credit unions. We provide all types of forms (in all formats), data linking services, training, compliance support, legal opinion letters, marketing services, Spanish forms, preprinted brochures, and documents, as well as web-based forms.
It’s that time of the week again…Happy #HumanitarianHighlight day! We are so proud of the credit union community reps who have been out making peoples’ days and giving back to their beloved neighborhoods! Here are just a few credit unions that have continued to show their support for the students, teachers, and community as a whole. Let us know what you think and please tag us if you come across any credit unions that have done their part to create a better environment within their communities! You are all appreciated. The credit union movement is all about giving back, be it to the community or their members.
Harford County Schools received a donation of 6,000 face masks for teachers and staff for the upcoming school year thanks to Freedom Federal Credit Union. They also donated dozens of no-contact thermometers for use in every school building and office. Even though the school year will start off virtually, the hope is to bring students and staff back into the classroom after the first semester.
Living out Blue’s ‘Do Good’ spirit, Blue FCU partnered with nine community-centric non-profits to turn the $100,000 from Blue FCU and $100,000 from Blue Foundation into over half a million dollars by letting the non-profits’ own fundraising efforts be matched. Amazing job, BFCU!
After being heavily damaged in a severe storm a few months ago, the Straits Area Federal Credit Union has been helping the Bishop Baraga Catholic School with their fundraising efforts and will be matching $5,000. “We are very grateful for all the donations that we have gotten, and it just shows when something happens in the community we pull together and help,” said Cindy Harrison, President & CEO of Straits Area Federal Credit Union. The credit union is also taking book donations to help rebuild the library completely damaged in the storm.
FAST Federal Credit Union is stepping up in a big way by donating $20,000 to small businesses in Kings County. FAST Federal Credit Union will be donating $20,000 to those small businesses. Paula Lehn, the CEO, said she wanted to do something to help during these trying times.
Grasslands Federal Credit Union has donated more than $25,000 to help local non-profits with funds generated from processing fees tied to the federal Paycheck Protection Program. “Non-profits have been hit hard during COVID-19 due to the cancelation of fundraisers and annual events that typically fund their mission’s efforts,” said Emily Guldborg, manager and CEO of Grasslands FCU. “With the credit union philosophy of ‘people helping people in mind, we wanted to do our part to bridge the gap and give back to the communities that have long supported us. We hope to inspire other members of the community to continue reaching out to help one another during this critical time.”
As part of the credit union’s initial response to COVID-19, Direct Federal rewarded and recognized selfless, hardworking, and compassionate individuals throughout Norfolk and Middlesex Counties. During a time of increased financial hardship, the credit union wanted to spread kindness by setting aside $10,000 for deserving individuals. The credit union selected 23 winners and was so moved by one of the nominators, they rewarded her as well. In total, Direct Federal distributed $11,000. The nominators of each winner assisted in the coordination of surprise presentations during the months of June and July.
Pelican State Credit Union granted a total of $15,000 to college-bound high school graduates in recognition of their outstanding academic achievements and community service efforts. 2020 marks the 13th year the credit union has been investing in the future leaders of its local communities through its Team Pelican Scholarship Program. Scholarships in the amount of $1,000 were awarded to one member from each of Pelican’s 11 branch parishes, as well as one out-of-state member and a relative of a Pelican team member. The credit union also awarded two $1,000 awards designed for students who excelled in areas outside of their scholastic accomplishments.
Thank you for reading this Humanitarian Highlight! Please check out last week’s post, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions about our products & services through our email or by phone (800) 537-9598, especially if your credit union needs the best lending documents!
PRESS RELEASE Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc. is teaming up with local charities, including the OC Foodbank and the 2020 Community Cup Charity, to give back to the surrounding communities. We are asking credit unions, employees, members, families, and friends to help us in this fight against hunger. To join our team, please email us; the deadline to sign up is Aug. 28. The project will run from Aug. 1–Sep. 11, and those who wish to participate will be asked to leave out marked bins at their branches to collect donations. (Note: this community charity campaign is now over)
This is a great opportunity for your credit union and credit union family to get involved and help those in your community even further, virtually and physically during COVID-19.
“The OC Food Bank works with nearly 400 local charities, soup kitchens, and community organizations to end hunger and malnutrition. CAPOC personnel distributes over 23,000 food boxes each month at 55 distribution sites in Orange, Los Angeles, and Riverside Counties. The program provides nutritional assistance to relieve situations of emergency and distress through the provision of food to the poor.”
About Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.
Now celebrating over 37 years of experience in the Credit Union Industry, Oak Tree is a leading provider of compliant lending documents and forms for credit unions. We provide all types of forms (in all formats), data linking services, training, compliance support, legal opinion letters, marketing services, Spanish forms, preprinted brochures, and documents, as well as web-based forms.
(note: this is an older blog entry and has been edited since originally posted. The community charity campaign is now complete to great success!)
The current situations are new and can be troubling for many. Almost every person has been affected in some way by the impact of COVID-19. Being a part of the #CreditUnionMovement means we are going to need to be ready to act. Your members are going to be needing all kinds of assistance. Your credit unions thrive during these times because you know how important your members are. This is why we wanted to remind the credit unions, we’re here for you to adapt. It can be to the Covid situation, after the pandemic and the “new” normal, or at any time you want to improve your credit union forms and budgets.
When the pandemic first began its spread, we saw that many credit unions were quick to act in efforts to protect and help their members. There were halts to fees, repossessions, and foreclosures. We saw credit unions lower their rates on emergency loans and perform other actions to prepare their members for the days ahead. Oak Tree had also put forth many resources to assist the credit unions in their mission to support their members.
Now, we are seeing another stage in this situation where many communities are confident in their ability to reopen their businesses and allow for more interactions, with certain safety protocols still in place, of course. That is where Oak Tree is once again acting as a proactive partner to the credit union industry. Along with our standard practice of staying ahead of the trends and regulatory changes, we also want to find other ways to help credit unions adapt to the new normal.
No one is alone in these times, as we are all a community and that is the lesson learned from our time with credit unions. We are here to do our part and help you adapt. As you are ready to transition, see how our forms can better enhance your lending portfolio. Check out our products & services, then contact us to start using the most reliable and compliant forms and disclosures for credit unions nationwide.
There comes a time when your credit union might be stuck, not seeing any results or any change. A time when you can take a step back to assess your position to get creative and think outside the box. If your credit union is in this position, wanting to make changes and redirect marketing efforts, the best place to start is the classic SWOT analysis. Even if you have done a credit union SWOT analysis before, it can always be updated. We want to look at Credit Union SWOT Analysis as it applies to your credit union.
This tried, and true exercise offers a way to explore your credit union internally and externally by analyzing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. By asking and answering questions that pertain to your credit union and outside competition, you can uncover many pathways of promotional success. Following are the four-quadrant breakdowns and some sample questions to get you started!
Strengths
For any credit union, their strength comes from their member pool and so this is a good time to look at how much your members trust the company. That is a strength. Being a non-profit also helps give your financial institution some other benefits that can help, especially when it comes to the revenues leveraged from fewer tax obligations than some competition.
Strengths are your credit union’s attributes and abilities that you can utilize in future strategies. These are things that you already possess.
What promotions have been successful?
Does your CU Team have special skills you can utilize in the future? (e.g., education, creativity, networking.)
What does your credit union possess in assets that can be used to your advantage? (e.g., members, branches, community, equipment, technology.)
What competitive benefits make the #CUDifference and put your credit union above the big banks?
Weaknesses
Every credit union starts with a charter and that can restrict your ability to gain more members due to the community you serve. Acknowledging this as a weakness allows you to look for new ways to expand the charter or ability to gain new members. Being a non-profit also means, for many credit unions, that there is less capital for infrastructure or new technology. It will be important to not invest in fads, but be ready to serve your credit union with the fintech it needs to better protect and serve your members.
Weaknesses are areas of your credit union’s operations that can use some work or added attention in order to benefit fully from promotions or campaigns.
What are some aspects of your credit union that can be improved or can use a competitive edge?
Does your credit union need more of a physical asset to succeed?
Is your CUTeam putting their energy and talents toward the wrong direction?
Are you having trouble with branch location or online engagement?
Is your credit union marketing strategy working?
Opportunities
This is where Oak Tree can really help your institution because we offer membership forms that can be used for the next generation of young members eligible to join your credit union. Also, not all credit unions offer small business lending — and if you are one of those credit unions it may be time to see how Oak Tree Commercial and Business Lending Forms can help you.
Opportunities are external factors in your “CUCommunity” that your institution can take advantage of for potential growth and success.
Is there a FOM expansion or more significant market trend that your credit union can take advantage of to promote financial services and grow your membership?
Can your credit union engage in community events and business partnerships to grow awareness and community support?
Is your credit union website ADA compliant?
Is your FOM growing due to regulation changes? Are there increasing numbers and businesses that can apply to your credit union?
Do your current members trust you as their primary financial institution?
Threats
The first threat that all companies must look at is their direct competitors. We’ve all heard some company or CEO claim they “have no competition”, but that is simply untrue. Even if you have 99% of the market share there is always some competition out there, even if they are not a threat yet. For credit unions the threat is usually some bank or other credit union. Today there is also a rise in fintech firms offering the services of other conventional financial institutions and so these must be acknowledged and monitored.
Threats are negative factors that you have no control over and cannot likely change. Always keep account of threats to prepare for speed bumps.
Are competing banks and credit unions expanding in your area?
Is your Credit Union Community economy stable, growing, or declining?
Is your credit union engaged in evolving with fintech and credit union innovation?
And is your Credit Union Community seeing lending rates drop?
Take some time to fully answer the SWOT analysis to start off in a good direction. Knowing where you stand, where you exceed, and what can improve is essential as a strong foundation for building a strategy for growth. Oak Tree can help your credit union analyze, strategize, and optimize. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Happy New Year everyone and welcome back to another #HumanitarianHighlight! Thinking back at all of the accomplishments our #CUfamily has done, we can’t express how incredibly happy we are to see everyone’s involvement in making a difference within the community. Let us know what you think about this blog, and please tag us using #HumanitarianHighlight if you know of a credit union that went above and beyond for their community. Cheers to New Beginnings!
Thank you so much to Palisades FCU for volunteering yet AGAIN with the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley to help sort, organize, and package food items that will be donated to the community. This time around, PCU was able to package 2 TONS OF FOOD!! Outstanding job everyone!
Caring about their community a little extra during the holiday season, Elevations CU‘s members have brought in their toy donations into the branch for children in the community!
During the WCYY Fan Page’s #Markathon event, Atlantic FCU had their branch manager present a $1,000 check to help raise funds for The Center for Grieving Children, Maine. The grand total of money raised at the event was an astounding $80,000!!
“Expressing feelings in a safe place is part of the healing process after a death. At the Center, children, teens, young adults, and adults benefit from a supportive environment where they can be with others who have experienced similar losses. We provide peer support groups for children ages 3-18 and their parents and caregivers; young adults ages 19-30; and bereaved parents and young widowers/partners.” The Center for Grieving Children
Let’s give a big round of applause to the staff and members from Arlington Community FCU for collecting holiday gifts and wrapping them for children of incarcerated parents.
Donated $34,000 to 12 nonprofits all across Iowa and eastern Nebraska as part of its “Spark the Spirit” giving campaign. That’s not all, Veridian CU also donated $5,000 to Central Furniture Rescue!!
This incredible credit union Texas Trust CU presented a $5,000 check to Toys for Tots! Wonderful job to all members and employees for working together in making all of that possible. An interesting fact about Texas Trust CU is that since 2011, they have supported Toys for Tots and have donated a total of $40,000 to the organization!!
How touching is this? America First CU delivered new gym shoes and socks to the annual Warm the Soles of Kids program to about three dozen Gibson Middle School students.
Thank you for reading this Humanitarian Highlight! Please check out last week’s post, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions about our product & services through our email or by phone (800) 537-9598! Cheers to new beginnings!
The October blood drive was a HIT! We couldn’t have been in more awe of how it turned out and the positive response that we received. With support from the Southern California Blood Bank, we were able to break our initial goal and exceeded far above what we hoped for. Our employees also helped create a #CUdifference by taking time out of their workday to donate and helped be part of this #community event. Having the ability to help create a difference is what we strive for. Being able to see all our #CUfamily come by, brought us so much joy to see how many local credit unions stand up to help our community supply blood for those who need it the most. We are forever grateful for those who came and for those who couldn’t come but called to express how happy they are to see a company making a change.
Again, we want to thank everyone for stepping up to the plate and we hope to have another event like this soon!
Read our Press Release!
PRESS RELEASE CONTACT INFORMATION: Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc. Richard Gallagher, 800-537-9598 Marketing@oaktreebiz.com
RELEASE DATE: 14 October 2019
Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc. Asked the Community to Help Donate Blood and They Stepped Up
Oak Tree Businesses Systems, Inc. — the only credit union forms company you’ll ever need, hosted a local blood drive and had a great turnout.
Costa Mesa, CA October 2019 — A successful blood drive sponsored by Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc. in collaboration with the Southern California Blood Bank was a HIT! Thank you to the many people who rolled up their sleeves and gave donations. We couldn’t have been more in awe of how it turned out, and the positive response that we received. With support from the Southern California Blood Bank, we were able to break our initial goal and exceed far above what we hoped for. Employees of Oak Tree and local credit unions, walk-ins, and others who saw the ad campaign for the blood drive showed that Orange County has so many great people willing to donate a little time and a little blood to those in need. Watch the video on our YouTube Channel!
Earlier this year, we saw the supply of O-positive and O-negative levels run dangerously close to empty, and some locations were totally out of stock of these life-saving supplies of blood. This year, many blood drives were canceled across the nation due to extreme weather conditions, and that is why Oak Tree stepped up and helped host this drive on the first of October.
“To know that my blood, O negative blood, is literally the doctors’ and emergency rooms’ first line of defense – it’s very important for me to donate, and donate on a regular basis.” Ben C., type O negative donor
We thank the community and our employees who helped create a #CUdifference by taking time out of their workday to donate and be part of this community event. Having the ability to help create a difference is what we strive for. Being able to see all our #CUfamily come by, brought us so much joy to see how many local credit unions stand up to help our community supply blood for those who need it the most. We are forever grateful for those who came and for those who couldn’t go but called to express how happy they are to see a company making a change.
Being a part of this community has really made us stand tall in wanting to help many more people. When we got word that our goal was surpassed, we immediately wanted to know what was donated and how many lives we saved. Our report came back and we found out we saved 54 lives!!! How incredible is that?! As claimed by givingblood.org, throughout the U.S., company-hosted blood drives supply half of overall blood donations in the U.S. It makes us so happy to know that we were able to help create a difference. In today’s society, everyone is always “on the go.” So when events like these come up, having the time and ability to help out the community will not only allow for a good deed but also allows for that person to take a breath from the hectic lifestyle we all have going on.
Again, we want to thank everyone for stepping up to the plate! You all truly don’t understand how excited and proud we are here at Oak Tree. We helped save lives and never knew that’d be possible on such an easy note. Our goal for the next event will be even higher, so we are excited to surpass it yet again. Our society is changing, and we are here to help create that chain reaction.
“Being able to provide blood to help others in need, truly touches my heart. Donating blood can be such a small act, that turns into saving someone else’s life. I’d say that it’s pretty cool.” Richard Gallagher, CEO, Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.
Just like saving lives, we are proud to supply compliant forms to our #CUfamily to offer their members. Oak Tree Business Systems is a reliable source for credit union forms year after year. We are fast, efficient, knowledgeable, mindful of costs, and dedicated to the credit union industry. With over 35 years of industry experience, we work with you to create forms that accommodate your credit union’s technology objectives and facilitate a smooth workflow. Let us help you, help your members!
For more information on Oak Tree please visit https://www.oaktreebiz.com/blog/oak-tree-blood-drive
About Oak Tree Business Systems, Inc.
Oak Tree has been in the credit union business for over 35 years, developing, supporting, and maintaining lending and operational documents for credit unions in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Forms are your credit union’s tools of the trade. Ideally, these forms integrate seamlessly with your technology for streamlined performance. More importantly, they must comply with both state and federal standards or your credit union could face serious liability. This is why Oak Tree Business Systems is a reliable source for credit union forms year after year. #CreditUnionPartner
