Image from Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions "Bridge the Gap" video.
For every dollar donated to the Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions, CUNA Mutual Group announced this week that it will match those donations dollar-for-dollar, up to $1 million, and give them directly to WOCCU.
Based in Madison, Wis., CUNA Mutual Group said it will provide this matching grant based on the amount of 2021 donations that come into the Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions, the fundraising arm of WOCCU, to help "champion and grow credit unions and cooperative finance worldwide."
"We believe a brighter financial future should be accessible to everyone," CUNA Mutual Group President/CEO Robert N. Trunzo said. "The World Council's work to support credit unions and their members is a crucial part of ensuring that access for people around the world. We are committed to supporting this work and encourage others to do the same."
According to a press release, Trunzo is challenging credit unions, CUSOs and individuals to help the Worldwide Foundation meet its 2021 Bridge the Gap campaign goal of $1.7 million — thereby ensuring CUNA Mutual Group fulfills its $1 million commitment to WOCCU.
"We are overwhelmed by this generous show of support from CUNA Mutual Group. As one of World Council's oldest members — and the largest annual donor to our Worldwide Foundation — they have long demonstrated their commitment to the work we do to support the international credit union movement," WOCCU President/CEO Brian Branch said.
"CUNA Mutual Group has provided a unique opportunity for us to help advance credit unions worldwide. This challenge calls on other industry leaders to engage and support credit unions that face glaring digital, safety, gender and leadership gaps worldwide. If this challenge is answered, we all will be that much closer to achieving our purpose of transforming a billion member lives worldwide," Mike Reuter, executive director of Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions, said.
WOCCU began operations in 1971 and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
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Michael Ogden
Editor-in-Chief at CU Times. To connect, email at [email protected]. As Editor-in-Chief of CU Times since 2016, Michael Ogden has led the editorial team in all aspects of content strategy and execution, including the creation of the publication’s exclusive and proprietary research database of the credit union industry’s economic landscape. Under Michael’s leadership, CU Times has successfully shifted to an all-digital editorial product with new focuses on the payments, fraud, lending and regulatory beats. Most recently, he introduced a data-focused editorial product for subscribers that breaks down credit union issues into hard data, allowing for a deeper and more factual narrative for readers. In 2024, he launched the "Shared Accounts With CU Times" podcast, which offers a fresh, inside-the-newsroom perspective through interviews with leaders from the credit union industry and the regulatory world. He dives into pressing credit union issues, while revealing the personalities working behind-the-scenes to push the credit union world forward. His background includes years as a radio and TV anchor/reporter and a public relations and digital/social media manager, where he covered the food and music industries, as well as cooperatives and credit unions. Over the years, he has launched numerous exclusive video and podcast series, including a successful series of interactive backstage interviews with musicians at music festivals, showcasing his social media and live streaming production skills.
