When economic times are tough, credit union leadership arelikely to look for areas to cut expenses and often, charitablegiving can be on the chopping block. In my experience, however, thedifficult economy presents an opportunity for credit unions to stepup and truly exemplify the credit union philosophy of “peoplehelping people.”

When the needs in the communities we serve increase, creditunions need to show their employees, members and community that weare here to help others beyond just their financial needs. By doingso, I believe you’ll find the benefits to your employees and thecommunity are well worth the effort.

We recognize that the past few years have been challenging formany people – including our own employees – but we still felt itwas important to engage our employees in our annual United Waycampaign. Ent has participated in fundraising for our local UnitedWay agencies for more than 15 years and we rely solely on ouremployees to meet our campaign goal. Year after year, despite theeconomic conditions, Ent employees have met or exceeded our goalswith each campaign. In fact, Ent’s 600 employees have raised morethan $100,000 for each of the past five years.

I believe our successful fundraising stems from choosing theright recipient. We’ve found that employees are more inclined todonate if they know their money is making an impact in their veryown neighborhoods. When their dollars go directly to help the localcommunity, they can feel a sense of pride to have helped fulfillthe needs they see every day.

The manner in which you collect donations is also important.Employees need an easy way to give. Ent allows employees to opt into payroll deductions, give a lump sum or even donate paid time offto contribute. We also hold internal fundraising events like jeansdays, bake sales and online auctions, which bring in significantdollars. Having multiple options to participate gives employees ofall levels a way to contribute based on what makes sense for them.This multifaceted approach makes for a successful campaign.

In addition to engaging employees, it’s also important to showour membership that the credit union cares about the communities weserve and invite them to participate. Ent annually providesservice center collection boxes for member and employee donationsto local food banks. We also encourage members to join withemployees in raising funds for and participating in a spring causeevent, such as the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk.

Ent also focuses on helping those in need in our immediateservice area through a robust philanthropy program consisting ofdonations, sponsorships and organizational participation.Concentrating our efforts on local giving supports our communitycharter and brand most effectively and directly benefits themembers we serve. We have found that people want to belong to acredit union that cares for their friends and neighbors.

Charitable giving is a key part of our operating philosophy andis entwined in the Ent culture. Credit unions exist to help people,and we believe this extends beyond providing financial services. Byfully supporting the credit union mission through charitable giving– especially to organizations in the communities we serve – we showour employees and members that we care about the success of thecommunity as a whole. 

Barbara Winter is executive vice president of organizationalresources at Ent Federal Credit Union.
Contact 800-525-9623 ext. 6660 [email protected]