USC Credit Union, Yoobi and CO-OP Financial Services partnering on initiative for schools in need
Program kicking off with start of USC's fall 2016 semester
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA (August 29, 2016) — With Fall semester classes beginning last week at the University of Southern California, USC Credit Union is initiating a unique effort to help provide schools in need with both classroom supplies and financial literacy education.
USCCU is working with Yoobi, a school and office supplies company that gives back, in a partnership organized by CO-OP Financial Services, a provider of financial technology to 3,500 credit unions and their 60 million members.
Using an exclusive USCCU members and staff discount, for every Yoobi item purchased at yoobi.com, the company will donate a Yoobi item to a classroom in need in the U.S., and USCCU will help donate financial education tools. The financial literacy tools will be distributed as Money Mammals Kits, and will help elementary educators teach students and their families how to be smart about their finances.
USCCU’s members and staff will be given a unique code so they can receive their discount and transactions can be credited to USCCU.
“USC prides itself on equipping its students to make a positive difference in the world, and particularly in the communities that the university is a part,” said Gary Perez, President, USCCU. “We are delighted to serve as the first credit union for what could serve as the foundation for a nationwide effort to provide young people with school supplies and financial education.”
Yoobi products are designed to engage students with their vibrant colors and unique designs, and the company is also committed to “giving back” by donating supplies for every item purchased. CO-OP is a financial technology company that serves credit unions, best known for its nationwide CO-OP ATM and Shared Branch networks. The company also focuses on working with credit unions to help them develop community outreach and corporate social responsibility programs to help demonstrate their mission of improving people’s financial well-being.
“With Yoobi, our goal is to make school supplies phenomenal, while solving an important problem along the way: providing fundamental access to those in need,” said Ido Leffler, co-founder and CEO of Yoobi. “We are excited to be partnering with CO-OP and USCCU to encourage financial education at a young age, which we hope will lead to better decisions by students throughout their lives.”
A lack of access to school supplies is a fundamental issue for students and teachers nationwide. A total of 92 percent of teachers purchase classroom supplies out of their own pockets, spending almost $500 on average, and totaling $1.6 billion a year.
Based on the results of this initial effort with USCCU, CO-OP intends to make the program available to its client credit unions nationwide.
“There is a true difference between credit unions and other financial institutions, due to their history and status as not-for-profit businesses dedicated to the betterment of their members and their communities,” said Todd Clark, President/CEO of CO-OP. “With tools and partnerships such as this, credit unions can have an impact – both from a business standpoint and a social responsibility standpoint – on a scale much larger than themselves.”
About CO-OP Financial Services
CO-OP Financial Services is a payments and financial technology company whose mission is ensuring the success of the credit union movement. CO-OP payments solutions, engagement services and strategic counsel help credit unions optimize member experiences to consistently provide seamless, personalized multi-channel offerings, while delivering secure, sophisticated fraud mitigation service. For more information, visit www.co-opfs.org.
About USC Credit Union
USC Credit Union was established in 1973 and is a $456 million not-for-profit financial cooperative with more than 65,000 member-owners. USCCU is committed to enriching the financial well-being of their members by offering a comprehensive selection of products and services that empowers them to own their financial future. To learn more about USC Credit Union or to become a member-owner, call (213) 821-7100 or visit www.usccreditunion.org.
About Yoobi
Yoobi is based on a bright yet simple idea: colorful, vibrant supplies for school, home or the office that give back. For every Yoobi item purchased, Yoobi donates an item to a classroom in need right here in the U.S. Together with the Kids in Need Foundation, Yoobi has impacted more than 1.5 million kids nationwide. To learn more visit www.yoobi.com.
