Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
Jim Nussle
Chief Executive Officer, AMERICA’S CREDIT UNIONS. Our mission is to advocate for and advance an environment where credit unions thrive.
This week marked the start of Hispanic Heritage Month. It’s a chance for credit unions to make sure our commitment to financial well-being for all includes outreach to Hispanic communities.
A recent poll showed a majority of Latino households (62%) said they're experiencing financial problems due to the pandemic. More than half of Hispanic households have experienced a job or wage loss since the start of the pandemic, and 78% of those households have experienced financial hardship.
It’s why we have programs like Juntos Avanzamos (“Together We Advance”). Developed by the Cornerstone League almost 20 years ago—and expanded nationally by Inclusiv—the designation is awarded to credit unions that demonstrate a commitment to serving and empowering Hispanic consumers.
This program has grown to 115 credit unions in 26 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
Credit Union Magazine has a great article on how credit unions use Juntos Avanzamos to remove barriers to financial access for Hispanic consumers.
I hope you’ll check it out and think about how you can use this month as a jumping off point to think about how your organization can advance equitable service to Hispanic communities.
Continuing our push against expanded IRS reporting
So far, over 170,000 credit union advocates have told Congress to oppose a controversial provision that would require credit unions and other financial institutions to report large amounts of account activity to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). That’s a staggering example of our fierce, bold 360-degree advocacy in action! It’s working, but there’s still a long way to go.
This week, the House Ways and Means Committee completed its markup of draft infrastructure legislation without the language we oppose. It could still be added by the Rules Committee before it hits the floor, and there are several steps left before this bill becomes law. Please make sure you use our Grassroots Action Center to send a message at the link below. And if you haven’t yet, please visit our Member Activation Program (MAP) community for resources to share this action alert with your staff and members.
Share your thoughts in our annual membership survey
On Thursday, I sent credit union CEOs an email invitation to take CUNA’s annual membership survey with the subject line “Give us your feedback.” I highly encourage you to complete it. Taking this survey lets you voice your opinions on how we’re doing and what we can do to improve, which in turn helps us tailor our actions to fit your needs. Improving membership experience is a top priority for CUNA, and your feedback is invaluable in helping us achieve this.
领英推荐
Filene webinar examines results of DEI survey
The Filene Research Institute will host a webinar Oct. 14 that takes an in-depth look at their industry-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) survey. Filene Fellow Quinetta Roberson will discuss DEI practices that credit unions are already using, explore the ones that have led to higher performance, and outline evidence-based best practices for creating and fostering diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces.
Annual Credit Union Cherry Blossom Run
On Sunday, I was pleased to join Maryland & DC Credit Union Association President/CEO John Bratsakis at the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run. We didn’t see many cherry blossoms, but we did present Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals with a check for $180,000. This brings total credit union support to CMN Hospitals via Credit Union Miracle Day to more than $10 million over the past 20 years. It was a beautiful race day and a shining example of how credit unions make life-changing differences.
Labor Secretary Walsh visits in-school credit union branch
A major shout out to Class Act Federal Credit Union in Louisville for showing the importance of financial education in schools to Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and local officials who visited an in-school branch. Walsh toured Doss High School in Louisville and spoke to students who run the in-school branch. Way to highlight the credit union difference!
360-degree advocacy