Online Learning: Training your staff is easy and affordable with webinars from our strategic partners. Webinars allow you to train as many people as you like for one price from the comfort of your own office, home office, or training room. New webinars are added regularly, so check out our website to start planning your training schedule.

A Direct Line: How do conversation hearts relate to credit unions? It all comes down to love, and this mushy holiday is the perfect opportunity to express how you feel about your staff, members, and community — via conversation hearts, email, or heartfelt act of kindness.

Consumer Blog: 🎵 First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes... raising money-savvy kids. Like most smart money tips, it's never too early to start teaching your kids about money. This week's blog has money lessons for the whole family, and it may become the best bedtime story in your arsenal.

Impact Report 2023: Education is a pillar of Montana's Credit Unions. We want you to have all the tools you need to become leaders in your field and financial experts for your members. Part of the way we help goes straight to your inbox. Last year:

• 93 educational blogs were published, and
• 140 informational newsletters were emailed.

If those numbers give you a case of FOMO, and you want to make sure you're receiving the right information, let us know. We'll add you to the newsletter lists you need to succeed.

Website Preparedness: Does your website need a little extra... sparkle? First Call Digital Agency has a webinar to help. This free 50-minute immersive webinar covers what your website needs to be successful in 2024. From building a stellar team and ensuring top-tier security to crafting compelling content and tailoring your site for job searchers — this webinar is a goldmine of strategies to help elevate your online presence.

Vendor Management Excellence: CUVM is a cost-effective, dependable way to manage vendor regulatory due diligence. They understand the unique challenges credit unions face in managing a vast network of vendors and have crafted a tailored solution that addresses your specific needs. They'll help you ensure compliance, optimize processes, and safeguard your credit union’s reputation. Learn how CUVM can help streamline your vendor management.

Data Activation Series 2024: Data is one of the most important investments an organization can make. Check out the Data Activation Series presented by Anne Legg, founder of THRIVE. This educational offering is an integrated data education program that will fill knowledge gaps, provide insights, and build enterprise capabilities to leverage data for less of an investment than you may think. Use the MTSAVE promo code and sign up for the workshop that kicks off on March 5.

Valley CU recently shared some fantastic news. Thanks to the support of their members participating in the Refer-A-Friend program, they opened 71 new accounts across their six branches in Billings. To celebrate this milestone, the credit union donated $3,550 to Tumbleweed of Billings, a local organization dedicated to offering hope and opportunities to at-risk youth and young adults. For every new account opened through the Refer-A-Friend program, the credit union donates $50 to a local non-profit, turning every referral into a ripple of positive change in the community. Said Valley CU Marketing Officer, Matt Macrow, "Valley does so much for the community we thought it made sense that every time a member refers a friend or family member to us that we try to improve the community they live in as well." That's the #CUDifference!

Leveraging the Credit Union Difference in Montana

We had a staff meeting this week in Helena and talked a lot about the difference our credit unions make across the state. We could tell story after story about your work with your employees, your members, and in your communities. Every time we get together, I leave energized knowing the work we do matters and supports your efforts across the state. We are working with the chapter leaders and others around the state to build out a series of short pieces (videos, podcasts, infographics, discussion guides) to highlight the “why” behind our credit union movement in Montana.

We started the conversation with our staff. In a series of short videos, each person talked about a cooperative principle, a key program, and how and why they got started in credit unions (and why they stay in credit unions). They also shared what they are most excited about Montana’s Credit Unions serving our members in 2024. The responses were authentic, passionate, and powerful. I am excited for you to see them throughout the year.

Yesterday, we met with the chapter leaders to build out our plan to develop additional content and resources for you to use in your credit unions during staff meetings, new employee orientation, and other opportunities where you want to highlight the credit union difference. We will provide resources and discussion guides for you to use as well. The chapters are very excited to collaborate on this important initiative to highlight the credit union difference across the state.

Please reach out if you have ideas, suggestions, or resources that we can include. Enjoy your weekend.

Cooperatively, Gerry