Pennsylvania Credit Union Association

Grant Criteria

Financial Literacy

Grant Types

• School/Adult/Workplace Education
• Literature/Audio Visual Procurement & Distribution
• Web Site Development
• School Branch Development
• Training of Trainers
• Reality Fairs

Eligibility

• Any credit union, school or educational non-profit organization/consultant
• Grantees must participate in an educational component
• Credit union Branch grantee must participate in school education component
• Must track post teacher or employee trainees in schools

Application Materials

• Cover letter identifying need or stating problem
• Questionnaire verifying preferred grant type(s) planned activities and results
• Cost invoices and/or calculations
• School Agreement (for student Branch Development)
• Supplementary Budget (Upon Request)

Awards

PACUF will award a total of up to $10,000 for all financial literacy grants; however, if the project investment (i.e., Foundation plus credit union amount) does not exceed $20,000, the Foundation grant will equal only 50% of the total value. 

Application/Questionnaire

Small Credit Union Technology (SCUT)

Grant Types

• Computers, Printers and Servers
• Internet Connection

• Must have had a strategic planning session within the last five years
• Assets of less than $30 million
• Insufficient funds to purchase hardware
• In need of a computer upgrade
• No access to the internet
• Preference to credit unions that recruit underserved members
• Credit union may apply every three years for an additional grant

Application Materials

• Completed application/questionnaire
• Cover letter with clear needs assessment and identification
• Board Statement verifying lack of funds
• Questionnaire identifying grant type(s) plus planned outputs
• Cost invoices

Awards

Up to a maximum of $5,000. 

Application/Questionnaire

Member Access (Debit Card) Project (MAP)

• Debit Cards
• Share Drafts/ACH

• Must have had a strategic planning session within the last five years;
• Assets of less than $30 million;
• Insufficient funds to purchase software and/or pay for start-up costs;
• No known plan to merge
• Preference to credit unions that recruit underserved members
• Credit union may apply every three years for an additional grant

• Completed application/questionnaire
• Cover letter identifying need
• Board Statement verifying lack of funds
• "Income/Expense Analysis" of transaction scenarios
• Software cost invoice

Awards

Up to a maximum of $5,000.

Application/Questionnaire

Marketing & Member Services Project (M&Ms)

• Direct Mail Marketing
• E-mail Marketing
• Web Site Development
• Internet Banking
• Advertising
• Marketing Seminars
• Sales & Travel

• Must have had a strategic planning session within the last five years
• Assets of less than $30 million
• Insufficient funds to support a marketing campaign
• No known plan to merge
• Main marketing goal must be to increase membership
• Preference to credit unions that recruit underserved members
• Credit union may apply every three years for an additional grant

• Completed application/questionnaire
• Cover letter identifying need or stating problem
• Board statement verifying lack of funds
• Marketing cost invoices

Awards

Up to a maximum of $5,000

Application/Questionnaire

Strategic Planning (SP)

Grant types

• Board Strategic Planning session

Eligibility

• No planning session with last five (5) years
• Assets of less than $30 million
• Insufficient funds to support a strategic planning session
• No known plan to merge
• Main goal must be to identify five-year priorities
• Credit union may apply every five years for an additional grant

Application Materials

• Letter from Board Chairman granting permission to conduct a strategic planning session
• Two (2) proposals and bids from strategic planning trainers/facilitators
• Letter from CEO indicating bid preference and reason for choice

Awards

Up to a maximum of $5,000

Application / Questionnaire

Strategic Planning Lite Project (SPL)

Grant types

• Strategic Planning
• Direct Mail Marketing
• Web Site Development
• Advertising
• Technology

Eligibility

• Assets of less than $10 million
• Insufficient funds to support a marketing campaign
• No known plan to merge
• Main marketing goal must be to increase membership
• Preference to credit unions that recruit underserved members

Application Materials

• Completed application / questionairre
• Cover letter identifying need or stating problem
• Board statement verifying lack of funds
• Marketing cost invoices
• Marketing project prepared with strategic planner
• Technology project prepared with strategic planner
  

Awards

Up to a maximum of $5,000 ($500 strategic planning; $4,500 marketing or technology)

Application / Questionnaire

Project Monitoring & Evaluation

• Grantee prepares a plan by filling out a project questionnaire
• Grantee signs a "Letter of Agreement"
• Grantee prepares monitoring report two times per year based on plan.
• Grantee prepares evaluation at the end of two years, upon request.

Foundation Scholarship for Judge/Bradley Leadership School or other external training program

• Eligibility - Credit unions with assets less than $30 million;
• Letter of Request from the candidate and Letter of Approval from the credit union's CEO;
• (If CEO is the candidate,) Letter from Chairman of the Board of Directors;
• Pro forma invoice for lodging cost per day;
• Copy of application for training session, seminar or webinar.
• Funding provided only for the cost of scholarship.  Credit union or individuals must pay the remaining costs.
• Final report due by September 30 (Judge/Bradley) or six weeks after completion of any other scholarship training program.
• For Judge/Bradley Scholarship, no Application Questionnaire need be prepared and submitted.

Webinars

Application / Questionnaire

For more information about the Foundation, call or e-mail Joseph Wambach, Executive Director at 800-932-0661, ext. 5244, or write:

Pennsylvania Credit Union Foundation
4309 North Front Street
Harrisburg, PA  17110