The Founders' Circle was introduced as a way to raise money to begin The Foundation and help it achieve its goals to promote credit union development, assist with the educational needs of credit union staff and volunteers, support programming to enhance financial literacy, and support the credit union system. Individuals, credit unions, and credit union partners were invited to join the Founders' Circle by making contributions based on specific donor levels. Each level was named after an individual who made an impact in the history of credit unions.