Credit Unions for Kids brought together 12 emerging leaders in the industry to research and ideate on how philanthropy can improve in the credit union industry -- especially in a virtual setting -- by taking a CU4Kids lens. This was Project 2025.

Beginning in April 2019, these leaders in the industry collaborated for 16 months in an effort to make a responsible impact at children’s hospitals across the country. They began by understanding the landscape of the credit union industry and the non-profit sector. Joining regular calls to hear from seasoned experts in each field, executing their own research, and meeting in-person on two occasions to have in-depth strategic planning sessions; they formed a focus on 3 specific opportunities:

1. Equipping credit unions with resources, ideas, and tools to engage employees in giving.
2. Equipping credit unions with resources, ideas, and tools to activate members in giving.
3. Uniting the credit union industry around giving, specifically through the lens of CU4Kids.

On the show, we were joined by Credit Unions for Kids Director of Programs at CMN Hospitals Nick Coleman, Blue Federal Credit Union's Member Experience Manager Layna Officer, and PSCU's Manager, Meetings and Special Events Adam Freehling to share their Project 2025 experiences, as well as why they are excited about the concepts their team created.

One of those concepts included the concept of an "ambassador program." This would allow credit unions that participate in CU4Kids to identify an internal ambassador that communications and cooperates with CU4Kids national team and peers across the country to execute fundraising initiatives.

Participants of Project 2025:

• Adam Freehling, PSCU
• Aimee Berg, Unitus Community Credit Union
• Joey Griffith, formerly at Communication FCU
• Kristin Ryan, CUNA
• Layna Officer, Blue FCU
• Lorna Quinn, SchoolsFirst FCU
• Maricela Jauregui, South Bay Credit Union
• Meghan Valley, First Tech FCU
• Megan Balogh, CUNA Mutual Group
• Peter Rector, Maps Credit Union
• Rachael Jernigan, Associated Credit Union
• Thomas Slemp, SECU then APG FCU

Check it out and let us know your thoughts. And congratulations to everyone involved.

When COVID-19 hit our shores early last spring -- or sometime last winter depending on who you ask, we were all living in the immediate present. Now that we've dealt with the pandemic and its peripheral effects since then, many of us are looking to the future that still hold plenty of uncertainty.

With that uncertainty comes risks -- now and down the road. That said, Allied Solutions Senior Vice President of Operations Anne Holtzman joined us on the show to share some credit union risk management solutions and processes to recover from the pandemic's current and future risks.

Anne shares what some of these current and future risks, as well as how risk management solutions and processes can help recover and even help prevent the risks, too.

Very timely conversation with Anne. Check it out and let us know your thoughts.

According to Jill Nowacki, President/CEO of Humanidei + O’Rourke, the Chief Diversity Officer is a high stress, high turnover position in any industry. Jill adds the sense of urgency for credit unions to integrate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategies in a time when the workforce is already dealing with a global pandemic, economic uncertainty, and brand new remote work challenges creates potential for even greater burnout of our leaders.

For that reason -- and many others, Jill has developed and launched the DEI Practitioner Network, providing DEI practitioners the opportunity to share encouragement, resources, and ideas to move Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategies forward.

Participants from the Network meet monthly via video conference for open discussion and to address specific areas of emerging interest. Conversations so far have included executives from approximately 20 credit unions representing over $60 Billion in assets. They have addressed topics that range from designing strategic diversity plans and equitable lending practices to sharing resources to support employees through gender reassignment and the development of Employee Resource Groups.

Check it out and let us know your thoughts. And contact Jill for more information at [email protected].

Fintech giant Finastra plans to redefine the future of finance to improve millions of lives worldwide through its "finance for good" initiative. A noble and massive endeavor, indeed. But what does it actually mean?

To clarify, we invited Finastra VP & GM, Digital Community Markets Allan Brown on the program. Allan also shares how Finastra plans to accomplish this feat not only in the immediate future but for the long term, as well. In addition, he discussed how the pandemic helped influence this announcement. But he says this move goes well beyond COVID and he explains why in our talk.

Lastly, Allan gets out his crystal ball for a few 2021 digital banking behavior predictions he sees outliving the pandemic. Really interesting takes here from him. So check it out and let us know your thoughts.

If you're looking to benchmark and track your credit union's performance with a deeper dive into the numbers via intelligent and predictive analytics, CU Compare could be the tool for you.

Created by the creative and bright minds at CU Rise, CU Compare allows credit unions to view their performance at a glance, conduct comparisons, identify opportunities and weaknesses, track progress toward goals, and much more.

CU Rise CEO Karan Bhalla joined us to share why they created CU Compare, how it leverages intelligent and predictive analytics to provide credit unions with well-rounded view of what's going on and what may happen in the near future. The power of today's analytics can really give your credit union a head start on better serving members.

Karan also adds what's next for CU Compare, as this free tool is going to get better and better with more data it digests. Check it out and let us know your thoughts.