Across Illinois, credit unions are making a difference every day — strengthening communities, supporting families, and empowering individuals to achieve financial well-being. Through Credit Unions in Action, the Illinois Credit Union League is gathering and showcasing the collective impact of our movement — the programs, volunteer efforts, and charitable giving that bring the credit union difference to life.
Credit Unions in Action is a statewide initiative to measure and share the many ways Illinois credit unions give back. We’re collecting data on financial education, charitable giving, and volunteer service to create an annual summary that highlights the powerful, people-first work happening across our state.
This project will:
Demonstrate our collective impact – helping legislators, media, and the public see the full scope of what credit unions do for their communities.
Fuel awareness and advocacy – providing stories and data that strengthen our voice in Springfield and Washington, D.C.
Celebrate your efforts – giving credit unions the opportunity to shine a light on their employees, volunteers, and initiatives that make a difference.
Launch at the 2025 Annual Convention:
We’ll unveil Credit Unions in Action during Convention’s opening session, highlighting how every Illinois credit union can take part.
Q4 2025 – Prepare to Share:
Credit unions will receive detailed information about what to track and report — including community impact data on financial education, charitable giving, and volunteer service.
Early 2026 – Submit Your Data & Stories:
Data collection opens in February 2026 and runs through March 31, 2026. Once data has been collected and analyzed, this landing page will evolve into an interactive space sharing stories and credit union efforts that contribute to statewide impact.
Ongoing – Celebrate the Results:
As data and stories come in, we’ll feature highlights from credit unions across Illinois and share "good news stories" with local media outlets.
Your participation helps:
Strengthen the credit union movement’s reputation and advocacy efforts.
Illustrate to lawmakers the difference credit unions make in every community.
Fuel a statewide awareness campaign – the data collected will power media outreach and publicity efforts that spotlight the positive impact of credit unions across Illinois.
Promote your credit union’s commitment to financial well-being and community service.
Inspire collaboration and pride within the Illinois credit union system.
Credit Unions in Action project leads and CEOs have access to the form in their profile on the website. The form can be worked on, saved, and returned to throughout the month of February. Once the form is submitted, it cannot be edited.
Click here to read an overview of the reporting information. Reviewing and preparing for submission with this list now will ensure a smooth and efficient process during the official collection period.
Together, we’ll tell the story of how Illinois credit unions are changing lives — one member, one community at a time.
The Voices in Action video series celebrates how Illinois credit unions bring “people helping people” to life. From volunteer projects to financial education to everyday acts of kindness, these stories highlight the heart of our movement. To learn more about this project, please reach out to Abby Walsh.
