Every year, credit unions around the world celebrate International Credit Union Day® (ICU Day) on the third Thursday of October. Organized by the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), the event “celebrates the spirit of the global credit union movement. The day is recognized to reflect upon the credit union movement’s history, promote its achievements, recognize the hard work and share member experiences.”

To assist credit unions, CUNA and WOCCU provide resources making it easy for credit unions to get the word out to their members and communities. The theme for this year’s ICU Day was “Local Service. Global Reach.”

In their promotional video, the theme suggests that the butterfly effect can be true in the credit union industry. That by making a small impact in the lives of those who live locally, we can have a global impact by spreading those good works out from the member.

Per the WOCCU website: “The ultimate goal is to raise awareness about the tremendous work that credit unions and other financial cooperatives are doing around the world and give members the opportunity to get more engaged. The day of festivities for credit unions and financial cooperatives globally include fundraisers, open houses, contests, picnics, volunteering and parades.”

Honor Credit Union (based in Berrien Springs, Michigan) got into the spirit by not just celebrating the day, but by creating an entire Spirit Week. Members could visit any member center to participate Tuesday through Friday.

First celebrated as a national day of celebration in 1948, the international community would later join in on the festivities as their own credit union industries took off. Since the official launch of the World Council of Credit Unions in 1971, the organization has been working hard to promote credit unions, and has been providing ICU Day resources for more than 30 years.

How did your credit union celebrate International Credit Union Day this year?