Credit Unions Mobilize Members Through Ways and Means Postcard Campaign

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In April, Cornerstone League launched a regional postcard campaign aimed at protecting the credit union tax exemption—and the response has been powerful.

Inspired by a Tennessee credit union featured in an America’s Credit Unions newsletter, April Mobley, director of grassroots and PAC for Texas Credit Union Association, proposed scaling the effort across the congressional districts of representatives on the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee. Then, using Project ZIP Code, the League identified which credit unions had branches within Ways and Means districts to strategically focus the outreach.

The campaign began on April 11 and has already resulted in more than 18,000 postcards distributed to regional credit unions.

How the Campaign Works

Credit unions ordered and then received printed postcards from Cornerstone. They were asked to make the cards available at teller stations for members to sign. Once a large quantity is completed, the postcards are delivered to the local district offices of targeted Ways and Means Committee members.

“Randolph-Brooks delivered over 2,300 postcards to Rep. Lloyd Doggett’s office,” said Mobley. “On receipt, Doggett’s staff said, ‘We 100% are behind you.’”

Mobley noted that Ozark Federal Credit Union said recently they were ready to deliver postcards to Ways and Means Chairman Smith’s office.

With gratitude, the following credit unions participated in Cornerstone’s coordinated Ways and Means Postcard Campaign:

Kansas (Rep. Ron Estes)

• Credit Union of America
• Meritrust CU
• Golden Plains CU
• Heartland CU

Missouri (Chairman Jason Smith)

• Members 1st CU
• Ozark FCU
• Century CU
• Infuze CU
• Vantage CU
• Riverways FCU
• Southeast Missouri Community CU
• Leadco Community CU

Oklahoma (Rep. Kevin Hern)

• Tinker FCU
• Communication FCU
• EnergyOne CU
• Green Country FCU

Texas (Reps. Arrington, Doggett, Moran, and Van Duyne)

• Domino FCU (Moran)
• Red River FCU (Moran)
• American Airlines (Van Duyne)
• Unity One FCU (Van Duyne)
• Austin Telco (Doggett)
• RBFCU (Doggett)
• Capitol FCU (Doggett)
• Travis County CU (Doggett)
• TEXAR FCU (Moran)

No Arkansas credit unions are listed because there are no Ways and Means Committee members from the state.

Excitement Beyond the Campaign

Participation has also expanded beyond the targeted districts.

“GECU FCU did the postcards on their own, as well,” Mobley said. “Monica Galindo reported that GECU has distributed 5,000 postcards to their 10 branches across the city of El Paso.”

“Andy Reed’s credit union isn’t even in a Ways and Means district, but they printed and delivered nearly 1,000 postcards to Reps. Gonzalez and De La Cruz,” said Mobley. “That’s real commitment.”

Other credit unions doing postcards on their own include:

• GECU FCU (Texas)
• Neighborhood CU (Texas)
• Security First FCU (Texas)
• United CU (Missouri)

TheWays and Means Postcard Campaign will continue until the reconciliation bill is signed into law.

“This campaign proves we are stronger in numbers, and our voice matters,” said Mobley.

If you’d like to receive the postcard template to conduct your own postcard campaign, please reach out to Mobley at amobley@cornerstoneleague.coop.