Nearly 50 young credit union professionals will spend the early part of next week in Washington, D.C. as part of CUNA’s first-ever advocacy training for young professionals. Developed in conjunction with the New York Credit Union Association (NYCUA), the goal is to help strengthen credit union grassroots efforts at all levels.

“These young professionals are the future of the credit union movement, so it’s important to place strong emphasis on the importance of advocacy now,” said Richard Gose, CUNA’s chief political officer. “This program is designed to teach the benefits of advocacy, how to build strong relationships with members of Congress and best practices for in-district and Capitol Hill meetings.”

The idea began when several young professionals from New York inquired about advocacy training at this year’s CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference.

Since then, CUNA and the NYCUA have worked to create the program, which will include outside speakers, a panel of congressional staffers, a league presentation and updates from CUNA staff on political affairs and advocacy. 

The agenda also looks at ways to manage social media accounts, the intersection of philanthropy and advocacy and credit unions messaging techniques.