GoWest 2024 Awards: Cooperation in Action Finalists Embody the Spirit of Collaboration

Posted by Alyse Knudsen on September 4, 2024

The MAXX 2024 Awards Dinner and Gala in Denver is next month! As such, we are excited to share more about the finalists in the credit union program categories who will be honored at the event.   

The 2024 GoWest Awards include both credit union program and individual categories: Employee Experience, Member Program, Community Impact, Cooperation in Action, Young Professional, Distinguished Director, Summit Advocate, and Summit Icon. A record number of nominations were submitted this year for the eight award categories, and the Recognition Advisory Group took great care to evaluate the many excellent submissions.  

This week, we are highlighting the finalists in the Cooperation in Action category. This award recognizes two or more credit unions, a CU Community or CU Communities, or credit union professionals from separate credit unions, working together in the spirit of cooperation and collaboration, which results in a much greater impact. 

Congratulations to the finalists in the Cooperation in Action category!   

Arizona Credit Union Week

Partners: Arizona Financial Credit Union, Landings Credit Union, OneAZ Credit Union, TruWest Credit Union 

In 2023, four Arizona credit unions partnered to launch the inaugural Arizona Credit Union Week, celebrating the meaningful impact that credit unions have on the local community and economy. The Grand Canyon State is one of the most underserved states in the U.S. when it comes to local banking, which makes solidarity and cooperation among local credit unions extremely important. #AZCUWeek in 2023 pushed the boundaries of marketing, advertising, and collaboration for all the credit unions involved. 

Dawson Place Child Advocacy Center

Partners: Community Healthcare Federal Credit Union, MountainCrest Credit Union, Northwest Plus Credit Union, SnoCope Credit Union  

Four credit unions in Everett, Wash., banded together to assist Dawson Place Child Advocacy Center in replenishing supplies for their outreach program. Dawson Place is an organization that provides safety, justice, and healing to victims of child physical and sexual abuse, assault and neglect. The credit unions pitched in to create collateral and social media content. They marketed the program to employees, boards of directors, and members and collected items from Dawson Place’s wish list as well as cash donations. Collaboratively, they came together to do a fund raiser and supply drive with a much larger impact than any one credit union could have done alone. 

Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona

Partners: Hughes Federal Credit Union, Pima Federal Credit Union, Pyramid Federal Credit Union, TOPCU, Tucson Federal Credit Union, Vantage West Credit Union  

Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona combats hunger and reduces food insecurity by delivering nutritious meals through a network of caring individuals. Each summer, Mobile Meals faces a unique challenge as the number of volunteers dwindles due to the heat and other factors unique to Tucson. Recognizing the critical need, six Tucson-area credit unions forged a partnership to recruit enough volunteers for one, two, or even three routes per day, ensuring Mobile Meals’ clients received uninterrupted services for the full month of July 2023. The collaboration resulted in the recruitment of 53 volunteers who collectively delivered 530+ meals to 265 clients and the collection of more than $12,000 in donations for the nonprofit. 

Winners in all categories will be announced at the GoWest Awards Dinner & Gala on Oct. 16 at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Denver. 

Register for MAXX 2024 and join the celebration of the outstanding trailblazers who are driving our members and communities towards a brighter future! 

Posted in MAXX, Top Headlines.