Credit Union Advocates

Northwest credit unions have worked very hard over the years to educate our elected officials on the unique cooperative structure of credit unions. While we’ve been successful at helping to create some credit union supporters, we now need to take our efforts to the next level. We’ve lost some long-time state legislative supporters, and at the same time, our adversaries are working harder than ever to place limits on how we operate. We need legislators who will stand up for credit unions, vote with credit unions and take a stand against those trying to stifle how we do business! If we don’t do a good job of defining what a credit union is, someone else will; and we may not like the definition.

It’s time once again for the credit union movement to be proactive rather than reactive.

As part of its strategic vision, the Northwest Credit Union Association is taking the Credit Union Advocates program developed in Oregon over 12 years ago, and re-introducing it as a regional grassroots advocacy tool. We have updated the Credit Union Advocates Manual to address the new direction of the credit union movement and the changing political landscape at both the national and local level.

The Credit Union Advocates program encourages each credit union to designate one or two people who will commit to leading grassroots efforts at their credit union. In some credit unions, this will be the CEO or a member of the executive team while in other credit unions, it may be a staff member with strong ties to the community or someone with the ability to organize and coordinate staff participation. Some credit unions may choose to designate several credit union advocates.

Join our team!

Responsibilities of a Credit Union Advocate

The expectations of a Credit Union Advocate are high, but the Association will provide you with all the support you need. Responsibilities include:

1. Responding to Association legislative and regulatory “calls to action” and implementing a process in your credit union to involve staff.
2. Getting to know your state and federal representatives by meeting with them at least two times per year, at their legislative offices or by attending political functions during the campaign season.
3. Providing the Association with information on candidates in your part of the state for the purpose of determining credit union support.
4. Keeping your credit union’s permission agreement up to date and signed.
5. Delivering political action checks to candidates.
6. Attending statewide grassroots activities held during the legislative session.
7. Promoting political action (PAC) fundraising activities at credit union and chapter meetings.
8. Providing information on Credit Union Advocate activities to your board and staff.
9. Assuring that you have accurate information on the number of members you have in each legislator’s district by running Project Zip Code against your credit union’s database twice each year.
10. Developing a “key contact” list made up of credit union members who know or have contact with elected officials.
11. Inviting local lawmakers to your credit union to speak to employees or your board.
12. Placing a legislative advocacy-related article in the credit union’s newsletter twice a year.
13. Attending national or local government relations-related conferences and/ or Hike the Hill events.
14. Attending political functions, fundraisers, and events with Association staff.
15. Promoting voter registration and turnout at your credit union.
16. Speaking to other credit union executives about the importance of advocacy and Association advocacy programs.

To access the comprehensive Credit Union Advocates Manual, click here.

For questions or a hard copy of the manual, contact Jennifer Wagner, Director of Legislative Advocacy at jwagner@nwcua.org