Programs - National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions

The Federation offers a wide range of programs and services, some of which are unavailable anywhere else in the credit union movement!

On this page:

New Initiatives
Core Programs
Special Programs
Federation Events

New Federation Initiatives

BALANCE - Thanks to the support of some of the largest credit unions in the country, many of the Federation’s Policy Members under $25 million in assets will be able to enjoy the services of BALANCE, a highly-regarded financial counseling and education service, at no cost in 2007, and at a significant discounts for members above $25 million in assets.
FoolProof Financial Education - FoolProof Financial Education Systems provides rigorous, web-driven consumer advocacy and financial education programs exclusively to credit unions. FoolProof’s “Workplace” series of financial education modules targets underserved consumers who enter the workplace with few financial or consumer skills. FoolProof's suite of five turnkey programs are designed to provide credit unions extraordinary financial education tools for all ages and constituencies. The services provided through this program are available only through credit unions or other not-for-profit entities. Federation-member CDCUs under $10 million in assets receive FoolProof programs free of charge, while member CDCUs with more than $10 million-in-assets can license the programs for a discounted fee. FoolProof currently works with more than 100 credit unions and over a dozen credit union leagues and foundations.
Fair Mortgage Collaborative (FMC) - The Federation is a co-founder and executive committee member of the FMC, a joint effort by major national nonprofits, community lenders, foundations, and advocacy organizations to certify responsible lenders across the nation. The Federation's goal is to certifying credit unions as equitable, trusted, and sustainable providers of financial products for consumers. Because of our role in the Collaborative, member CDCUs and Community Development Partners will be the first credit unions to be eligible for this certification.

HUD Approved Credit Union Housing Counseling Program - As a HUD-approved National Housing Counseling Intermediary, the Federation is committed to expanding the capacity of credit unions to provide accurate, timely and consistent guidance to members.
CDCU Mortgage Center, LLC - In February, 2005, the Federation launched the CDCU Mortgage Center, LLC to expand mortgage finance options for credit unions serving low-income communities. The CDCU Mortgage Center, LLC has begun working with two of the industry’s leading mortgage service providers, CU Partners and PHH Mortgage Services, to bring their leading edge technologies and secondary market investors to the Federation’s members.
Credit Union Development Corps - The Federation and the National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF) have joined together to launch the Credit Union Development Corps, a new program to help credit unions make a bigger impact in low-income communities. The new program will harness the extensive network of Credit Union Development Educators (known as CUDEs, or more simply as DEs) to create meaningful exchanges with established CDCUs across the country. DEs will visit CDCUs for up to two weeks, during which time they will have the opportunity to learn how these innovative institutions are able to effectively serve their low-income members with limited resources and staff. Conversely, a representative from participating CDCUs will then spend one to two weeks at the DE’s institution learning about the typically-larger credit union’s programs and operations.
CDCUs & Disability Community - The Federation is forging an alliance with the network of organizations serving people with disabilities, in order to bring financial services, access to credit, and financial education to a market of millions of people who are disproportionately represented in America's low-income communities.

The Federation's Core Programs

Community Development Investments - The Federation invests in our members through Community Development Investments, which provides deposits, equity-like secondary capital loans, and grants. To date, the Federation has invested nearly $40 million, with a 90% deployment of our investments in over 120 different CDCUs. We have become a virtual "one-stop-shop" for credit unions seeking funds to expand their activities: we provide not only deposits, but also equity-like secondary capital loans and special-purpose grants to member credit unions.
Education and Training - The Federation offers a variety of web-based and in-person training for credit union staff, board members, committee members, and organizers through a variety of training opportunities, from in-person trainings, to web-based semiars. We also offer an extensive educational programs in credit union operations and community development finance through our signature campus-based CDCU Institute™, now in it's 10th year of operation.
Financial Education - continues to be a major focus. The Federation has joined in the battle against predatory lenders through their financial literacy campaign: Each one, Teach many. This program is designed to help community development credit unions to deliver effective financial education programs and improve the economic security of local communities. The Federation beleives that financial literacy is a key to economic independence- the freedom to build a better future without fear of losing hard-earned assets to financial predators. We also offer specialized "Train-the-trainer" programs to help credit unions offer financial literacy classes to their members, using a special curriculum developed in collaboration with the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE).
Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) - the Federation is the credit union leader in promoting IDAs, restricted savings accounts that provide low-income members with matching funds if they save systematically for home ownership, education, or starting a small business.

Special-interest Networks - The Federation has three special-interest networks for CDCUs to share issues and innovations distinctive to their memberships:
Regional Networks
- New York Community Financial Network - Through our New York Community Financial Network (NYCFN), the Federation provides training, special programs, and assistance obtaining resources to member credit unions in the New York metropolitan area.
- California Credit Union Network for Community Development - In 2004, the Federation convened low-income credit unions (LICUs) from across California to share resources and information. With significant support from the California and Nevada Credit Unions Leagues, the network has expanded and continues to provide LICUs with a forum to collaborate and share issues of concern.

Special Programs

Community Development Relief and Rebuilding Fund - To help community development credit unions and their members in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Federation established the Community Development Relief & Rebuilding Fund, raising nearly $1 million from individuals; member CDCUs; Federation board members and staff; and major donors including the National Credit Union Foundation, Jewish FundS for Justice, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The Community Development Relief and Rebuilding Fund has provided grants and secondary capital investments that have assisted a number of credit unions in Louisiana and Mississippi, both CDCUs and others, to embark on the long road of reconstruction.
Alternatives to Payday Lending - Over the last year, payday lending outfits have been spotlighted for the negative effect of their short-term payday loans in low-income communities. These loans are overwhelmingly marketed in poor and minority neighborhoods as a temporary solution to help ends meet until their regular paycheck arrives. To address this disturbing trend, the Federation has offered special grant programs and training seminars to help CDCUs compete with these unscrupulous lenders.
Bridge Project Grants - On November 1, 2004, the Federation announced the winners of its Bridge Grant competition. Funded by the Ford Foundation, the program has provided a total of $500,000 in grants to "mainstream" credit unions to expand their efforts to serve low-income communities. Many of the winning applicants are working in partnership with CDCUs on projects ranging from financial literacy, migrant farmworker outreach, alternatives to predatory lending, and high-tech kiosk branching. For more information about the Bridge Grant, and profiles on the awardees, please click here.

The Federation also offers special program support for microenterprise and small-business development.

Federation Events

The Federation prides itself on hosting top-notch meetings and conferences. One of our yearly highlights are the 4-day conferences we organize each June. Not only do we bring high-profile keynote speakers, but we also focus our efforts to providing educational programs of the highest quality.

By clicking on the "Federation Events" link above, you will have access to presentations and other information from previous Annual Conferences, Faith-based Credit Union Conferences and our Latino Credit Union Conferences.

For more information about upcoming events, please see our Event Calendar.