Small credit unions: The beating heart of the movement

In every conversation about the future of credit unions, one truth remains constant: small credit unions matter.  

Not as a talking point.  

Not as a nostalgic symbol.  

But as essential, living institutions that anchor communities, build trust, and deliver the credit union difference every day. 

Small credit unions know their members by name. They understand local realities in ways no algorithm ever could. They show up, not because it’s efficient, but because it’s right. That deeply personal connection is the foundation of our movement, and it deserves not just admiration, but sustained, focused support. 

At a time when small credit unions face mounting pressure—from regulatory complexity and cybersecurity threats to talent constraints and margin compression—the industry’s response must be clear and unified: lift up small credit unions together, with focus and intention. 

That belief guides our work at Cornerstone League. 

Small credit unions don’t need abstract promises. They need practical support designed for their realities. Leaders of small institutions are often wearing multiple hats, navigating limited capacity, and making decisions that carry outsized consequences. Our responsibility as an association is to meet them where they are, with relevance, accessibility, and respect for their time and resources. 

In 2025, Cornerstone deepened that commitment. 

Across our five-state region, we served 422 affiliate and affiliate-eligible credit unions with $100 million or less in assets, including 378 affiliated institutions. These credit unions span urban neighborhoods, rural towns, military communities, faith-based fields of membership, and underserved regions. While our footprint is regional, our approach reflects a national imperative: support small credit unions in ways that are meaningful, not symbolic. 

That commitment translated into expanded access to education and connection, including: 

Education topics were shaped directly by small credit union needs, including ITIN accounts, organizational culture, marketing strategies that work with limited budgets, and elder financial abuse prevention. 

This work is not theoretical. It is grounded in ongoing conversations with leaders navigating real-world challenges every day. 

Support for small credit unions is most effective when it is collaborative, not fragmented. 

Cornerstone’s Small Credit Union Forum was built specifically to foster peer-to-peer learning among institutions facing similar constraints. We also co-hosted a Small Credit Union Conference with America’s Credit Unions, recognizing that alignment across the system strengthens outcomes and reduces duplication. 

Beyond convening, Cornerstone provides a range of dues-supported services designed to meet small credit unions where they are, including compliance assistance, a dedicated Small Credit Union Pulse newsletter, personal outreach, and one-on-one consulting support as needed. 

Through Cornerstone’s newly launched LuLu analytics partnership with Zest AI, we are also beginning to see early indicators that this collective support is making a measurable difference. Profit per member (annualized net income per member) across all Cornerstone member credit unions increased 12.96% year over year, outpacing the national average increase of 8.42%. While this data is not segmented by asset size, it offers an encouraging signal: when credit unions are supported with the right mix of advocacy, education, connection, and operational resources, they are better positioned to perform, adapt, and thrive.   

These services are not add-ons. They are core to our mission. 

Advocacy remains one of the most powerful ways the credit union system supports small institutions, especially when regulatory and legislative burdens fall heaviest on those with the fewest resources. 

Protecting the credit union tax status, safeguarding interchange, modernizing the charter, strengthening fraud prevention, and reforming regulatory structures all benefit small credit unions. When advocacy succeeds, small institutions gain breathing room. When it fails, they feel the consequences first. 

That is why unity matters—not just rhetorically, but operationally. 

The credit union movement already has strong, established structures dedicated to supporting small institutions. Leagues and national trade associations have long invested in advocacy, education, compliance support, and peer engagement. The work is ongoing, adaptive, and informed by the voices of small credit unions themselves. In fact, we at Cornerstone were thrilled when we recently learned that four of our member CEOs were chosen to serve on America’s Credit Unions’ new Small Credit Union Advocacy Advisory Panel, as this will further elevate the voices from this important segment.

Now is not the time for distractions. It is the time to band together, align efforts, and tighten our collective focus on strengthening small credit unions—because their success is inseparable from the health of the entire system. 

Small credit unions are not a special interest within our movement. They are its beating heart. 

At this moment, the question before us is not whether small credit unions matter. We know they do. The question is whether we, as an industry, will choose focus over fragmentation and collaboration over distraction. 

Now is the time to align around what works. We need to strengthen the systems already in place to support small institutions. Let’s channel energy, resources, and advocacy into coordinated efforts that reduce burden, expand opportunity, and ensure small credit unions can continue serving their members with confidence and resilience. 

This work requires discipline. It requires listening. And it requires all of us—credit unions, leagues, our national association, and system partners—to pull in the same direction. 

I call on the credit union community nationwide to recommit to unity with purpose: 

When small credit unions are strong, communities are stronger. And when the credit union system moves forward together with clarity, cohesion, and resolve, we protect not only our history, but our future.