WFCU Global Bridges connects Irish and Ukrainian Credit Unions
Dundalk Credit Union hosts PVKS Credit Union to share strategies and solutions
MADISON, WI (October 12, 2023) — Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions (WFCU) traveled with staff members from Ukrainian Persha Vseukrayinska Kredytna Spilka (PVKS Credit Union) on a four-day Global Bridges engagement to Ireland this week to acquire knowledge, experience and best practices on improving operational capacity and digitalization efforts from the professionals at Dundalk Credit Union.
Representatives of PVKS Credit Union, headquartered in Kyiv, Ukraine, and WFCU discussed the specifics of their front office work and communications with members, and compared the effectiveness of different marketing and sales strategies. They also discussed a credit union digital journey, where Dundalk Credit Union presented the approaches and timelines of various digital tools implementation. Women staff members of PVKS also attended a separate session on women’s leadership conducted by their female colleagues from Dundalk.
The visit comes less than a year after Dundalk donated six electric generators to PVKS to help them get through the first winter since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
This concludes the third Global Bridges engagement for Dundalk Credit Union, whose representatives visited credit unions in Indiana and Wisconsin over the last two years.
“Our Global Bridges participants are an incredible example of how credit unions are a people-helping-people system. Not only do we get to share challenges and solutions with colleagues around the world, PVKS Credit Union received a vital donation of generators from Dundalk Credit Union to stay resilient during the 2022 winter,” said Mike Reuter, Executive Director of WFCU, as he joined his colleagues in Ireland.
Global Bridges is a joint initiative between the World Council of Credit Unions and Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions that allow participating credit unions to select and customize engagements to immerse their teams in global perspectives. Through interactive webinars, peer-to-peer engagements and conferences, participating credit unions learn firsthand about global credit union challenges, strategies, and solutions.
“As part of an inspiring week of knowledge exchange through the Global Bridges Program, hosts Dundalk Credit Union facilitated a fantastic “Women in Leadership” discussion with female leaders from PVKS Credit Union, Ukraine, female leaders from WFCU and from Dundalk Credit Union. Standing in unity with Ukraine, standing in unity as women,” said Dundalk Credit Union.
Global Bridges’ journeys can be delivered over a 12- or 24-month timeframe. The program employs a versatile model to orient both new hires and give existing staff access to new global credit union experiences.
For more information, visit doglobalgood.org/bridge.
PVKS Credit Union arriving in Ireland
Dundalk Credit Union professionals with PVKS Credit Union Professionals
Dundalk Credit Union women and PVKS Credit Union women in Pink Items from GWLN
About Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions (WFCU)
The Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions, as the strategic partner of the World Council, bridges gaps impacting credit unions' ability to grow and advance financial inclusion worldwide. Our commitment to provide global credit union journeys augments our shared vision with World Council's of realizing a vibrant and growing global credit union movement. Worldwide Foundation's philanthropy advances World Council's technical capacity to strengthen credit union systems that advance financial inclusion to underserved communities.
Learn more at www.DoGlobalGood.org
- WFCU fundraises primarily to support work focused on:
- Bridging the Inclusion Gap – expanding and sustaining credit unions, providing access to financial services to underserved communities, globally.
- Empowering women – the Global Women’s Leadership Network (GWLN) aims to provide women with the opportunity and resources to make a measurable difference in the lives of each other, in the lives of credit union members and in their communities.
- Disaster relief (Project Storm Break) – including providing over $1.7M to support credit unions and members in Ukraine, and significant efforts to support rebuilding and recovery efforts in Turkey following a catastrophic earthquake in February 2023.
- Leadership development (WYCUP) – the World Council's Young Credit Union Professionals (WYCUP) program is a platform for young credit union professionals and their advocates to connect to the world, engage professional journeys with global perspective and inspire a force for positive change through financial cooperatives in communities everywhere.
