Giving Back
Official Newsletter of the Illinois Credit Union Foundation
| October 2024 | Volume 21, Issue 10 | ||
For a PDF version of this newsletter, click here.
Congratulations CU Imagine Contest Winner - Chicago Post Office ECU!
Congratulations to the winner of the CU Imagine Contest: Chicago Post Office Employees Credit Union! Their project, Up Lift, is aimed at supporting young women aging out of foster care with financial education, life skills training, and a savings account. They received $10,000 - the original $5,000 prize from the ICU Foundation which was matched by an additional $5,000 from Envisant!
Kudos to the other contest finalists - Education Personnel Federal Credit Union who presented, Tiny Homes of Hope, and Illinois Educators Credit Union who presented Deposit 'Til Diploma! These outstanding projects from all three credit unions will be featured during the ICU Foundation's Annual Financial Health Seminar in November. See for yourself why it was so challenging for the judges to select only one winner from a field of worth candidates. You will be inspired to support and adopt the ideas!
ICUF Annual Raffle Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the ICU Foundation Annual Raffle Drawing. A huge THANK YOU to the 58 credit unions who sold tickets which helped raise approximately $9,500 (net) for the Foundation!
| Prize | Winner |
| Grand Prize $1,500 | Tami McQueen, DuPage CU |
| 2nd Prize $500 | Todd Keil, Bloomington Municipal CU |
| 3rd Prize $250 | Casildo Robles, KCT CU |
| 4th Prize $100 | Eric Jozefowski, Great Lakes CU |
| 5th Prize $100 | Dianne Bangert, Financial Plus CU |
| 6th Prize $100 | Renee Coe-Walker, Great Lakes CU |
| 7th Prize $100 | NuMark CU |
| 8th Prize $100 | Amanda Cleveland, Midwest Members CU |
| 9th Prize $100 | Steve Bugg, Great Lakes CU |
| 10th Prize $100 | Peoria Firefighters CU |
CUAid Collects Donations to Support CUs Impacted by Hurricanes
The ICU Foundation and Envisant donated $5,000 to CUAid to help credit unions and their staff members impacted by the recent hurricanes Helene and Milton. CUAid is a program of the National Credit Union Foundation. Donations are accepted online or can be sent to National Credit Union Foundation, PO Box 78880, Milwaukee, WI 53278-0880.
Speaker Highlight - ICUF 6th Annual Financial Health Seminar 11/14 - Andy Janning
The ICU Foundation will conduct its 6th Annual Financial Health Seminar on Thursday, November 14. The free session will be virtual again this year to enable as many people as possible to participate. Register Today!
CANCER AND CREDIT UNIONS - PILOTING BOLD NEW IDEAS
In 2020, Andy Janning created a documentary about the financial catastrophe of cancer to show how credit unions can better see and serve the members fighting the most expensive disease they'll ever face. Four years later, a small group of credit unions are piloting a series of bold new initiatives to significantly improve the financial, physical, and emotional wellbeing of members with cancer. This session will showcase the lessons learned from those initiatives, how to launch them at your credit union, and cast a vision for how our industry can continue to lead the way in this important endeavor.
ICUF Annual Support Campaign
The Illinois Credit Union Foundation is conducting its most important fundraiser, the Annual Support Campaign, until the end of the year. Since 1978, the ICU Foundation has provided nearly $5 million to assist credit unions as they improve financial well-being for their members, staff and local communities. Click here for an Annual Fund Contribution Form, or click here to make a gift via PayPal. Contact Melanie Murphy at 224-407-0440 or [email protected] with questions.
CUFEN Highlights Financial Education Outreach
Thank you to credit unions who submitted financial education outreach reports to CUFEN - Credit Union Financial Education Network (formerly known as NYIB - National Youth Involvement Board) for the period July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.
| Credit Union Name | Adult Participants | Adult Presentations | Youth Participants | Youth Presentations | Fin Ed Platform Total Usage |
| 1st MidAmerica CU | 0 | 0 | 665 | 18 | 2,000 |
| BCU | 6,949 | 68 | 2 | 75 | 8,168 |
| CEFCU | 1,044 | 29 | 2,403 | 54 | 24,129 |
| Chicago Post Office Employees CU | 30 | 3 | 50 | 2 | 30 |
| Decatur Earthmover CU | 35 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Financial Plus CU | 0 | 0 | 2,799 | 107 | 694 |
| Great Lakes CU | 1,703 | 63 | 1,507 | 72 | 3,210 |
| Heartland CU | 50 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
| Illinois Community CU | 120 | 4 | 130 | 6 | 0 |
| Illinois Educators CU | 0 | 0 | 64 | 3 | 12 |
| KCT CU | 1,051 | 95 | 1,327 | 23 | 0 |
| Land of Lincoln CU | 1,100 | 40 | 600 | 30 | 200 |
| MembersAlliance CU | 130 | 7 | 923 | 34 | 1,681 |
| Park Manor Christian Church CU | 20 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Revity CU | 51 | 4 | 1,198 | 49 | 15,000 |
| Rock Valley CU | 75 | 10 | 375 | 15 | 450 |
| SIU CU | 157 | 10 | 2,665 | 42 | 2,665 |
| Streator Onized CU | 367 | 5 | 2,161 | 102 | 1,942 |
| TOTALS | 12,882 | 345 | 16,879 | 634 | 60,231 |
Congratulations New CUDEs™
Congratulations to the following people who earned designations as Credit Union Development Educators (CUDE™) from the National Credit Union Foundation this year: Ashley Frost, Revity CU; Erik Romero, Revity CU; Hallie Smith, Streator Onized CU.
NCUF 2025 CUDE™ Program Registration Opens October 16
The National Credit Union Foundation announced dates for the 2025 DE Program. Since 1982, the Credit Union Development Education (CUDE™) program and its international alumni network has transformed the culture, strategy, outreach and impact of the credit union movement. Upon completion of the DE Program, individuals earn their CUDE designation and join over 3,000 credit union advocates from around the world. The 2025 DE Program registration opens October 16, 2024.
ICUF Multicultural Opportunity Report Insight
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According to the 2024 Multicultural Opportunity Report, "the race and ethnicity demographics of the U.S. and Illinois show a parallel trend, as illustrated in the chart. However, of the Top 3 cities, Chicago and Aurora are more racially and ethnically diverse." Check out Appendix A - County Data to see the race and ethnicity populations in all 102 counties individually. The report examines demographic trends in the state which credit unions can use for strategic planning. In addition, recordings of the 2-part webinar series to share the findings (Part 1) and review opportunities to put into action (Part 2) are also available in the secured area in our website. Click here to sign in to the secured area in our website, then use this link to access the report and support materials. |
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Foundation Questions?
Contact Melanie Murphy at 224-407-0440 or [email protected].
REMINDERS
ICUF Scholarships & Grants
The ICU Foundation offers Grants of up to $10,000 to cover a wide variety of projects to help credit unions grow and expand their services. ICU Foundation Scholarships can be used for a wide variety of education programs. All ICUL-affiliated CUs are eligible, and applications are accepted year-round. We encourage you to apply early in the year since funds are available and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Check out the scholarship & grant details online.
Bite of Reality App for Teen Reality Fairs
Bite of Reality App (BORA) is an updated approach to financial reality fairs where teens use smartphones or tablets to learn more about money and budgeting, printable materials are now available for situations when it is not feasible to use the app. The ICU Foundation underwrites the cost of the popular app so all ICUL-affiliated credit unions can use it for free. BORA is based on CUNA's Mad City Money (no longer being offered) and offers extra enhancements such as credit scores to provide a more powerful experience for participants. The printable BORA materials can be used as a substitute. Learn more about BORA.
CU Foundation Network Month Sessions 2024
Credit unions who have or are considering their own foundation, donor advised fund, and/or community involvement programs can join the Credit Union Foundation Network. They offer monthly discussion sessions on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 1:00 central. You can register for 2024 sessions here. For an invite to join the Network's LinkedIn Group contact Melanie Murphy.
CU Philanthropy Toolkit
The National Credit Union Foundation's updated version of its Philanthropy Toolkit for credit unions, available for free here, is designed to help credit unions maximize their community impact and align philanthropic activities to strategic objectives. Learn about strategic philanthropy, public vs. private foundations, funding charitable initiatives, and more.
2024 Events & Important Dates
| November 14 |
ICUF Financial Health Seminar Join us online for a virtual learning event focused on improving the financial health of CU staff and members |
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January 1 to December 31 |
Foundation's Annual Support Campaign Our most important fundraiser which provides unrestricted support to the Foundation - donations accepted year-round |
ICU Foundation Board of Directors
Chair - Michelle Balog, NuMark CU
Vice-Chair - Kerriann Mills, BCU
Secretary/Treasurer - Susan Toalson, U of I Community CU
Lou Bicanic, Midwest Members CU
Geraldine Burek, Burek Business Consulting
John Fiore, Consumers CU
John Hansen, Rockford Bell CU
Mike Lee, KCT CU
Tom Pierce, Access CU
Amber Scott, 1st MidAmerica CU
Sarah Vega, NCUA & IDFPR Executive (former)
