Contact:
Christopher Morris
608-231-4374 | cmorris@ncuf.coop
Columbia, Md. - - iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad users nationwide can quickly identify and contact credit unions, thanks to a first-of-its-kind application from the Credit Union Foundation of Maryland & DC. “Credit Union Finder” is a free application available for download at the Apple App Store.
The Foundation developed the mobile application earlier this year with Innovation Grant assistance from the National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF), graphics support from Visions, Ink., and data from credit unions nationwide.
“Every week more credit unions are establishing mobile banking capabilities,” said the Credit Union Foundation of Maryland & DC about the app. “Credit unions realize the value of mobile applications, especially to their younger members. The Foundation wanted to help members find and contact your credit union through a mobile app and to help non-members find a credit union they could join.”
Users of the Credit Union Finder app can search for credit unions near their current location or search any site in the U.S. by entering a zip code or city & state. They can also search credit unions by name. Results can be displayed as a list or on a map. Contact information for the credit union is also displayed including their web address.
“What really makes this more than just a credit union search resource is the ability to tap into an iPhone’s GPS technology and find credit unions nearest your current location,” said Christopher Morris, NCUF Director of Communications. “It’s innovative and also a cost-effective way for credit unions to reach out to prospective members. We hope this unique NCUF Innovation Grant project allows more consumers to experience the credit union difference.”
Within the first month of Credit Union Finder’s launch, the app was downloaded over 200 times and has now been downloaded over 900 times. It currently has a 3 ½ star rating (out of 5) from user reviews in the Apple App Store.
Also shortly after release, the popular personal finance blog “Get Rich Slowly” (www.getrichslowly.org) featured the Credit Union Finder app and touted it as “handy for folks who travel a lot.”
Credit unions can leverage the mobile application with current members to help them locate branches and contact information on-the-go. For example, Securityplus FCU in Baltimore, Md. set up a webpage for the app and promotes Credit Union Finder to their membership so that “members have an easy and free means for our members to stay in touch with us,” according to SecurityPlus’s CEO Rick Williams.
Resources for credit unions interested in promoting the application (i.e.: logos, sample copy, etc.) are available at the Credit Union Foundation of Maryland & DC’s website: http://www.cufound.org/resources.htm
Click here for the Credit Union Finder at iTunes for more information.
NCUF Innovation Grants are made possible by supporters of the Foundation and the Community Investment Fund (CIF), an award-winning system of investments that help credit unions earn dividends while donating to national and state community development programs.
This “Innovation Grant at Work” is part of a series highlighting NCUF grantees making a positive impact in their community and empowering consumers to achieve financial independence through credit unions.
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About the National Credit Union Foundation (ncuf.coop):
The National Credit Union Foundation is the US credit union movement’s primary national philanthropic program provider, fundraiser and grant-maker. Through NCUF grants and programs, credit unions provide widespread financial education, create greater access to affordable financial services, and empower more consumers to save, build assets, and own homes.
NCUF is funded primarily by investments in the award-winning Community Investment Fund (CIF) and by generous Supporters led by the Credit Union National Association, CUNA Mutual Group, Harland Clarke, CO-OP Financial Services, STAR, California & Nevada Credit Union Leagues, Card Services for Credit Unions, and VISA. All NCUF donors provide support that empowers NCUF and state credit union foundations to make a real impact in the credit union community.
The National Credit Union Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization and continues to earn the Better Business Bureau seal of approval as an “Accredited Charity” for meeting all 20 BBB Wise Giving Alliance Standards for national charities.