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Best Practices

> View the 2008 Best Practice Winners
> Download the Entry Form

As credit union marketing and business development professionals, we are frequently asked to develop innovative solutions to a variety of business problems. The purpose of the CUNA Marketing & Business Development Council’s Best Practices Forum is to spotlight these new approaches and their application to credit unions nationwide.

We invite you to submit your Best Practices in three strategic categories:

  1. Business Development: Beyond normal activities, what has your credit union done to further develop the relationship between credit union and sponsor company(s), their employees, or the community(s) you serve?
  2. Community Outreach and/or Political Advocacy: Has your credit union developed a successful community relations program?  Perhaps a politically- themed event or program that advocates a political candidate or the credit union movement?  Maybe an event and/or program that combines both?  What was your strategy?  And most importantly, what were the results?
  3. Best Practice Miscellaneous: Open to any event, program, or initiative you feel is deserving! Did you undertake a name change or rebranding?  Did your department drive the successful implementation of a sales culture?  Through planning and preparation, did your credit union successfully navigate a natural disaster?  Have you utilized your MCIF to leverage marketing results? Whatever your "best" practice may be, this is your chance to tell your peers.

The Selection Process

A panel of CMBDC Executive Committee members, past winners, and industry professionals will select one Best Practice award winner in each of the three categories above. Selection will be based on candidates’ strategy, process, application and results. Recipients will be selected without regard to credit union asset size.

> See the List of 2008 Best Practices Judges

Winner Recognition

Best Practices award winners will be announced at the 15th Annual CUNA Marketing and Business Development Council Conference, held March 16 – 19, 2008 in Nashville, TN.

Winners are required to attend and present a short PowerPoint presentation during the conference. Winners will receive a $300 speaker honorarium.

Entry Criteria

  • Entrants must be a current member of the CUNA Marketing and Business Development Council.
  • The Best Practice must have been initiated in 2007.
  • Entries must be received by January 7, 2008.
  • The award winner or a representative must be in attendance at the conference to deliver a 10 – 15 minute PowerPoint presentation of their winning entry.

If applicable, the entrant may submit a similar entry to both the Best Practices and Diamond Awards programs. However, the entrant must complete the appropriate entry forms for each respective program separately.

Entry Procedures

  1. Download the entry form (Microsoft Word format)
  2. With your completed entry form, submit a concise, double-spaced narrative detailing the strategic challenge your credit union faced and your solution to that problem. Describe the unique or challenging circumstances under which you performed and the results – both financial and otherwise – you were able to achieve. Specifically:
    • Explain in detail a specific (or series of related) project/activity which produced extraordinary results for your credit union. List the specific goals and results of the project/activity.
    • Please list three specific examples of how this practice contributed to the success of your credit union.
    • Provide any additional relevant information to support your entry.

Please limit your entry to no more than ten pages total, including your double-spaced narrative and any collateral materials (which must be photocopies or screen prints.)

Submit your entry materials via e-mail to Bobbi Bischke at bbischke@cuna.com. Your entry must be received no later than January 7, 2008 to be considered.

If you have questions about the entry procedures, please contact Bobbi Bischke, Council Administration at 800-356-9655, ext. 4018 or via email at bbischke@cuna.com. If you have questions about the Best Practices Award categories, please contact Carol Payne, Recognition Committee Chair and Director of Communications & Marketing for the California Credit Union League at 909-581-3237 or via email at cpayne@ccul.org.