Page 27 - Perspectives Vol.15 Issue 2

But no matter how many times we asked ourselves what the worst thing could be, the answer was never an unprecedented pandemic.
However, we quickly assessed the situation and found that the pandemic didn’t meet our disaster relief criteria. Its effects were more far-reaching than anything we had ever experienced, and we briefly fell into that trap of thinking we could really “only” offer XYZ to our credit unions and that “only” a small sampling would benefit because of capacity and the overwhelming needs.
While it is safe to say that our then-current disaster program was not the solution, using the word “only” started to feel like we were insinuating that our mission and purpose were not worthy. So, we shifted our focus to how we could help while keeping our purpose constant and staying true to our mission of empowering people to improve their financial well-being.
The land of nonprofits is like an orchestra, and each sector serves as an instrument. The work of the orchestra is to blend the symphonic sounds of a civil society and a harmonic union where every instrument matters. We knew we needed to trust that the other instruments were playing the chords they know so well for their audience of members, and we needed to find ways to play to our strengths as well.
There will never be a perfect solution. After voicing and believing this to be true, we started asking ourselves, What are the problems to be solved? How do we help in a way that has a ripple effect, spreading from staff to members and from immediate- to long-term assistance?
While we know that most credit union staff are currently still employed, a spouse or family member may have lost a job
or experienced a cut in hours. The Foundation’s Pandemic Response Strategy incorporates the same philosophy as our traditional disaster relief program—helping staff get back on their feet first, so they are in a position to assist members.
All credit union staff in the Cornerstone region will have the opportunity to work with a licensed financial counselor at no cost for up to one year through BALANCE.
The need for professional development will not disappear, but the funds to support the opportunities most likely
will. The strategy affords staff the chance to complete the Credit Union National Association’s Enhanced FiCEP program at no cost at the standard or a new accelerated pace. Upon completion, each participant will receive a Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor (CCUFC) designation, armed with tools to better understand members’ needs. Additionally, the current 500 CCUFCs in the Cornerstone region will receive a comprehensive toolkit that includes tools and resources specific to helping members through these trying times.
Members will be looking to their credit unions for financial relief and guidance for many months, even years to come. The ability to offer a robust adult financial education e-learning platform is dependent generally upon a credit union’s asset size and capacity, among many other factors. The last component of the strategy includes a partnership with BALANCE, Enrich, and EverFi to offer affordable e-learning platforms to Cornerstone credit unions for one year.
This is our time as credit unions to make a difference by tuning in to our members’ overall financial health and staying true to our unwavering people helping people philosophy. We hope our overall strategy helps your credit union focus on what truly matters: your staff and members.
You have supported and trusted the Cornerstone Foundation to serve your credit unions for more than 58 years. Thank you for allowing us to take you on our planning journey. Together, we are better. Together, we will get through this.
For more information on the Foundation’s Pandemic Response Strategy and how your credit union, staff, and members can benefit, please visit www.cscuf.coop.
TOGETHER
WE CAN MAKE A
DIFFERENCE
2020 Perspectives 25