Project Storm Break Surpasses $100,000 Goal

NASSAU—More than a dozen credit unions stepped up to help the World Council’s charitable fundraising arm—Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions—surpass its goal of raising $100,000 for a disaster relief fund that impacted credit unions can access in the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster.

The surge of generosity came in minutes, pushing funding for Project Storm Break to $107,000 at a celebration for Worldwide Foundation Champions at the 2019 World Credit Union Conference Monday night. The forward-prepared fund will allow World Council to respond immediately when a natural disaster happens. That response will include financial support, supplies and technical expertise to help credit unions in the impacted areas get back on their feet and help the communities they serve.

Worldwide Foundation Executive Director Mike Reuter and Phoenix Belfield, Manager of Dominica Cooperative Societies League Ltd., shared stories about the positive impact Champions made by donating to disaster relief efforts in Dominica, after Hurricane Irma ravaged the Caribbean-island nation in 2017.

“I cannot overstate how generous the Champions we honored tonight have been in demonstrating a commitment to ensuring that every member of the global credit union movement seeking prosperity can achieve it. We see Project Storm Break as another great tool our Champions can utilize to ensure members can still access credit union services during times of crises caused by hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters,” said Reuter.

World Council presents 2019 Membership Growth Awards

Credit union associations from North, South and Central America took home awards for posting the greatest membership growth at Monday’s World Council Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the 2019 World Credit Union Conference.

2019 Membership Growth Awards went to the following countries—based on data derived from World Council Annual Statistical Reports.

• Brazil: Sicredi grew at a rate of 37%, adding 2.6 million members for a total membership of 9.6 million.
• Guatemala: FENACOAC membership increased 8.6%, adding 142,702 members for a total membership of 1.8 million.
• United States: CUNA membership grew at a rate of 4%, adding 4.3 million members for a total membership of 113 million.

The World Council Board of Directors also recognized three new members added over the last year:

• Croatian Association of Credit Unions (Direct Member)
• All-Ukrainian Association of Credit Unions (Affiliate Member)
  
• Finacus Solutions - India (Associate Member)

The week ahead

The 2019 World Credit Union Conference resumes Tuesday with a 9:00 a.m. general session featuring:

• The seating of the 2019-20 World Council Board of Directors.
• A keynote address by H Robotics Co-Founder and economic trend forecaster Pippa Malmgren.

Tuesday’s agenda also features a breakout session on how World Council and Visa are collaborating to bring innovative financial services to under-banked consumers and small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging markets.

Follow conference activities and see daily event photos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with #WCUC2019.

The 2019 World Credit Union Conference is presented in collaboration with the Caribbean Confederation of Credit Unions (CCCU). It runs through Wednesday, July 31.

World Council of Credit Unions is the global trade association and development platform for credit unions. World Council promotes the sustainable development of credit unions and other financial cooperatives around the world to empower people through access to high quality and affordable financial services. World Council advocates on behalf of the global credit union system before international organizations and works with national governments to improve legislation and regulation. Its technical assistance programs introduce new tools and technologies to strengthen credit unions' financial performance and increase their outreach.

World Council has implemented 300+ technical assistance programs in 90 countries. Worldwide, 87,914 credit unions in 118 countries serve 393 million people. Learn more about World Council's impact around the world at www.woccu.org.

Contact: Greg Neumann
Organization: World Council of Credit Unions
E-mail: gneumann@woccu.org
Phone: +1 608-395-2048

From left to right: Worldwide Foundation Board Chair Bill Cheney, WF Executive Director Mike Reuter and Phoenix Belfield

Lisa Brown, CEO of Tallahassee-Leon Federal Credit Union, gave the donation that got Project Storm Break to $100,000. The fund stood at $107,000 by the end of the night.

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