LIVONIA, Mich.—Interest has picked up quickly for CU Solutions Group’s Share the Love campaign, with more than 100 credit unions in over 40 states joining the program within its first few weeks.
Share the Love is a contest whose goal is to exponentially increase random acts of kindness across the country through encouraging credit unions to create and share videos that tell the story of the impact of small acts of human compassion while supporting charities in a big way, CU Solutions Group explained. The contest is a joint venture between CU Solutions Group and its member rewards program, Love My Credit Union Rewards, and CUNA.
It works this way: Credit unions across the nation create videos demonstrating how they care for their communities. Credit unions upload those videos to www.LoveMyCreditUnion.org/cusharethelove. The public is invited to vote on their favorite videos in each asset category – small, medium and large – October through December. The credit unions that submit the videos that garner the most votes will each choose a charity to receive a $10,000 donation. Three winners will be chosen each month from October-December. In addition, members of the public who vote throughout the campaign will have an opportunity to win $15,000 in prizes. By the campaign’s end, $120,000 will be awarded.
“Credit unions respond well to these types of programs where they can get something back unselfishly,” said David Adams, CEO of CU Solutions Group. “This is not getting money back for a company party. This is money back for a charitable cause. The $10,000 they will win will have a real impact in the community, no matter the credit union’s size.”
Passing Century Mark
Adams said it did not take long for Share the Love to top 100 credit unions.
“We are very pleased with the results so far,” said Adams. “We are excited to see the numbers continue to climb. And there is plenty of time left for credit unions to join in. We are encouraging more credit unions to upload their videos and promote them through social media.”
Adams said some very compelling videos have been posted, including one from a credit union in the south that is providing meals to school children whose only meal is often the one they get at school.
“The credit union has identified who these children are and is packing food for them to take home so maybe they get a few extra meals. It’s heartbreaking to see that these kids don’t know where their next meal is coming from,” said Adams.
Adams said the video stories are the perfect way to share the credit union difference.
“I know banks support United Way and do charitable giving, but when you see what credit unions are dong in their communities it is pretty amazing,” Adams said.
Paying It Forward
Adams said Share the Love is a much better way to encourage credit unions to give back even more to their communities and spread the word than just handing out $120,000 to CUs.
“CU Solutions Group has made some large donations in the past, but we think Share the Love will encourage credit unions to pay it forward,” he said. “If we get tens of thousands of consumers, maybe more, exposed to all these great credit union works, what better way to draw attention to how special credit unions are. I hope this program will get even bigger in the future.”
The credit unions that won the $10,000 donations to their respective charities for October are:
- Large Asset: Georgia United Credit Union, Children’s Miracle Network – Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
- Medium Asset: United Bay Community Credit Union, Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor, Mich.
- Small Asset: Health Center Credit Union, Children’s Miracle Network – Children’s Hospital of Georgia.