Press
CUNA, World Council urge congress for co-op development program, increased aid to Ukraine
(May 14, 2014) — Today, the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and the World Council of Credit Unions (World Council) sent letters to the State, Foreign Operations Subcommittee in the House and Senate on behalf of the 99 million credit union members in the U.S. and 200 million members worldwide to ask for support for the Cooperative Development Program (CDP) as well as increased aid to Ukraine in the FY2015 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. Both letters
United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs:
The Honorable Kay Granger
Chairwoman, State, Foreign Operations and
Related Programs Subcommittee
House of Representatives
1026 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Nita M. Lowey
Ranking Member, State, Foreign Operations and
Related Programs Subcommittee
House of Representatives
2365 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Re: FY2015 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations
Dear Chairwoman Granger and Ranking Member Lowey:
On behalf of the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), the World Council of Credit Unions (World Council) and the 99 million credit union members in the U.S. and 200 million members worldwide, we are writing to ask for your support for the Cooperative Development Program (CDP) as well as increased aid to Ukraine in the FY2015 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill.
Cooperative Development Program (CDP)
We are requesting reauthorization of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) CDP program for FY2015 at its FY2014 funding level of $10 million under Title III of Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (P.L. 113-76). The CDP is a competitive grants program that responds to the needs of local credit unions and other cooperatives by utilizing the expertise and resources of long-established U.S. cooperative organizations, their members, and volunteers.
World Council is implementing a CDP grant called “Improving Small Rural Producers” in Guatemala and Mexico. (See: http://improveruralincome.woccu.org/cdp_overview.) Through this program World Council partners with and provides assistance to local, rural credit unions to help them efficiently and profitably provide a combination of financial and agricultural technical services using mobile banking tools. This CDP program fuels expanded local economic activity that helps the members of these credit unions build wealth and improve their lives.
The CDP allows US credit unions and other cooperatives to continue in a leadership role in reducing hunger and lifting people out of poverty. The resources that you make available to our cooperative development organizations generate positive impacts and results for millions of people in the developing world.
Increased Development Aid to Ukraine
We also urge Congress to authorize increased USAID development assistance to Ukraine in order to promote democracy as well as economic and social stability in that country. Credit unions in Ukraine were restarted in the early 1990s after the dissolution of the Soviet Union with the support of World Council.
The 620 credit unions in Ukraine perform an important private-sector financial and development role for their approximately 1 million natural person members as well as for Ukrainian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Aid to Ukrainian private-sector social institutions—including credit unions—would help support financial and economic stability in provincial and rural areas in addition to promoting democracy in Ukraine.
As not-for-profit financial institutions operating under one-member-one-vote democratic principles, credit unions promote democracy in Ukraine by providing their members with local democratic decision making experience in addition to access to financial services at fair rates. Credit union democratic processes empower and teach members to hold their elected officials accountable and set the foundation for local grassroots activism in policy dialog.
On behalf of America’s credit unions and their members, we ask for your consideration and leadership in ensuring that the CDP as well as Microenterprise and Microfinance Development are appropriately funded so that these programs can continue to help credit unions provide credit, investment capital, and financial services to distressed communities worldwide.
Sincerely,
Bill Cheney
President & CEO
Credit Union National Association
Brian Branch
President & CEO
World Council of Credit Unions
United States Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs:
The Honorable Patrick J. Leahy
Chairman, State, Foreign Operations,
and Related Programs Subcommittee
United States Senate
437 Russell Senate Building
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Lindsey Graham
Ranking Member, State, Foreign Operations,
and Related Programs Subcommittee
United States Senate
290 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Re: FY2015 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations
Dear Chairman Leahy and Ranking Member Graham:
On behalf of the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), the World Council of Credit Unions (World Council) and the 99 million credit union members in the U.S. and 200 million members worldwide, we are writing to ask for your support for the Cooperative Development Program (CDP) as well as increased aid to Ukraine in the FY2015 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill.
Cooperative Development Program (CDP)
We are requesting reauthorization of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) CDP program for FY2015 at its FY2014 funding level of $10 million under Title III of Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (P.L. 113-76). The CDP is a competitive grants program that responds to the needs of local credit unions and other cooperatives by utilizing the expertise and resources of long-established U.S. cooperative organizations, their members, and volunteers.
World Council is implementing a CDP grant called “Improving Small Rural Producers” in Guatemala and Mexico. (See: http://improveruralincome.woccu.org/cdp_overview.) Through this program World Council partners with and provides assistance to local, rural credit unions to help them efficiently and profitably provide a combination of financial and agricultural technical services using mobile banking tools. This CDP program fuels expanded local economic activity that helps the members of these credit unions build wealth and improve their lives.
The CDP allows US credit unions and other cooperatives to continue in a leadership role in reducing hunger and lifting people out of poverty. The resources that you make available to our cooperative development organizations generate positive impacts and results for millions of people in the developing world.
Increased Development Aid to Ukraine
We also urge Congress to authorize increased USAID development assistance to Ukraine in order to promote democracy as well as economic and social stability in that country. Credit unions in Ukraine were restarted in the early 1990s after the dissolution of the Soviet Union with the support of World Council.
The 620 credit unions in Ukraine perform an important private-sector financial and development role for their approximately 1 million natural person members as well as for Ukrainian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Aid to Ukrainian private-sector social institutions—including credit unions—would help support financial and economic stability in provincial and rural areas in addition to promoting democracy in Ukraine.
As not-for-profit financial institutions operating under one-member-one-vote democratic principles, credit unions promote democracy in Ukraine by providing their members with local democratic decision making experience in addition to access to financial services at fair rates. Credit union democratic processes empower and teach members to hold their elected officials accountable and set the foundation for local grassroots activism in policy dialog.
On behalf of America’s credit unions and their members, we ask for your consideration and leadership in ensuring that the CDP as well as Microenterprise and Microfinance Development are appropriately funded so that these programs can continue to help credit unions provide credit, investment capital, and financial services to distressed communities worldwide.
Sincerely,
Bill Cheney
President & CEO
Credit Union National Association
Brian Branch
President & CEO
World Council of Credit Unions