Two Credit Unions Earn Juntos Avanzamos Designation

Two new credit unions have earned the Juntos Avanzamos designation: The Papillion, Neb.-based Cobalt Credit Union and the Bannockburn, Ill.-based Great Lakes Credit Union (GLCU).

Cobalt became the first financial institution in the Cornhusker State to receive the Juntos Avanzamos designation, the $1.2 billion credit union announced last week.

Meaning “Together We Advance,” the Juntos Avanzamos designation was first developed by the Cornerstone League as a Hispanic outreach program in Texas and is now awarded by the New York, N.Y.-based Inclusiv, a certified CDFI intermediary. The designation is reserved for credit unions that are committed to serving and empowering Hispanic and immigrant consumers, and is currently held by 141 credit unions in 28 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, according in Inclusiv.

Cobalt said the designation reflects its commitment to serving and empowering Hispanic and immigrant communities by providing them with safe, affordable and relevant financial services, noting that the credit union employs bilingual and culturally competent staff and leadership, and accepts alternative forms of identification.

“Our mission at Cobalt Credit Union has always been to empower our members and support our community’s growth and success,” Cobalt President/CEO Robin Larsen stated. “Receiving the Juntos Avanzamos designation is a significant milestone in our journey. It reaffirms our commitment to serving the Hispanic and immigrant communities with the respect, understanding and comprehensive financial services they deserve.”

To mark its new designation, the credit union will host a Proclamation Ceremony on July 18 at 9:00 a.m. at the Omaha Kroc Center in Omaha, Neb. Cobalt said the event will be open to members, community partners and the public.

The $1.4 billion GLCU announced its new status as a Juntos Avanzamos credit union Tuesday.

“Providing equal access to financial empowerment for socioeconomically and racially diverse communities is an important part of GLCU’s mission of banking for a greater good,” GLCU Chief Experience Officer Patrick Basler stated. “We’re honored and proud to receive the Juntos Avanzamos designation. We look forward to building even stronger relationships with the Hispanic and immigrant communities we serve.”

GLCU said one of the ways it financially empowers immigrant communities is through providing assistance and support to asylum seekers. In 2023 and 2024 through the credit union’s GLCU Foundation for Financial Empowerment, it helped 529 people through its Asylum Seekers Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

What’s more, GLCU said in October 2023, it sponsored the Mano a Mano Hispanic and Latin Heritage gala – a fundraising event that supports Mano a Mano’s efforts to advocate for immigrant families in Illinois’ Lake and McHenry Counties.