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I want to provide an update on the power of our 360-Degree Advocacy Strategy in action. It is a strategy we share with CUNA, which is amplified and complemented by their efforts. The strategy is simple: be consistent, be impactful, and be everywhere advocating for credit unions and members. This includes the work we do in Augusta and in DC. It also includes our work with community and business leaders and on the airwaves, in print, and on the internet.
If this update sounds like I’m bragging—I am! I am incredibly proud of our governmental and consumer advocacy work and the story we are able to tell. In addition to our direct advocacy efforts, our story is being told through our statewide awareness campaign, earned media, and social media—even our political endorsement ads. This is all possible because of the positive impact credit unions make on the economy, in our communities, and for consumers. Credit unions make the story possible to tell, worth listening to, and worth fighting for.
Below you’ll find recent examples of how our 360-Degree Advocacy Strategy is playing out in the media and how Maine credit unions carry out the People Helping People philosophy.
Statewide Awareness: Maine Credit Unions Are Here For You
- COVID-19 Response: People over profits
- New Mainers: Helping to provide financial freedom and independence
- Small Business: Providing small businesses with the tools they need to succeed
- Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger: $100,000 Challenge to benefit the Good Shepherd Food Bank & community food pantries
Senator Susan Collins Re-Election Support: Endorsing Our Friends
- Ending Hunger: Feeding Mainers in need
- Paycheck Protection Program: Helping Maine’s small businesses
- Senior$afe Program: Protecting Maine seniors
Bonus Footage & Article: Financial Education
- College Loan Tax Credit: As part of a weekly earned media segment on a local TV news program, the League discusses a variety of financial issues. For this segment, the League discusses college debt and the Opportunity Maine tax credit for college graduates.
- Other topics have included data protection and financial aggregators, mortgage refinancing, and tax tips.
- Financial Literacy: At a recent U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing, Senator Susan Collins, the committee’s Chair, highlighted the importance of financial education and referenced information provided to her office by the Maine Credit Union League.) (See the 1 hour 29-minute mark)
- New Mainers: The League contributes a monthly financial literacy article to AmjamboAfrica!, a free publication for and about New Mainers from Africa.
As mentioned above, we share and are full partners with CUNA in our 360-Degree Advocacy Strategy. These efforts span across our legislative advocacy and community outreach initiatives. We also are broadening our legislative agenda to include cause-based issues we support, such as ending hunger, financial education, and, of course, protecting seniors from financial abuse. These are issues that our members care deeply about.
To further bolster our efforts and influence, we have sought out leadership positions within complementary organizations like ProsperityME (immigrants/New Mainers), Maine State Chamber of Commerce (businesses), Full Plates Full Potential (ending hunger), and Maine JumpStart (financial education). Our credit unions also are heavily engaged with a wide variety of state and local organizations that help strengthen our communities and our state. With the Senator Collins election ads produced by CUNA (a big thanks to them), the power of the strategy comes full circle. As a result, we end up with a surround sound system that amplifies important issues that matter to credit unions and our members.
In addition to CUNA, I also want to thank my Governmental Affairs and Communications teams for executing so well on the strategy, and our credit unions for embracing the messages and initiatives. As always, we are better together!