CU Strategic Planning Wins Technical Assistance Awards for 100% of its Credit Union Applicants

Stacy Augustine

All 15 credit unions that CU Strategic Planning helped apply for Technical Assistance Awards from the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund received the $300,000 maximum for the Technical Assistance Awards this year. CU Strategic Planning submitted 15 Technical Assistance applications for credit unions.

The CDFI Fund provides TA awards through the CDFI Program and NACA Program to build the capacity of both emerging and currently Certified CDFIs to become certified and further expand their financing activities in low-income areas and to the historically disenfranchised. This direct technical assistance opportunity supports CDFIs looking to strengthen their organizations and, ultimately, serve distressed communities in new and innovative ways.

CU Strategic Planning’s winning credit unions are:

• A+ FCU
• America's First FCU
• Ascension CU
• Coteau Valley FCU
• Cy-Fair FCU
• Emerald CU
• First South Financial CU
• Fort Randall FCU
• Health Care Professionals FCU
• Marshland CU
• One Credit Union
• Spectra CU
• UT FCU
• Valley CU
• Weyco Community CU

“Unlike the recently announced FA Awards, which help CDFIs sustain and expand their financial products and services, the TA awards are used for capacity development,” CU Strategic Planning President Stacy Augustine said. “This can be critical to their organizational sustainability and success, setting them up to serve their communities in the ways they’re most needed. We’re thrilled that all the credit unions we worked with this round were not just awarded grants but were awarded the maximum possible in funding.”

Earlier this year, CU Strategic Planning became a Callahan & Associates Company, expanding its resources, capacity and breadth of services. In 2025, a CDFI CEO Roundtable and cutting-edge technology will be rolled out to help CEOs increase their credit unions' effectiveness and ability to serve their communities as CDFIs. The Roundtable will foster reflective, structured, and strategic dialogue about the challenges and opportunities uniquely experienced by CEOs of CDFI-certified credit unions. CU Strategic Planning is the leading credit union CDFI Certification facilitator, with 203 successful certifications and more than $1 billion in financial awards.

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