Decker Joins Foundation Board

Carla Decker, President/CEO of District Government Employees Federal Credit Union (DGEFCU) has been named to the Board of Directors of the Credit Union Foundation of Maryland and the District of Columbia.  In her new position, Ms. Decker will help provide strategic direction for the charitable organization whose mission is focused on serving MD & DC-based credit unions, their staff, and members.

During her tenure with DGEFCU, Ms. Decker has led that credit union's efforts in serving a traditional employer-based membership while expanding services to a community charter.  DGEFCU now extends services to the Latino population in Washington, D.C. through, ACCESO, an innovative collaborative effort that links multiple credit unions in addressing the financial needs of the local immigrant and under-served community.

Ms. Decker was named "Professional of the Year" in 2006 by the MD & DC Credit Union Association where she serves on the International Committee. 

Ms. Decker is a Credit Union Development Educator.  She is also Vice-Chair of the Capitalization Committee of the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions, an organizing member of the Network of Latino Credit Unions and Professionals, and Treasurer of the Institute for Social and Economic Development. 

"We're very pleased to have Ms. Decker joining the Board," stated Foundation Chair Rob Windsor.  "We believe that Carla will help address the Board's desire to broaden our representation within the credit unions we serve so that we will be better able to meet their needs through our programs."

Foundation Announces Grant Awards Totaling $76,000

The Credit Union Foundation of Maryland and the District of Columbia has announced its first round of grant awards for 2007 totaling $76,000.  The Foundation Board has approved a $40,000 grant in support of a small credit union development program, and a $10,000 grant to fund a program to help credit unions serve the needs of their low-wealth members.  An additional $1,000 grant was awarded to support a financial literacy initiative, $10,000 was awarded for an essay-based college scholarship program, $5,000 to fund the Roycroft Leadership Speaker Series, and $10,000 in scholarships to help small credit union staff attend the 2007 CUNA Schools.

The $40,000 small credit union development grant will be used in conjunction with a 2006 Foundation award of $35,000 and $35,000 in matching funds from the National Credit Union Foundation.  The total awards of $110,000 will allow the Maryland and District of Columbia Credit Union Association (MDDCCUA) to work with twelve selected credit unions through a program they call Growth, Governance and Services (GGAS).  Through the program each participating credit union will benefit from a pre-program member survey being offered by CUNA at a reduced rate, individualized counseling by MDDCCUA staff members, business partners, and others on both a one-on-one basis and through classroom-type educational offerings. 

The objective of GGAS, as noted on the grant application are to produce, financially healthier credit unions whose member satisfaction scores show marked improvement and whose services better reflect their members' needs.  GGAS will provide guidance and education for both the credit unions' professional staff as well as their volunteer governance boards.

"The Foundation has taken as one of its goals the support of smaller credit unions," noted Foundation Board Chair Rob Windsor.  "GGAS is one of the ways we see the Foundation attaining that goal."

The $10,000 REAL Solutions grant from the Foundation will fund the Maryland and D.C. program, now entering its second year.  REAL Solutions, which has been adopted by the National Credit Union Foundation as one of their signature programs, was piloted in 2005/06 with twelve credit unions participating in the pilot.  The objective of the program is to provide educational and sharing sessions to help credit unions discover, enact, and sustain services for low-wealth members.  Those services include pay-day lending alternatives, volunteer income tax assistance, remittance expertise, savings programs, and other alternatives to higher-cost, predatory financial services that prey on low-wealth families. 
In a change over the 2005/06 REAL Solutions program in Maryland and D.C., the 2006/07 grant award will be used to provide a similar educational and sharing experience, but will expand beyond the initial twelve credit unions to include all credit unions in Maryland and D.C. 

The Foundation also approved grant funding in the amount of $1,000 to support Money Power Day, a one-day "financial fair" that pulls together financial literacy, volunteer income tax assistance, credit reporting and counseling, first-time home buyer workshops, family budgeting workshops, credit/debt management sessions, and exhibits from credit unions and others.  A Kids Zone will focus on youth financial education.  Money Power Day is coordinated by the Baltimore CASH Campaign.  Both the Municipal Employees Credit Union of Baltimore and the State Employees Credit Union of Maryland are also significant sponsors.
The Board continued its tradition of offering college scholarships.  Ten $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to the winning essayists in the scholarship competition.  The 2006 scholarship program attracted 170 applications.  This year's essayists will respond to the question, "What advice would you give to credit unions seeking low-cost ways to attract and serve young members (age 25 and younger)?" More than 20 volunteer judges participated in the 2006 selection process. 

The Roycroft Leadership Speaker Series was awarded $5,000 to bring Vince Lombardi, Jr. to the MDDCCUA annual convention to serve as luncheon keynote speaker in 2007.

A grant of $10,000 was also approved to fund scholarships for small credit unions who wish to attend the week-long CUNA Lending and Compliance Schools in 2007.

Foundation Unveils Donor Recognition Walls

The Credit Union Foundation of Maryland and the District of Columbia unveiled twin Donor Recognition Walls recently in tribute to those who support the credit union charitable organization.

The two sister walls, one located in Maryland and the other in the District of Columbia, display the names of the credit unions, businesses, and individuals who have made either annual contributions to the Foundation or participated in the Community Investment Fund.  Additional inscriptions will be added to the display as future contributions are received.

Tower Federal Credit Union President Martin Breland, Department of Labor Federal Credit Union CEO Joan Moran, and State Employees Credit Union of Maryland Marketing Vice President Sharon Sykes (left to right) admire the Credit Union Foundation of MD & DC Donor Recognition Wall at the tribute unveiling recently.  The Wall features the names of credit unions, businesses, and individual donors who support the Foundation's programs through annual gifts and Community Investment Fund participation.  Two "sister" walls were created by the Foundation - one in Maryland and one in the District of Columbia offices of the Maryland and D.C. Credit Union Association. 

"We realize that our programs in support of financial literacy, credit union staff education, anti-predatory lending alternatives, and more wouldn't be possible without the generous support of our donors", said Credit Union Foundation Chairman Rob Windsor.  "And we are proud to recognize their selfless support through these two beautiful donor walls."  Chairman Windsor and all of the Foundation's Board members have contributed both as individuals as well as through the credit union or business they represent.

The donor tributes were unveiled at reception ceremonies where Foundation donors served as the honored guests, many having their photographs taken alongside their inscribed names on the wall.

Municipal Employees Credit Union of Baltimore President Bert Hash (left) and Destinations Credit Union Board Chairman Napoleon Sykes point to their respective credit unions' names on the Credit Union Foundation of MD & DC's new Donor Recognition Wall.

For more information on the Credit Union Foundation, the Donor Recognition Walls, or how to support credit union initiatives, please call Kyle Swisher, Executive Director of the Foundation at 443 325-0771.

New Name, New Look!
The Maryland Credit Union Foundation is no more.  To better reflect its expanded mission of supporting the credit union movements in both Maryland and the District of Columbia, the Foundation Board voted unanimously to change their corporate name to The Credit Union Foundation of Maryland and the District of Columbia, Inc.  And that change created the need for an adjustment to the Foundation logo.  The new look is shown at left. 

Foundation Support
The Credit Union Foundation continued efforts over the second quarter of 2006 to encourage charitable giving for existing and future programs in support of the credit union movement in Maryland and the District of Columbia.  Building on the Board-established giving levels, plans were put into place for prominent donor recognition.  Continued education on the Community Investment Fund was provided for District-based credit unions, and solicitation of the Board itself for charitable support was initiated.

Community Investment Fund
Central Credit Union joined the growing ranks of CIF investors and Allegany Teachers FCU increased their investments in the unique program that allows credit unions to share investment earnings with both the National and MD & DC Credit Union Foundations. 

Total investments at the end of June, 2006 stood at $7,597,000, ranking the Foundation in the top-ten CIF programs in the nation.  The Credit Union Foundation, joined by the National Credit Union Foundation and Mid-Atlantic Corporate Federal Credit Union provided an educational session for D.C.-based credit unions on May 11th at the new MDDCCUA offices in Washington. 

Foundation Board Provides Leadership Gifts
In a strong showing that charitable support begins at the top, Foundation Board members launched the 2006 annual giving drive by showing 100% participation in the 2006 Foundation Board Annual Giving Campaign.  Every member of the Foundation Board committed to the charitable drive with most providing donations both personally, and through their credit unions or businesses.  A vast majority of the gifts were made at the Foundation's Chairman's Club, or top tier level.

$10,000 College Essay Program
Ten talented students received $1,000 scholarships from the Foundation's College Essay Program.  The ten recipients were chosen from a field of more than 220 entries in the largest response in the program's history.  Twenty-one judges reviewed the "blind" essays which were stripped of references to the applicants' credit union affiliations.  Awards were presented to members of Prince George's Co. Emp. FCU, SECU, Tower FCU, Energy FCU, Cedar Point FCU, and Balto. Co. Employees FCU.

Credit Unions, Businesses Support Foundation
In addition to participating in the Community Investment Fund, credit unions and businesses have also provided annual gifts to the Foundation over the second quarter of 2006.  Point Breeze Credit Union made a $10,000 contribution and Tower FCU donated $5,000 to support the Foundation?s efforts.  The Baltimore Chapter of MDDCCUA contributed at the top-tier Chairman's Club level, as did the National Capital FCU and Mid-Atlantic FCU.  Business Partner PFP pledged at the Chairman?s Club level as well.  First Eagle FCU and Johns Hopkins FCU both contributed at the Leadership Circle level, and Phil Monetti of the Integrity Team made a Donor Level gift. 

REAL Solutions
The REAL Solutions program reached a major milestone in May when the program's "Class of 2006" graduated at a REAL Solutions Institute and EXPO held at the Columbia Sheraton.  The day-long Institute culminated the first cycle of the innovative program that provided a select group of twelve credit unions with background, programmatic information, and sharing opportunities to help them develop services for their lower-wealth members.  The REAL Solutions program, which was launched as a pilot program and cooperative effort between the Foundation, MDDCCUA, and the Filene Research Institute, was structured to assist credit unions in developing anti-predatory lending programs, outreach to underserved communities, assistance for first-time home buyers, and related services. 

Based on the success of the pilot, the National Credit Union Foundation will be taking the program to a nationwide level next year.

With the "Class of '06" serving as mentors, plans are underway for enrollment of the "Class of '07" REAL Solutions credit unions.

MDDCCUA Annual Meeting Leadership Speaker
Scott Waddle, USN. Ret., commander of the USS Greenville, the submarine that crashed into a Japanese fishing vessel as it emerged in waters off Hawaii in 2001, served as the 2006 Leadership Speaker for the annual MDDCCUA Convention.  Waddle, whose Navy career ended in the wake of the tragedy, reflected on leadership, lessons learned, and the qualities needed to face disaster with honesty and character.  Funding for this speaker series is provided through the Roycroft Fund, a donor-restricted fund within the MDCUF.

Looking Forward
The Foundation will be expanding its fund-raising efforts in the third and final quarters of 2006.  Opportunities will be presented to credit unions, businesses, and organizations to join with our growing list of donors in support of the credit union movement in Maryland and the District of Columbia.  Outreach to individual credit unions will continue in an effort to better inform management and governance about the structure, mission, and operations of the Foundation.  The Foundation Board will also be addressing the focus of the Foundation at its annual Strategic Planning Retreat in September.