By Ray Birch
SACRAMENTO, Calif.—At a time when credit union leagues across the country are consolidating for scale, a new organization called Fuel Solutions is taking a different path—offering collaboration without consolidation.
Formed by the California, Nevada, and Utah credit union associations, Fuel Solutions aims to streamline non-advocacy services while preserving what its founders say matters most: local control and advocacy effectiveness.
“This isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about maintaining the grassroots strength of credit unions,” said Scott Simpson, president of Fuel Solutions and the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues. “We wanted to collaborate, but we didn’t want to merge. That distinction matters.”
What Is Fuel Solutions?
At its core, Fuel Solutions is a shared services organization for credit union leagues. Structurally, it’s a 501(c)(3) supporting organization—unusual in the credit union trade association space—which allows it to focus on charitable and educational efforts like training, communications, and operational support.
Put simply, Simpson describes it as “sort of a CUSO for non-advocacy back-office functions for leagues.”
The organization officially launched on July 1, 2025, after receiving IRS approval in June. Operationally, though, Fuel Solutions has already been in motion for more than a year, with staff and infrastructure quietly transitioning into place, Simpson said.
Why It Was Created
Fuel Solutions was born from a shared belief by the three leagues that scale is necessary for certain services—but not for advocacy.
“Advocacy is local,” said Simpson. “It doesn’t require scale. It requires presence, familiarity, and trust within the state’s borders. We felt that merging could dilute that.”
Scott Simpson
Instead of folding multiple leagues into one larger, potentially more bureaucratic entity, the California, Nevada, and Utah leagues asked: Could we achieve the benefits of scale without compromising identity and autonomy? Simpson explained.
Each league maintains its own board, governance structure, and advocacy operation. Fuel Solutions supports them in areas where scale makes sense—such as education, training, marketing, and communications.
Where The Biggest Impact Will Be
So far, education and professional development have shown the greatest early returns.
“Whether it’s leadership development, compliance training, or credit union operations, we’ve already seen significant benefits from collaborating across three states,” Simpson noted. “Offerings that were once limited to one state are now available across all three—and we’ve realized real cost savings in doing so.”
These improvements are largely invisible to credit unions themselves, who still interact with their local leagues. But behind the scenes, Fuel Solutions is powering the infrastructure.
From a credit union’s perspective, Simpson said, “It will feel like they’re communicating with their league—because they are. Fuel Solutions operates through the leagues to the credit unions, not around them.”
A Response To Growing Pressure To Consolidate
The launch of Fuel Solutions comes amid a wave of league mergers across the country. But Simpson and his counterparts see risk in going too far down the path of consolidation.
“We talk a lot in this industry about grassroots advocacy being our strength,” Simpson said. “But you don’t get grassroots from the top down. We’re worried that becoming too monolithic erodes that strength.”
Simpson said preserving identity, voice, and control at the local level was a guiding principle behind the creation of Fuel Solutions. “Effectiveness and efficiency are not the same thing. We believe we can pursue both—collaborate where it makes sense, and advocate where it matters most.”
A Model For Others?
Simpson noted that each trade association must find its own way, and Fuel Solutions isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. But he believes this model presents a compelling option for leagues that want to achieve operational scale without giving up autonomy.
“There’s room in this movement for different models. For us, Fuel Solutions lets us strengthen what we do best, without sacrificing who we are.”