2010 CMBDC Best Practices Winners

Business Development: Erie FCU in Erie, Pa., for finding new ways to serve the needs of their existing Business Affinity Partners (Erie FCU's term for their SEGs) and their employees - specifically helping employees to overcome financial hardship and developing creative new services for businesses to help them survive during this economic downturn. The $298 million asset credit union offered more free seminars to members which doubled attendance, created a new merchant indirect lending program generating $100,000 in loans in 8 months, and increased business loans from $275,000 in 2007 to nearly $8 million in 2009 with deposits in business accounts growing to over $2 million. Erie FCU also expanded their tradeshow and community event participation to attract new business members, doubling their amount of Business Affinity Partners.

Community Outreach: P&G Mehoopany EFCU in Tunkhannock, Pa., for its lock-in “All Night Party” for Tunkhannock Area High School students on graduation night. After a tragic automobile accident the previous year which took the lives of three students, the $72 million asset credit union worked with the high school and raised over $7,500 in cash and prizes from more than 100 businesses and members of the community for the new event. Featuring a wide variety of food and games, the “All Night Party” was attended by 50% of the graduating class and will most likely be a recurring event.

Miscellaneous: Bucks First FCU in Bristol, Pa., for Project Flipside. The overall objective of Project Flipside was to engage generation Y and to gain visibility within the community as well as direct youth to the www.projectflipside.com website, using social media and word of mouth marketing. Within six months, the $84 million asset credit union forged four new partnerships with various high schools in the county, opened an in-school credit union branch (based around Project Flipside) and partnered with other prominent community organizations. To help run Project Flipside from a youth perspective, the credit union hired three individuals between the ages of 16 and 25. Also, Bucks First FCU began the process of lowering the average age of their membership by adding 50 new Flipside checking accounts (ages 16-25).