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 Registration is now open for the Fall 2012 Credit Union Development Education (DE) training class taking place September 6-13 in Madison, Wis. Attendees of the six-day total immersion experience will learn about credit unions’ social responsibility and domestic and international development through interactive education and professional networking.
After attending the last training in April of 2011, Amy McLard, Vice President of Federal Legislative Affairs at the Missouri Credit Union Association in St. Louis, Mo. said, “DE training allowed me to meet with people from all across the country who are committed to serving credit unions in their communities, enjoy unique experiences, learn a lot, and come back with great ideas to incorporate the credit union philosophy into everything we do for our members.” |
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 With the help of Montana Credit Unions for Community Development (MCUCD), credit unions in the state have embarked on a new program that will give their members access to both certified financial counselors and financial coaches.
 With the help of a Financial Education Grant from the National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF) and a grant from U.S. Department of Agriculture, MCUCD has established a unique program offering Montana credit unions an affordable avenue to have one or more staff members become trained financial counselors and/or coaches. In the past seven months alone, professionals from 14 of Montana’s 57 credit unions completed training. And that’s just the start. |
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 For the first time, credit unions now have quantitative data to illustrate how the credit union movement is making a difference through financial education and counseling. The National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF) through its REAL Solutions™ program just released a free online report entitled “Credit Unions: Focused on Financial Capability Across the Nation,” which is the result of an almost yearlong data collection effort by NCUF with the help of state credit union leagues.
In an effort to help the credit union community understand the depth and breadth of existing programs, NCUF and REAL Solutions conducted a comprehensive national study of credit-union provided member and consumer financial education and counseling. The data derived from this study will be useful to state leagues/associations and the broader credit union industry because it quantifies the extent to which credit unions are providing opportunities for members/consumers to advance their financial knowledge and decision-making skills. |
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 Credit unions are invited to register for a free webinar from MEMBERS Trust Company - "NCUF Charitable Lead Trust - A Charitable Investment to Match Your Charitable Intent." The 20-minute webinar will be held February 2, 2012 at 3:30 CT (1:30 PT | 4:30 PM ET).
Webinar participants will get a chance to hear more about the new Charitable Lead Trust Community Investment Fund (CIF) option from Tom Walker, President and CEO, and Jason Ritzenthaler, CFA, CTFA - Vice President, Trust & Investments, of MEMBERS Trust Company. |
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 Three credit unions have collectively donated $1 million to help nationally underwrite Biz Kid$. These unprecedented large donations were made by BECU in Tukwila, Wash., State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) in Raleigh, N.C., and SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union in Santa Ana, Calif. Biz Kid$ is the Emmy Award winning and credit union funded public television series that teaches kids about money management and entrepreneurship.
The National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF) oversees fundraising, outreach and administrative responsibilities of Biz Kid$ and is currently fundraising to achieve full funding for the fifth season, which will also put Biz Kid$ into syndication. |
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 This Op-ed piece originally appeared in the 12/14/11 issue of the Credit Union Times: It should come as no surprise that financial education is critical and sorely-needed.
A survey from The Hartford Financial Services Group found that more than three-quarters of students report that they wish they had more help preparing for their personal finances. Unfortunately, some educators are not providing a financial education course and may be unprepared to teach the subject, according to a report from the Financial Literacy and Education Commission. As a result, many lack the confidence to teach it to students.
That’s where Biz Kid$ comes in. Credit unions have long supported financial education. It’s even part of the credit union philosophy and one of the cooperative principles. It’s what we do and also a great differentiator. Supporting and teaching Biz Kid$ is a great way for credit unions to make an impact. |
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 In an alliance with MEMBERS Trust Company, FSB, the National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF) has expanded its Community Investment Fund (CIF) options to include a Charitable Lead Trust, commonly used by foundations across the country. CIF is a way for credit unions to participate in and support the programs and grants that NCUF and the state credit union foundations (SCUFs) provide.
With the new Charitable Lead Trust option, NCUF will receive annual payments calculated as a percentage of the market value of the assets held in the trust for a three- to five-year period. Unless donor credit union elects to renew the trust at the end of this payout period, the remaining assets in the trust will be returned to the credit union. |
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 Credit union leaders and supporters can now purchase their tickets for the National Credit Union Foundation Dinner Presenting the Herb Wegner Memorial Awards (formerly the “Herb Wegner Memorial Awards Dinner”) on March 19 at the Grand Hyatt Washington during the Credit Union National Association’s 2012 Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC).
“The name has been updated but that is all that has changed about this special gala event,” said Bucky Sebastian, NCUF Executive Director. “Attendees will again leave inspired and impressed after hearing the stories of this year’s exceptional Wegner Award winners.” |
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