As part of their mission, Wisconsin's credit unions are committed to the wellbeing of their communities. In fact, in 2022 alone, credit unions across the state donated $9.5 million to charities, community projects, and civic groups, in addition to providing countless volunteer hours.
Here are just a few highlights from the past year:
Giving Back
In January, the RCU Foundation gave a gift of $300,000 to go towards the construction of a new library facility in Whitehall. The money is being given to the Friends of the Whitehall Public Library’s “Roots and Wings” campaign and will be used to construct a new library to provide a more effective and efficient space to serve the community. Learn more>>
In February, WESTconsin Credit Union hosted the Chain of Hearts fundraiser supporting area Children's Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals. Members were invited to show their support by purchasing paper heart donations, or a wall of fame paper heart at their local Wisconsin offices. The campaign raised nearly $10,000 for CMN. Learn more>>
In August, Educators Credit Union provided a $40,000 donation to start a Classroom Support Fund through the Milwaukee Public Schools Foundation. This fund helps purchase classroom supplies for teachers. Learn more >>
Providing Innovative Solutions
In March, Summit Credit Union announced its financial wellness initiative "Equity in Money", which focuses on solutions for pay inequities between men and women. Summit said it wanted to inspire progress for equal pay in Wisconsin, where women earn 80 cents for every $1 earned by men. At the current rate, women in Wisconsin will not reach equal pay status until 2067. The credit union started the conversation with advertising and continued it with an ongoing Pay Equity Dashboard on Summit’s website that will transparently track the cooperative’s record on pay equity. Learn more>>
In September, UW Credit Union joined a new program called Operation Fresh Start launched to help young adults make a career in the service industry. The program trains adults ages 18-24 for eight weeks. The first group was trained by UW to become tellers. The program was developed with help from an advisory board consisting of staff from Epic Systems, American Family Insurance and UW Credit Union.
Learn more>>
In October, Royal Credit Union partnered with VITA and Chippewa Valley Technical College offering free income tax return assistance. VITA was created to provide free income tax return assistance to taxpayers who cannot afford to pay for professional help. Learn more>>
Awarding Scholarships
In October, WESTconsin Credit Union awarded 15 high school students with $1,000 scholarships to the class of 2023 as part of their Student Scholarship Program. The goal is to award one scholarship in each community served by a WESTconsin office. Learn more>>
In June, Fort Community Credit Union selected 5 seniors to each receive a $2,000 scholarship. The FCCU scholarship was developed in 2019 as a reflection of FCCU’s mission statement: “To help our members be in a better financial position than when we met them.” These scholarships will help members achieve their educational dreams. Learn more>>
Supporting Financial Literacy
In January, The Marine Credit Union Foundation ran their “Finding HOME” program. This program works to educate people that are unable to qualify for a mortgage through traditional methods.
Learn more>>
In February, Educators Credit Union launched Mind & Money, a digital tool that provides parents and guardians an easy way to pay allowance, assign chores, and teach financial lessons with no monthly fees. Mind & Money also offers children and teens their own debit card that comes with parental controls and a spending tracker.
Learn more>>
In March, Altra Federal Credit Union hosted a free event to home buyers. This informative mixer allowed attendees to speak one-on-one with industry professionals to ask questions about the home-buying process. The event was set up to help purchasers make informed decisions regardless of where they are in their home-buying journey. Learn more>>
And now, for the first time ever, Wisconsin's credit unions will be further energizing their efforts by coming together for a combined day of service on October 9 (Indigenous' Peoples Day)! Credit unions from around the state are encouraged to participate in CU Community Day and give back to their community in ways that matter to them.
If you’re a credit union that's interested in participating, click here to learn more.