Amplify the Degrees of Separation

Credit Unions Give Back to the Community

By Brad Banyas, OMI

Each year our organization participates in a number of credit union community fundraisers. On the surface this involvement is a chance to play some golf, attend dinner galas, and meet with our industry customers and friends. All of this is certainly redeeming from a business and professional point of view, but underneath it all there is the very sense that our communion is paying off in bigger ways; and not just our for business or our constituents, but for our community as well. Indeed, when the list of charities that are supported are tallied it is amazing to observe the breadth of community and social services offered, the amount of money raised, the dedication of volunteer involvement; and ultimately the number of lives impacted to make the community a better place.

A Different Experience

Credit unions are different from your everyday banking experience; that’s one of the things that make credit unions special. The nonprofit status and member ownership makes a great recipe for community involvement and thoughtful business practice. Members reap the rewards of credit union financial investments as well as the varied community social investments. Below are just a few of the many hundreds of programs that supported and assisted by credit unions across the country:

– Financial Literacy Training

– Veteran Support Programs

– Homeless Food and Shelter Programs

– Backpack for Kids Programs

– Grants and Scholarship Programs

– School and University Programs

– Cancer and Illness Awareness Programs

We are thankful for the credit unions and nonprofits that dedicate time, money, resources and love for such important causes in local and nationwide communities. These efforts truly make a difference, and behind the movement are national credit unions making a difference in the local community.

Not Just About Business

OMI has been very fortunate to participate in some of the above programs, not only through monetary donations but also by providing technology free of charge to our credit union affiliates. One example was a recent “Backpack for Kid’s” project where 50% of the children in the community elementary schools received free or reduced-price meals during the school year. For many of these underprivileged children the meals they received through this program were the most substantial meals they got during the week and we felt good about lending a hand. As a father of four myself, I can tell you that this was a cause that we wanted to participate in, so we our social media technology to drive awareness about the program. For us, lending the technology for the cause wasn’t about business; it was about doing the right thing for those kids and for our community.

Amplify your Activity

A lot of great work is being done…and yes, it’s not all about business; but amplifying awareness of your community involvement only makes sense to boost the profile of your credit union with current and potential members. How can you do this without seeming to be self-serving or full of hyperbole? Below are the 6° Degrees of Separation we use of in our customer communications and social media technology that can help better communicate and amplify your message.

1st Degree – General Correspondence – Incorporate your program’s message in all statements, notices, and other repetitive communications.  Be consistent and make it part of the ongoing process.

2nd Degree – Member-facing Personnel – Educate branch managers, tellers and member support staff about your community programs. Let them choose programs that they can be passionate about.

3rd Degree – Rewards – Reward business entities that donate money, time and resources with reduced fees and services. Promote their involvement on your website and other correspondence.

4th Degree – Testimonials – Nothing amplifies a program like someone who has personally been affected by a good deed. Use testimonials from the recipient, volunteers or other third parties. Change lives through story telling

5th Degree – Employee Acknowledgement – Reward employees for volunteering or contributing. Remind them that making a difference without them it’s not possible. Allow them time off to volunteer in your community programs.

6th Degree – Be Social – Your community efforts can be amplified through social media. Good deeds are shared at higher frequency than marketing oriented material. All content should be shareable, likable, and easy understand.

Moving Forward

It’s not easy to make a difference in the world, but credit unions nationwide are doing just that through a principle foundation rooted in the community. Amplifying your community activity is easy to do, however; it just takes a little thought and effort. The key is remaining dedicated and consistent, and patched into the pure passion to make the community a better place.

Thank you to all of the volunteers, donors, organizers and credit unions that continue to support local causes. You truly create that special degree of separation in the community’s you serve.