Press
NCUF Releases First State Pages from Forthcoming Financial Education Report
Contact:
Christopher Morris
608-231-4374 | cmorris@ncuf.coop
Madison, Wis. – Three state pages were released from the National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF) and will be part of a forthcoming national report from NCUF showing how the credit union movement is making a difference through financial education and counseling. The Delaware, Illinois, and Kansas pages were put together from data collected by NCUF for its 2011 Credit Union Member Education Inventory.
Sponsored by state credit union leagues and NCUF’s REAL Solutions program, the resulting report entitled “Credit Unions: Focused on Financial Capability Across the Nation,” will give each league/association a section that contains state-specific data and comparisons to national figures. The three state pages released by NCUF are the first glimpses of what those look like.
Designed for maximum impact and exposure, the report will be used for communications, advocacy and outreach efforts, and will be accessible to participating credit unions at no charge through the REAL Solutions® Impact Center. In addition, a companion tool detailing member financial education/counseling products and credit union best practices will be published in conjunction with the report.
Click the following to view its state page:
Preliminary survey data has already shown credit unions to be strong providers of financial education. For example, in Kansas, 164 classroom presentations were made to 5,509 youth at Kansas schools in 2010. Nationally, over 1.7 million members received financial counseling or advice from credit unions last year. Read a recent NCUF press release here for some statistics.
“While the information collected so far is certainly impressive on its own, it is still important to gather more data,” said Lois Kitsch, NCUF’s National Program Director. “Once more credit unions complete our survey, we’ll know the true impact our industry has across America through our numerous financial education efforts.”
The complete information compiled from the survey will provide state credit union leagues/associations and the broader credit union movement with fuel for state and national public awareness, advocacy, and related outreach efforts. Survey responses will create a rich, vibrant and sustainable source of data and statistics about the lives touched by credit unions.
NCUF has been using an online survey tool to gather this data since March. To date, over 550 credit unions from 46 states have completed the survey. All U.S. credit unions are invited to participate in the project.
Credit unions may use the following URL to access the survey: https://vovici.com/wsb.dll/s/f49dg49018. Or, credit unions can simply visit the REAL Solutions Impact Center at www.realsolutions.coop to access the survey.
For questions and additional information, please contact Lois Kitsch at lkitsch@ncuf.coop or (414) 793-1991. Read the full press release from March announcing the survey here.
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About REAL Solutions®
REAL Solutions® is the signature program of the National Credit Union Foundation. REAL ― “Relevant, Effective, Asset-building, Loyalty-producing” — Solutions works to help credit unions offer a wide range of products and services that have proven successful in serving working families with low wealth and modest means. Using product/business models created and tested by credit unions, REAL Solutions disseminates information to credit unions through special meetings, an online impact center at www.realsolutions.coop, and state and national conferences. As NCUF’s signature program over the past four years, REAL Solutions has been adopted in 40 states and is saving members tens of millions of dollars. It has now become a documented business strategy for credit unions to grow their memberships by serving the underserved. Real people with real needs are finding REAL Solutions at credit unions.
About the National Credit Union Foundation (ncuf.coop):
The National Credit Union Foundation is the US credit union movement’s primary national philanthropic program provider, fundraiser and grant-maker. Through NCUF grants and programs, credit unions provide widespread financial education, create greater access to affordable financial services, and empower more consumers to save, build assets, and own homes.
NCUF is funded primarily by investments in the award-winning Community Investment Fund (CIF) and by generous Corporate Supporters led by the Credit Union National Association and CUNA Mutual. All NCUF donors provide support that empowers NCUF and state credit union foundations to make a real impact in the credit union community.
The National Credit Union Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization. NCUF continues to earn the Better Business Bureau seal of approval as an “Accredited Charity” for meeting all 20 BBB Wise Giving Alliance Standards for national charities.