A new survey found that 64% of credit union members intend to donate to charities and organizations at the same level they did in 2011, while 13% of credit union members plan to increase their charitable giving and 11 percent said they would give less.
The survey of 750 credit union members was conducted by TruStage, the consumer brand of CUNA Mutual Group in Madison, Wis.
Because charitable contributions are at or above last year's levels, it could be another sign the economy is stabilizing, said Susan Sachatello, senior vice president of TruStage.
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Nonetheless, the survey primarily explored the holiday celebrations and traditions that matter most to credit union members.
While the survey found that 97% of credit union members consider Christmas as the main holiday to be with family members, 93% said Thanksgiving is the most important family holiday.
According to the survey, 50% of credit union members celebrate Thanksgiving with members of three different generations. Additionally, 45% said New Year's Eve/Day is the most important family holiday and 7% said Hanukkah.
"Part of our new consumer focus is to surface the stories and emotional mindset of how credit union members are thinking and feeling. Every time we talk with members they tell us that the generations before them made decisions that allowed them to be where they are today," said Sachatello.
"Since this holiday season is an important time of the year to get multiple generations together, we wanted to understand what traditions and celebrations matter most and are passed from generation to generation. This survey shows just how important it is for members to connect with multiple generations of their families," Sachatello said.
Among the most important holiday traditions: sharing a holiday meal (93%), getting the generations together (91%), telling stories together (69%), decorating the home together (54%) and going shopping together (24%).
"The election is over, the holidays are coming and this survey indicates credit union members are looking forward to the holidays as a respite from the noise and stress the rest of the year brings and returning to focus on what really matters most to them," Sachatello said.
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Peter Strozniak
Credit Union Times reporter covering credit union operations, fraud, M&As, leagues, business continuity, and breaking news.
