Principle #6: Concern for Community

The sixth of the 7 Cooperative Principles for Credit Unions is the principle of concern for community.
In addition to focusing on member needs, credit unions are committed to the sustainable development of their local communities.  This not only means providing a stable local financial resource, it also means undertaking non-financial initiatives to help the community.  Examples include holding fundraisers for a local charity, supporting literacy efforts in neighborhood schools, sponsoring teams to participate in races or other events that support various types of medical research or support, and pitching in to clean up the local community.

Many credit unions are already good at getting employees involved. Is concern for community already part of your internal culture? Then look for ways to get members involved too for a common sense of pride.

It seems like a lot of credit unions are hesitant to talk much to members or the public about their community involvement.  Credit unions by nature tend to be humble.  While humility is an excellent quality, so is sharing – particularly if you share what your credit union is doing in such a way that it inspires others to get involved too.  This presents a twofold benefit: increasing support for the charitable effort, and solidifying your credit union’s brand identity within your community. People tend to do more business with organizations they like, so encourage your employees to share all the likeable things your credit union is doing.