Worldwide Foundation Seeks to Help Credit Unions Bridge Inclusion Gaps Amid Pandemic

MADISON, Wis.—Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions is launching its annual awareness and fundraising campaign called “Bridge the Gap” to help the global credit union movement bridge four key inclusion gaps that have been further exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the charitable and engagement arm of World Council of Credit Unions, the Worldwide Foundation in 2021 is focused on helping credit unions bridge the: 

• Digital Gap by striving to digitize credit unions worldwide and delivering services safely to millions seeking access to basic financial services through World Council projects and engagement experiences. This effort will also help World Council meet its Challenge 2025 goal of digitizing the global credit union system by 2025.
• Safety Gap by responding with relief support via Project Storm Break, the Worldwide Foundation’s disaster fund, to supply credit union systems with personal protective equipment and natural disaster support.
• Gender Gap by leveraging the Global Women’s Leadership Network (GWLN) to smash gender inequality for female colleagues and members.
• Leadership Gap by building our global young professionals’ network up to a community of 10,000 strong through networking and leadership opportunities driven through the World Council Young Credit Union Professionals (WYCUP) program.
  

In launching Bridge the Gap, the Worldwide Foundation has redesigned its website and a produced a new video to drive interest in the campaign. Its annual goal during 2021 is to raise $1.7 million dollars across those four initiatives and increase donor and industry engagement with the foundation’s work by 25%.

“2020 shined a large spotlight on inclusion gaps that exist worldwide every day,” said Mike Reuter, Worldwide Foundation Executive Director. “Credit unions are community pillars that can help bridge these gaps and include everyone. With the Bridge the Gap campaign, our purpose is to give credit unions worldwide the resources they need to address inclusion gaps for their members, their teams and their communities. Our four Foundation initiatives continue our support of this critical work in 2021 and beyond. And because inclusion means different things to different people—and everyone is deserving of it—we are addressing the gaps with a multi-faceted approach.”

Learn, support and engage with the Bridge the Gap Campaign by visiting DoGlobalGood.org.

Join the Worldwide Foundation at its virtual, annual GAC Champions Celebration on Monday, March 1^st from 1:30 to 3:00 CST to learn more about the Bridge the Gap campaign, hear impact stories of each Foundation initiative and compete in a fun, global trivia contest to win prizes.

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, 82,758 credit unions in 97 countries serve 404 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

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