Keeping purpose constant: celebration and inspiration at the 2023 Foundation Dinner
The credit union movement’s energy, optimism and excitement were palpable as more than 1,200 people attended the National Credit Union Foundation’s annual fundraising gala.
The Foundation Dinner (CUInsight photo)
Record turnout for the Foundation Dinner—the National Credit Union Foundation’s primary fundraising event—set the tone for an evening that lauded the credit union movement’s work to improve financial well-being for all, while rallying the system to do more.
The February 27 dinner, held in conjunction with CUNA’s GAC, featured the 34th annual Herb Wegner Memorial Awards—the U.S. credit union’s highest national honors. During the ceremony, each recipient noted how vital the credit union mission remains in the face of ongoing financial inequities.
Former World Council president and CEO, Brian Branch, was the first of four to receive an Outstanding Individual Achievement award; recognized for a career that saw him grow WOCCU from a regional organization to one that includes credit unions in 118 countries, serving 375 million members.
Of his decades spent working in some of the most impoverished and dangerous communities across the globe (his award video was filmed around scheduled trips to support those displaced by the war in Ukraine) Branch reflected on the intrinsic impact of a cooperative movement, saying, “Credit unions are part of the social fabric that rebuilds and ties communities together.”
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