GoWest Awards 2025: Time for Member Program Finalists to Shine

Posted by Alyse Knudsen on August 20, 2025

As we count down to the MAXX 2025 Awards Dinner and Gala in Portland on Oct. 16, we are shining the spotlight on this year’s finalists — credit unions who have made tremendous impacts on their members, employees, and communities.

The 2025 GoWest Awards honor excellence across eight categories, recognizing both individual leaders and innovative credit union initiatives: Employee Experience, Member Program, Community Impact, Cooperation in Action, Young Professional, Distinguished Director, Summit Advocate, and Summit Icon.

This week, we are proud to highlight the finalists in the Member Program category. This award celebrates a credit union that has created an initiative, business model, or service tailored to meet the unique social, cultural, or economic needs of its membership.

Congratulations to the finalists in the Member Program category!

Gesa Credit Union, Washington

Gesa’s High School Credit Union (HSCU) Program is an initiative designed to bring financial education and real-world banking experience directly into high schools. With 18 student-run branches across Washington state, the program gives students hands-on experience as tellers, marketers, and peer financial educators.

Each branch is supported and trained by Gesa’s Education Team and a student-selected Campus Branch Manager to ensure ongoing mentorship and development. Student accounts are designed with youth-friendly safety features such as no overdraft fees or card declines, encouraging responsible money management in a safe, judgment-free environment.

Since 2000, the program has evolved from a single school-based initiative into a statewide model for experiential financial education. Across the 18 active, student-operated credit union branches across Washington, 100–200 students are trained and mentored annually, 12,000+ students are reached through peer-led financial education events, 1,500 students completed Gesa’s annual Campus Branch Financial Literacy Challenge, $50,000 in scholarships are awarded annually to students participating in the program and 20+ former HSCU students have been hired full-time at Gesa Credit Union.

OnTap Credit Union, Colorado

In 2024, On Tap Credit Union launched Money Hacks, a holistic financial literacy program designed to engage tech-savvy younger Millennials and older Gen Z members. The initiative includes a self-paced PDF guide, a financial planning spreadsheet, and a five-week email series with a companion audio guide. The goal was to provide a digital-first experience, allowing members to understand the big picture of their money through engaging, personalized content before transitioning to 1:1 coaching.

Since launch, Money Hacks has delivered measurable success in both reach and financial outcomes. The guide generated 680 landing page visits and enrolled 88 participants in the email series—with a strong 78% open rate. A total of 196 coaching meetings were scheduled as a result of the campaign.

Unitus Community Credit Union, Oregon

Unitus Community Credit Union launched the Unitus Rewards Program, designed in direct response to a growing financial reality: many Americans lack adequate emergency savings. According to the Federal Reserve, nearly four in ten adults wouldn’t be able to cover an unexpected $400 expense without borrowing or selling something.

The Unitus Rewards Program is an automated solution that turns everyday purchases into emergency savings. Unitus Rewards is a seamless, automatic benefit that rewards members for everyday spending. Without any tracking requirements, members receive daily deposits into a high-yield (5.00% APY) Rewards Savings account just for using their debit or credit card. With an optional Round-Up feature to boost savings further, the program makes financial progress simple and inclusive. Since launch, more than 16,000 members have earned $1.1 million in rewards across more than 3 million transactions — plus $275,000 in extra savings from Round-Up.

Winners in all categories will be announced at the GoWest Awards Dinner & Gala on Oct. 16 at the Hyatt Regency Portland.

Register for MAXX 2025 today and get ready to celebrate!

Posted in Events, Financial Education, MAXX, Top Headlines.