The Share the Love Campaign

Sponsored by CU Solutions Group

Famed anthropologist Margaret Mead once said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." This quote captures the spirit of the credit union movement; and it is out of this spirit of charity and goodwill that the Share the Love campaign was born.

Share the Love is a collaboration between CU Solutions Group, its member rewards program, Love My Credit Union Rewards, and the Credit Union National Association. The campaign celebrates "paying it forward" through random acts of kindness - and it's starting to gain momentum in a big way.

The Spark

The spark that would inspire the launch of Share the Love started with a local credit union in Romulus, Mich. The team at Public Service Credit Union decided to give back in their neighborhood through spontaneous and unexpected gestures of kindness.

Starting out at a local gas station, in the midst of a cold, snowy Michigan winter, the folks at Public Service CU greeted motorists by filling up their gas tank and topping off their windshield washer fluid. Then they decided to pass out doughnuts to the workers who were braving the cold and plowing the snow-covered streets. Public Service CU didn't stop there.

Next, they stopped at a local store to take care of a few bills at the grocery checkout, dropped by the local animal shelter to pass out treats to their furry friends and gave $25 gift cards to random members in their own lobby.

Public Service CU captured these random acts of thoughtfulness on video and posted it online. This small group of individuals took $500 and a few hours of their time to bring some extra happiness to their community. The video created by Public Service CU is moving; it clearly shows that citizens were touched in significant and meaningful ways; some even brought to tears. That's what sharing the love is about: spreading goodwill and kindness for the sake of itself.

The Fire

Michigan Credit Union League and Affiliates caught wind of the amazing endeavors, and couldn't help but be inspired. David Adams, CEO of the Michigan Credit Union League and CU Solutions Group, reached out to Public Service CU to see how they could build on this momentum. Out of that conversation came the 1st Annual Share the Love campaign.

Now, CU Solutions Group and its member discount program, Love My Credit Union Rewards, have teamed up with CUNA to help credit unions do what they do best - help their communities and their members. The Share the Love Campaign asks credit unions across the country to create and upload a short video displaying acts of charitable giving and community involvement.

These videos will be displayed on LoveMyCreditUnion.org for consumers and credit union members to view and vote for their favorites starting October 1. October through December, a total of nine winning credit unions will receive a $10,000 donation on their behalf to the charity of their choice.* At the end of the campaign, a Grand Prize winner will be awarded another $15,000 donation to the charity of their choice. In total, up to $105,000 will be award to charities, and an additional $15,000 in prizes will be awarded to consumers who register votes for credit union videos.

Share the Love launched in July at America's Credit Union Conference and credit unions began uploading videos on Aug 1. Members and consumers will begin voting on Oct 1. Complete submission guidelines, Share the Love campaign details and tips on the easiest ways to create videos can be found at: LoveMyCreditUnion.org/CUSharetheLove.

*Chosen charity must be a 501(c)(3) organization.