FSCC Roles out Gift Card Benefiting Children's Miracle Network

SAN DIMAS, Calif. – The Children’s Miracle Network will get a 50-cent boost every time a credit union member purchases one of the Credit Unions For Kids gift cards, a new product being offered by the Financial Service Centers Cooperative, the national shared branch network headquartered in California. FSCC says it will donate 50 cents whenever anyone buys one of the cards, which are being made available to all credit unions whether or not they are FSCC members, and another 50 cents when the card is activated. The $300 million iQ Credit Union, headquartered in Vancouver, Washington, is the first CU to agree to start offering the card. “The card may be used at hundreds of thousands of locations across the country,” said Roger Michaelis, CEO of iQ, “By not tying it to a specific store, the card has wide appeal for members. And the fact that proceeds will benefit Doernbecher Children’s hospital in Portland, Oregon makes it a win for our community as well.” Doernbecher is one of 170 hospitals around the country that are part of the Children’s Miracle Network. FSCC did not reveal whether the new card carries a Visa or MasterCard logo. “FSCC has long been a supporter of the Credit Unions for Kids campaign,” says Sarah Canepa Bang, FSCC CEO. “Many of our credit unions are part of the campaign too, and we felt we could fulfill our social responsibility goals and assist our credit unions’ goals by offering this program.” FSCC acknowledged in its announcement that the regulations governing the sale and use of gift cards are not fully established and that there may be some states in which credit unions may not be able to offer the card. Nonetheless, FSCC believed it was important to move forward. “We’re working through that,” says, Bonnie Kramer, FSCC Chief Operating Officer. “If we waited for uniformity of the rules in every state, we’d never be able to offer the program! We’re watching the regulations in each state as they evolve and will offer the program where we can in the meantime.”