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Educational Community Credit Union members go paperless and #makeastatement

KALAMAZOO, MI (March 30, 2015) — Members of Educational Community Credit Union (ECCU) made a powerful statement during the credit union’s recent #makeastatement campaign. The goal of the campaign, which ran from October 2014 through February 2015, was not only to encourage members to switch from paper statements to eStatements, but to also raise awareness about three green and nature-based community organizations: Kalamazoo Nature Center, Fresh Food Fairy, and Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy.

“We really wanted to make this a win-win for everyone involved,” said Tina Mason, ECCU’s director of marketing. “For members, eStatements are convenient, secure and better for our environment. It’s also a cost saver for the credit union, which ultimately ends up positively affecting our members in the form of better rates and services.”

And for the three community organizations? “We designated $3,000 to divvy up between them, and let members decide how much each organization received,” Mason revealed. “When they switched from paper statements to eStatements through HomeBanking, they had the chance to vote whether eStatements were for Food Fairies, Conservation Heroes (SWMLC), or the Birds (Kalamazoo Nature Center).”

With 4,140 members switching to eStatements, $500 awarded to paperless members through monthly drawings, and $3,000 donated to three outstanding organizations, “the campaign was a huge success,” Mason exclaimed. “We are so proud of our members for choosing to #makeastatement!”

So how were the funds allocated to each organization? Kalamazoo Nature Center received 57% of the votes ($1,170), Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy received 23% of votes ($690), and the Fresh Food Fairy received 20% of the votes ($600). To see how each organization plans to use their funds, visit ECCU’s Resource Center.

Even though the campaign is over, ECCU looks forward to expanding their relationships with each organization in the future. “They were so fun to work with and very excited to be part of the campaign,” said Mason. “They do such great work within the community, making education and conservancy efforts fun and appealing to all ages. We’re already looking at ways to partner with them again when the weather warms up.”

About ECCU

Established in 1935, ECCU has grown from serving only Kalamazoo school employees, to serving the greater educational community, to now providing a full range of financial products and services to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in any of our 21 Michigan counties. The credit union exceeds $419 million in assets and serves more than 37,000 members. Visit eccu1.org to learn more about membership and why ECCU just feels right, and our members feel right at home.


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