The Credit Union Blog Wishes You Happy Halloween

From the buzz on Twitter, it seams there are a lot of credit unions gearing up for Halloween.  What are you and your credit union doing this year to make Halloween an unforgettable experience for your members?  If you dressed up today, share a picture with a link to your Twitpic or Flickr page.

If you need some help, check out the pics from our office below. Aaron is a modern vampire, James Robert is a naval aviator, Jenn is a psycho nurse and Nida is a Gennie. In the second picture Jonathan is a clothesline with a bad hair day. And finally, Sarah was the camera girl.

 

While we had fun with these costumes, check the video out below for some real inspiration. 

Opportunity to Impact Lives as You Shop for Christmas

On a recent trip to Houston, my husband and I learned about a very special place that was only 30 minutes from where we were staying – The Brookwood Community. The community is a an educational, residential, and entrepreneurial community for adults with functional disabilities located in Brookshire, Texas, just west of Houston. A faith based center, we were also impressed by the number of different denomination churches supporting this group.

We were in the Christmas shopping mode and could not resist taking the trip to visit their gift shop, a special holiday place. There are a mix of items created by the “citizens” and other providers. It’s a place where your purchase truly makes a difference in people’s lives. From ornaments, to beautiful home grown poinsettias, to hand-screened cards and other hand-crafted items, I encourage you to check them out.

If you visit, you may want to plan to go when their café is open. Don’t live in the area? Some items are available online.

Social Responsibility Beyond the Holidays

 As a foIlowup to Sharing the Good News, the idea of "helping others" can be taken one step further...

If your credit union was not already aware if this, the movie Hancock may have sparked your interest. Maybe it is a little too much to ask to have your logo on the moon, but it is not beyond feasibility to consider a company’s social responsibility. As the holidays approach, contributing to charitable organizations is at a peak, but what about the rest of the year? Is it necessary for a company to have a social conscience in order to succeed?

Especially within the world of credit unions, the idea of social responsibility is a vital part of the organization. At the core, a credit union is part of a community and reaches out to the community. What better way to send the right image than to partner with a local charity or hold an annual charitable competition.  I understand that this is not a new concept and many credit unions already readily embrace this idea. But the movie Hancock pointed out to me that this is still something that is considered "new" and is not seen as a "necessary" course of action. Of course, Jason Bateman was marketing this concept to a giant corporation, but on a smaller level, it still works.

Think of the benefits not only for the charitable group that you are benefitting, but also your employees, community and even your credit union’s image.  This is a mutually beneficial relationship at its best. What do you do to get the ball rolling? Get started now since the holidays present many opportunities to help those that are less fortunate. And the key to this concept is sustainability. Keep this going and if you are looking for new ideas, ask your employees. I am sure that they have organizations that are near and dear to their hearts, so this level of personalized social responsibility is even better. Also, great ideas can be found at TCUL. Social responsibility presents a wide range of options, so choose what fits best with your credit union’s image.

Sharing the Good News - Survey says "donors plan to give this holiday season"

  In the midst of all the bad economic news, here is an article that might just brighten your day.  The October 27, 2008 edition of “TheNonProfitTimes” covers a national survey contracted for online fundraising firm Convio by JupiterResearch, a Forrester Research Company.

“Despite the crash on Wall Street and the national economic recession, more than half of Americans polled say that they plan to give to charity this holiday season and only about a third of them will donate less than last year. That’s good news for charity officials holding their breaths about fundraising this holiday season. They might be looking at a $3 billion bonanza from online giving.”

Janine McBee notes that “Yes, even during these trying times, it is anticipated people will still be giving to help others! Are you telling your credit union story about how you help your members? Are you reaching out to where their hearts are? Are you making it easy for your members to identify local charities where they can make a difference by contributing time or money? Are you encouraging giving back to the community among your staff? Have you thought about highlighting in your communications about how your staff actively gives back? Make the day a little brighter…Share the good news!”

So let us know… what are you doing to prepare for the holidays and follow through with the credit union founding principle of “people helping people. Shout back and share your thoughts and ideas below.