RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif.—Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals are $3.1 million richer, thanks to record credit union contributions last year to CO-OP Financial Services’ Miracle Match by CO-OP program.
A total of 170 credit unions participated, with $1 million of the dollars coming from CO-OP matching funds. Overall, 110 CMN hospitals benefited in 41 states.
“We established Miracle Match by CO-OP in 2008 as a way to encourage Credit Unions for Kids fundraisers,” said Stan Hollen, president/CEO of CO-OP. “We are approaching 20 years of involvement with Credit Unions for Kids – having supported it since it was founded in 1996 – and it is very satisfying to see a new record set in our most recently completed year.”
“The Miracle Match by CO-OP program continues to play a vital role in the success and growth of the Credit Unions for Kids program,” said Joe Dearborn, senior director, Credit Unions for Kids. “Events and campaigns that got their start because of the matching program years ago are still around today, raising critical funds for our CMN Hospitals across the U.S. I guess you could call it the gift that keeps on giving.”
In addition to the $1 million in matching funds, CO-OP last year donated a total of $138,000 to 11 credit union organizations as event sponsorships. Almost $58,000 was given to CMN Hospitals from employee payroll contributions and various fundraisers, including Miracle Jeans Day in September and the THINK 14 Conference in May. Another $20,000 came from candy bar sales in Michigan and District of Columbia shared branch locations, CO-OP said.
CO-OP also collaborated on a National Credit Union Foundation initiative, paying half the cost of all Biz Kid$ DVD box sets purchased by credit unions under a program to enhance the financial education of families at CMN Hospitals.
CMN Hospitals recently said thank-you to Credit Unions for Kids and CO-OP Financial Services through an electronic billboard that ran in Times Square in New York earlier this month.
Credit unions interested in applying for matching grants in 2015 under the Miracle Match by CO-OP program may do so by visiting www.co-opfs.org/miracle-match. For more information on Miracle Match by CO-OP, visit www.co-opfs.org/miracle-match.