Doubling Down on Our Mission: Community Impact and Advocacy Are Two Sides of the Same Coin

With lawmakers reviewing the credit union tax status, advocacy is top-of-mind for many in our movement today. Doubling down on our mission needs to be too.

Lawmakers are reviewing the credit union tax status, which has advocacy top-of-mind for many in our movement today. But what about our mission? Shouldn’t doubling down on that be top-of-mind as well? After all, our community impact and our advocacy are two sides of the same “credit union difference” coin.

A few years ago, I took a cross-country road trip from Wisconsin to see my east coast family for the holidays. Like anyone gearing up for a long drive, filling up the gas tank was one of the first things I did before hitting the highway. But that fuel didn’t even get me halfway; I had to stop to fill up the tank every few hundred miles or risk breaking down.

The need to refuel—persistently and deliberately—holds true for all of us in credit unions. Sustained investment in community impact and financial well-being for all helps prevent our advocacy message from getting stranded on the highway.

The message we share on Capitol Hill is one of differentiation. “We’re not like those other financial institutions,” we proclaim. “We make a difference!”

With over 140 million Americans relying on credit unions, we absolutely do—and we can’t let up on the gas.

If you’re looking for more resources on doubling down on your credit union’s mission and impact to help fuel your advocacy arm, the National Credit Union Foundation is here to help.

No matter what the years ahead may bring, this is our call as a credit union movement with one united voice: to keep the advocacy tank full and to keep accelerating our collective impact on the world. Onward!