CU FORWARDTM Day concept is growing in the credit union industry
ST. PAUL, MN (September 26, 2019) — More credit unions nationwide are adopting the concept of dedicating one day to spread kindness in their communities. CU FORWARDTM Day – held this year on Monday, October 14, is a Minnesota state-wide initiative of credit unions employees, members and partners coming together to volunteer with local organizations, give back to our communities, commit random acts of kindness and generally just say “thank you” to the people who deserve it most.
The concept of CU FORWARD is an example of credit unions fulfilling their “people helping people” philosophy. Last year, 49 CU credit unions and partners came together for CU FORWARD Day to impact the lives of over 300,000 people. This year, 55 credit unions and organizations in Minnesota will participate in CU FORWARD Day and two states will launch their own initiatives.
“When the Network began coordinating CU Forward Day, credit unions were already coming together to spread kindness through various initiatives,” stated Mark Cummins, President & CEO of MnCUN. “We are simply the stewards of sharing the impact credit unions are having throughout their communities and as our own grows, my vision for the future would be a national coordinated effort, spearheaded by the league system, to impact all Americans with the credit union difference.”
This year, the Illinois Credit Union League launched the CU Kind campaign, an initiative for credit unions in their state to spread kindness during the same federal holiday.
“I’m so proud to work in an industry that focuses on people over profits,” said ICUL President Tom Kane. “With credit unions, ‘people helping people’ is more than just a nice phrase, it is the mindset for everything we do. Giving back to the communities we serve is foundational for credit unions, which is why we were so excited to follow Minnesota’s lead in developing a day of service. Initiatives like Minnesota’s CU Forward Day, and Illinois’ CU Kind Day, are genuine demonstrations of the credit union difference in action!”
Credit unions in Mississippi, inspired by both CU Forward and CU Kind, are coming together to create impact in their state as well.
“I loved the idea of giving back, taking action, to the communities that we serve here in Mississippi. The day of service was the perfect partner for the young credit union professionals (LEAD_MS) in Mississippi to take part of,” said Christian Hartley of Kessler Federal Credit Union in Gautier, Miss. “We’re so excited to partner along Minnesota and Illinois for Mississippi’s day of service on October 14, 2019.”
CU FORWARD Day is coordinated by the Minnesota Credit Union Network (MnCUN), the state trade association for Minnesota’s credit unions.
About Minnesota Credit Union Network
The Minnesota Credit Union Network is the trade association for credit unions and works to ensure a thriving credit union system in Minnesota through powerful advocacy, expertise, resources, opportunity, and influence on behalf of our member credit unions and their more than 2 million members.
With over $40.7 billion in assets, Minnesota credit unions are local, trusted financial cooperatives that serve 2.2. million members at 405 branch locations, employing 5,868 people around the state. As not-for-profit institutions, credit unions give back to the communities they serve. For more information, visit mncun.org.
