Cornerstone League launches UNITE advocacy initiative
The Cornerstone League announced the launch of UNITE, its groundbreaking grassroots advocacy initiative tailored to the five states it represents.
UNITE is an acronym for the five pillars of Cornerstone League's grassroots advocacy strategy: understand, notify, invest, target, and engage.
Understand: Empowering Through Knowledge
“Understand” magnifies the importance of education within our community. This pillar encourages credit unions to partake in advocacy training to promote a comprehensive understanding of advocacy and its importance to the credit union movement. The training isn’t one-size-fits-all; it can be tailored to meet the unique needs of each credit union. Whether through regional training days, virtual sessions, or the onboarding processes, the goal is to ensure that every staff member comprehends the value of advocacy.
Notify: Amplifying Voices
“Notify” extends its reach to both members and staff. Enrolling in the Member Activation Program (MAP) ensures credit unions can efficiently convey information to members and move them to raise their collective voices for a resounding impact.
Invest: Strengthening Political Action
“I,” signifying “Invest,” brings credit unions to the forefront of political action. The Cornerstone League defines a political action committee (PAC) goal for each credit union, which is aligned with employee counts. The entire credit union community participates with a pooled effort ensuring funds are available to support credit union-friendly candidates. This reinforces the credit union movement’s voice in legislative affairs.
Target: Strengthening Impact Through Data“Target” spotlights Project Zip Code, an invaluable tool for effective interaction with elected officials. By matching credit union members with legislative districts, we can share with legislators a visual representation of their constituents’ interests, emphasizing the power of credit union members’ votes and PAC contributions.
Engage: Fostering Grassroots Power
“Engage” epitomizes the program’s essence, urging credit unions to identify legislative champions within their ranks. This engagement resonates within the state and across the broader credit union movement. The power of grassroots advocacy becomes tangible at events like CUNA’s Governmental Affairs Conference, shaping the future of credit unions through a unified voice.
Cornerstone League Advocacy Grassroots Manager April Krause and Missouri Credit Union Association Grassroots and PAC Manager Morgan Householder discussed UNITE on an episode of Cornerstone League's podcast.