Scott Credit Union's "Moneywise" Workshop Teaches Financial Skills to Girl Scouts

Scott Credit Union received a national honor recently garnering a Credit Union National Association (CUNA) Diamond Award for marketing. The award was presented at the annual CUNA Marketing & Business Development Conference.

The Diamond Award represents the pinnacle of credit union marketing in more than 30 categories ranging from direct mail and web site marketing to public relations and political action. Judges evaluated over 1,100 entries based on strategy, design and production, creative concept, copy and communication, and results.

Scott Credit Union won a Diamond Award for its Moneywise Workshop financial education program for the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois, according to SCU Chief Marketing Officer Adam Koishor.

“We are really honored to have won the award this year,” Koishor said. “Credit union marketers from throughout the country submit entries for the awards. We have a great team of people and these awards really show the high quality of the marketing SCU is doing. The competition is strong among the best of the best credit union marketers in the country.”

Scott Credit Union’s financial education workshop, which featured a custom-designed curriculum for Brownies and Daisy groups, focused on interactive activities to teach money basics and about spending, sharing and saving.

“We were really excited about being able to present this program,” said Scott Credit Union Community Relations Supervisor Jennifer Hess. “We presented the program to 54 Girl Scouts and their parents. The girls really had fun while learning some valuable lessons about money and saving.”

Scott Credit Union representatives are finalizing plans to continue this program with the Girl Scouts in the future, Hess noted.

“The girls participated in a ‘red light, green light’ game where they moved forward when they heard the words save or share and had to remain still when they heard spend,” Hess added. “The game was a hit with the girls. It really reinforced the message of how important saving and sharing are when it comes to their money.”

The credit union has increased its marketing and financial education efforts over the past few years to educate consumers on the value of doing their financial business with a not-for-profit credit union.

Scott Credit Union has made giving back to its communities a major priority. The local credit union contributed more than $424,000 and its employees volunteered more than 2,400 hours to a variety of local civic efforts throughout the region in 2017.

“We realize that without our members and the communities in which we serve, we would not exist as a financial alternative,” Koishor said. “That is why it is so important for us to give back and support the communities in which we have locations.”

Scott Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative that is member owned. The credit union has given $10 million back to members through a bonus dividend and loan interest rebate over the past 10 years.

“Conducting financial business with a credit union saves the consumer real money,” Koishor said. “Many credit unions, like Scott Credit Union, offer similar products and services to what the conventional financial institutions have, but we do so with our members’ best interest in mind because we are a not-for-profit cooperative. Plus, we care about the community and we are committed to supporting local efforts through contributions and volunteerism.”

Scott Credit Union is also proud to have been named a St. Louis Post-Dispatch Top Workplace for six straight years.

“We serve members every day. It is really important that our people enjoy working here and can pass their positive attitude along to our members in the experience that they provide them,” Koishor explained.

Scott Credit Union, which is celebrating its 75th year, is open to anyone who lives or works in a 17-county area, including Madison, St. Clair, Monroe, Randolph, Perry, Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Clinton, Marion, Bond, Macoupin, Montgomery, Fayette, Effingham, Williamson, and Jackson counties. Anyone who lives or works in St. Louis County, Missouri also can open accounts at SCU. Additionally, anyone active or retired military also can have accounts with Scott Credit Union.

Scott Credit Union currently has 15 area locations: Scott Air Force Base, East Belleville, Fairview Heights, Collinsville, O’Fallon, Edwardsville, Waterloo, Highland, Caseyville, West Belleville, Millstadt, Mascoutah, Troy, Wood River and its Home Office in Edwardsville.

For details on opening accounts at Scott Credit Union, visit www.scu.org.