Michigan State University FCU Embraces a Culture of Giving Back to Community
March 2, 2017
MSUFCU Empowers Employees to Embrace a Culture of Giving
‘CU Involved’ promotes employee ownership of charitable giving and volunteering
EAST LANSING, MI – At its core MSU Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) values giving back to its community. The Credit Union and many of its employees have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars back to the community over the years. In an effort to continue to build on this strong foundation, MSUFCU started a new program designed by employees, for employees called ‘MSUFCU Involved’ (also known as ‘CU Involved’).
CU Involved is a volunteer program that serves to strengthen ties between employees and improve the Credit Union’s community involvement as a whole. Additionally, CU Involved serves as a way to recognize employees for their efforts in the community. A committee made up of 11 employees from different departments will plan and execute CU Involved initiatives throughout the year.
The main goals of CU Involved are to:
- Increase employee participation at volunteer events in the community.
- Create an incentive program that helps generate employee enthusiasm and motivation for volunteering.
- Celebrate and recognize employee participation in assisting the Credit Union to achieve its core value of giving back to the community.
In an effort to incentivize its employees to be more involved in the community, MSUFCU rolled out ‘volunteer time off’ or VTO time, that employees can use when they volunteer in the community. Offering VTO gives employees the option to volunteer without sacrificing time and pay from their regular work schedules, allowing them the freedom to help the nonprofit organizations they’re most passionate about. VTO also assists MSUFCU to have a positive impact on the community while living out the credit union philosophy of “people helping people.”
“One of our core values at MSUFCU is giving back to the community, and Credit Union employees have continued to demonstrate great passion for this core value over the years,” said April Clobes, president and CEO of MSUFCU. “The new CU Involved program will provide an additional opportunity for our employees to give back and will offer an enhanced program for volunteering throughout the year. In 2016, MSUFCU employees collectively volunteered over 900 hours in the community and used 361 hours of volunteer time off. We are proud that our employees are dedicated to making our community a better place.”
One of the ways MSUFCU recognizes employees for their outstanding work in the community is through its new Volunteer of the Year Award. Employees have the opportunity to nominate their peers each year for this honor. The first Volunteer of the Year Award will be presented at the Credit Union’s Annual Awards Dinner in February 2017.
Additionally, MSUFCU holds a Volunteer Recognition Breakfast for employees who volunteer at Credit Union sponsored/hosted events during the year. Employees can also earn incentives such as gift cards and MSUFCU apparel for reaching volunteer hour goals.
At the beginning of each year, MSUFCU hosts a Volunteer Kickoff Party for all employees at MSUFCU Headquarters. They meet with the charity partners and learn about how they can volunteer during the year. For more information about MSUFCU and its ongoing community giving efforts, visit www.msufcu.org/community.
About MSUFCU:
MSU Federal Credit Union, the world’s largest university-based credit union, offers a full range of personal — and business-related — financial services to Michigan State University and Oakland University faculty, staff, students, alumni, and their families worldwide, in addition to a variety of select employee groups. Founded in 1937 by MSU professors, MSUFCU has 17 branches, nearly 230,000 members, more than $3.41 billion in assets, and over 730 employees. In 2016, MSUFCU was recognized as the #1 Top Workplace in the large employer category by the Detroit Free Press, as well as one of Fortune’s 50 Best Workplaces for New College Grads. Also in 2016, MSUFCU was selected as one of West Michigan’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For, receiving the Michigan Business Professional Association’s top honor of Elite Overall – Best of the Best award. MSUFCU has a national reputation for excellence, and was recognized in 2016 as fifth in the nation for its financial education program by the National Youth Involvement Board. Visit www.msufcu.org for more information.