Your Weekly Update from Montana's Credit Unions

YOUR WEEKLY UPDATE FROM MONTANA'S CREDIT UNIONS | March 22, 2024

Spring has officially sprung, but someone forgot to tell Mother Nature. 🌷❄️ If you're traveling over the next several days, be careful out there.

NEWS YOU CAN USE

ServeMontana Awards: We've partnered with The Governor's Office of Community Service once again for the annual ServeMontana awards. These awards highlight those in our community who exemplify the cooperative principle of "concern for community." There are categories for individuals and groups, so you'll find the perfect award for the outstanding community member you're already thinking of. Nominations are due April 7.

Credit Union Youth Month: April is Credit Union Youth Month, and we're encouraging kids to "save away for a rainy day." Through a collaborative effort with several credit union leagues across the country, we've compiled resources to help you celebrate and educate.

From this information sheet, you'll find links to a toolkit (Thank you, Maine league!) with logos, coloring pages, word searches, social media graphics, sample social media posts, and more. You'll also find an extensive list of ideas (Thank you, Tennessee league!) on how to incorporate #CUYouthMonth into your credit unions and communities. Let us know how you plan to celebrate!

Money Moves to Build Savings: Discover how to enhance financial capability in a webinar hosted by the NCUA's Office of Consumer Financial Protection on April 11. Featuring speakers from America Saves and Bank On, "Money Moves to Build Savings and Financial Capability" will delve into the significance of saving, accessing safe accounts, and unbiased financial education.

FOR YOUR DUES

Annual Award Nominations: We all know that employee retention is closely tied to recognition. A recent blog from project management firm Team Stage tells us just how closely they're tied:

63% of employees would not change their jobs if they were recognized
Recognition positively affects an employee's performance by 60%

Don't you think some of your employees deserve to be nominated for an award? Simply fill out one (or all) of the award nominations for Professional of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, or Young Professional of the Year and email it to Michelle by April 28.

Join us for Leadership Training in Great Falls or Billings: Participants in the Personify Leadership® program will build on the strengths you may not know you have by focusing on the unique eight core body-focused competencies. By the end of the two-day session, you'll be able to:

Deepen your understanding of what it takes to be a leader
Develop key skills and practical “how-to’s”
Gain a greater appreciation for your own strengths and development areas
Experience a comprehensive approach to leadership

We still have some spots open for our upcoming Personify Leadership^® trainings in Great Falls and Billings. We would love to have you — or some of your leaders — join us for this interactive, practical program.

ADVOCACY UPDATE

Interchange Works — Let your Congressional Delegates Know! We urge you to contact lawmakers immediately to let them know the Credit Card Competition Act should not be included or attached to any forthcoming funding bills or the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). It's crucial for all credit unions to mobilize their employees and members to address this interchange issue, ensuring our collective voice is heard loud and clear.

Reg II : Support our credit union allies in Congress as they work to stop the Federal Reserve's Reg II proposed rule, which could slash debit interchange fees by over 30%. Use the Grassroots Action Center to thank members of Congress for supporting efforts to stop and study this flawed proposal. Act now to make your voice heard and protect credit unions and their members. Other pieces for reference include Reg II talking points and a Myth vs. Fact document developed with other banking trades.

THIS WEEK'S BLOGS

A Direct Line: America’s Credit Unions Small Credit Union Committee recently released their "Blueprints for Small Credit Union Success." This week's blog discusses why this particular read should go straight to the top of your TBR list.

Consumer Blog: Harvard, UCLA, NDSU, or Hogwarts — dream schools come in all shapes and sizes and so do student loans. This week's blog breaks down the different types of student loans and offers best practices for obtaining one — and paying it off.

2023 Impact Report: Vendors play an impactful role at our in-person events and our daily operations. At our events, they help you learn about the products and services to help your credit union run smoothly, they teach about best practices and trends, and they help keep registration costs low. In 2023,

36 vendors were at Power Up,
16 vendors were at Be Fearless, and
18 vendors were at MonDak.

This concludes our 2023 Impact Report series. If you think you missed something, check out our full report.

FROM OUR PARTNERS

Data Privacy Webinar Overview: Data privacy laws and regulations are being implemented around the world, so it's important to know what data privacy is and the similarities it has to data security. On May 6, the CU Webinar Network will host a webinar offering expert insight on the new data privacy requirements to help credit union leaders gain understanding and avoid fines. For a preview, sign up for the free 30-minute on-demand overview of the webinar available on Monday, March 25.

Financial Wellness and Debit: Explore how innovative debit programs can benefit credit unions and help your members achieve financial goals. Check out this recording and learn how Envisant’s debit card programs are strengthening credit unions and empowering families.

Sales Training for Your Credit Union: SalesCU is an award-winning credit union sales training organization that provides virtual sales consulting and training to enhance branch, contact center, outbound, and lending center sales. Their goal is to empower credit unions to transform the way your credit union views the sales process for more consistent sales results. Learn more about the program and check out the 2024 CU Sales Intensive Online Workshop dates. Registration for the next live online session ends next Friday.

WE SEE THE #CUDIFFERENCE

Montana CU recently executed a week-long fundraising initiative for NeighborWorks Great Falls. The first initiative was "Swipes for a Cause," where they donated $0.02 for each debit and/or credit card swipe made by their members. The result was astounding, as they managed to raise $1,800. They also organized a "Tacos and Trivia" night for their employees, which raised an additional $1,500.

In addition to fundraising, Montana CU sponsored and spoke at a NeighborWorks homebuying class, which provides information on all aspects of home ownership. That's the #CUDifference!

PARTING SHOT

System Partner Meeting: Happy Friday! I just got back from our annual System Partner Meeting — a collaborative meeting with leagues, TruStage, CUNA Strategic Services, and America’s Credit Unions. While I have participated in this important event for many years, this was my first time participating as your league president; I have lots of “firsts” this year in my new role!

This is one of my favorite industry meetings because we have opportunities to share what we are all doing and find additional ways to collaborate, learn from one another, “steal” best practices, and deeper our long-standing relationships. We also discuss several big advocacy issues across the industry and further approaches to addressing them, especially during the election year.

Donya, Ranel, and I participated in the event, which had several breakouts for our respective groups. We all left with several takeaways and follow ups with our peers across the country. We were also able to share the great things that are happening in Montana and talk about YOU!

One thing I noticed this week was the number of new faces across the system. Many new leaders have joined — some from inside our movement and others from other industries. Those from outside the system commented on how collaborative credit unions are and how they willingly share their ideas and best practices and jump in to assistance wherever possible. I love this about our movement and see it every day in Montana!

On Tuesday afternoon, we had a chance to tour the World War II museum (pictured here), which was a highlight of the week. I was both humbled and inspired as I walked through the various exhibits and learned about the commitment and sacrifice that so many made. We live in a great country, and I am proud of our service members in Montana and around the country who continue to serve and sacrifice for us. For those of you who have served, are serving, or have family members serving — thank you!

Finally, I want to give a huge shout-out to TruStage, who hosted and led much of the meeting this week. We have a rich history of partnership and collaboration on behalf of credit unions and their members. I thoroughly enjoyed reconnecting with former colleagues and friends as well as discussing and learning about the future as TruStage continues to support the credit union movement.

Have a super weekend! Gerry

We may be united by our involvement in the credit union movement, but our preference for potato chip flavors is quite diverse.

This is an internal publication of Montana's Credit Unions intended for our affiliated credit unions and their official family.

For more information, call us or visit our website.

Montana's Credit Unions | 800-745-5546

montanascreditunions.coop