Calling All Credit Unions: Share Your Impact Data and Wow Congress

Posted by Lynn Heider on June 14, 2024

It’s one thing to go to Congress or the state legislature and ask for support of credit union priorities. It’s much more effective to tell the amazing stories of how you’re supporting their constituents, and back it up go with so much data, they’re excited to say, “yes.” 

That strategy has helped move the advocacy and regulatory needle in the past, and it will again. Heading into the 199th Congress and the 2025 legislative sessions, GoWest advocates will be armed with reports documenting credit unions’ economic and community impact – at the state level and in every congressional district. 

We’ll need your help. 

This summer, we will again ask credit unions to share their economic and community impact data.  Your credit union’s participation is critical.

Next month, GoWest will send instructions and survey links to all credit unions. The more credit unions that provide information, the more robust the data will be. It will demonstrate beyond a doubt that credit unions are essential to the economy, because of the services and jobs they provide. It will show that the tax status is beneficial to economies and communities.  It will prove credit unions’ volunteerism, financial education focus, service to underserved communities, and more.

We know for a fact it works. 

“We use the community and economic impact report data in testimony before the legislature every two years during hearings on our bills to update the Oregon Credit Union Act. This data is critical to legislators understanding the positive impacts of credit unions across the state.” 

                            Pamela Leavitt, GoWest’s Sr. Vice President, Regional Grassroots & Political Programs/Legislative Affairs for Oregon

Encourage your credit union to participate.

Once the data is in, a team of renowned economists will work with GoWest to prepare a game-changing analysis. Advocates will be fully prepared and justifiably proud to share it with policymakers early next year.

Posted in Advocacy on the Move, Arizona Advocacy, Colorado Advocacy, Federal Advocacy, Idaho Advocacy, Oregon Advocacy, Regulatory Advocacy, Washington Advocacy, Wyoming Advocacy.