Worldwide Foundation For Credit Unions Inc

Programs: Partnership program the foundation's international partnership program brings together credit union leaders from developed and emerging economic systems to share cutting-edge technology and best practices, providing new knowledge and resources for all participants. In 2014, the international partnership program supported 16 credit union partnerships and facilitated 15 educational exchanges between emerging and developed credit union systems. For almost twenty years, the partnership program has been conducting trainings to equip future leaders and create long-term development solutions for credit unions in low-income countries. These technical trainings occur 3-4 times per year and often include 1-4 volunteers per exchange. This platform offers intensive technical and educational training on issues such as board development, governance, operations, marketing, financial management, risk analysis, membership growth and industry-wide regulatory trends.

technical assistance credit union development the worldwide foundation provided funding to world council of credit unions to support its credit union development activities. Examples of world council's development initiatives include the following: in ecuador, world council brought digital financial services to remote areas of the south american country. In 2014, 70,000+ credit union members received debit cards for the first time allowing them convenient access to their accounts in hundreds of service points. Furthermore, over 80,000 international remittances were sent to ecuador credit unions via world council's remittance platform. 84% of the beneficiaries of these remittances are female. In mexico, world council piloted a mobile banking initiative that allows participating credit union members to transfer money from their credit union accounts to any person in mexico that has a bank account. This ability to easily transfer funds is opening the door to convenience and cost savings to over 3,500 users. Users are also able to check balances, pay loans and bills directly from their mobile phones. With the u. S. Agency for international development and fhi 360, world council increased availability of financial products and services among rural and agricultural areas in haiti. Through the project, 32 financial institutions are newly engaged in value chain finance providing $28. 5 million in agricultural loans to more than 56,473 microenterprises. In total, the financial institutions incresed outreach by 238% to 1,357,226; including 531,417 clients served in rural areas. Through support from the worldwide foundation, world council of credit unions launched the third phase of its build the brand initiative, which includes a new program, wecu2, with fresh digital strategies that help credit unions better understand and engage with millennials- and vice versa. Wecu2 includes a series of online podcasts with industry expert interviews, videos, product case studies, twitter chats, slideshare presentations, an interactive blog and direct millenial feedback from around the world.

educationwf's support of the pacific technical congress demonstrated the foundation's ongoing commitment to training. The congress is designed to increase the technical capacity of staff and volunteers serving credit unions in developing countries. In 2013, wf supported the congress in fiji and continued to grow a network of credit union leaders in the pacific region. Wf also supported a women's forum held in conjunction with the congress. The global women's leadership network is a worldwide foundation program that advances credit union women in leadership. The network provides women with access to a global community of credit union leaders dedicated to advising each other and to cultivating the leadership potential of women worldwide. It engages credit union women in professional and personal development through social media and online resources, educational platforms and networking events. Global women's also supports world council's development programs that further the vision and mission of advancing women in their communities. In 2013, the network included 350 women worldwide and 181 new members joined. Since its inception, 530 women from 40 countries have been supported by this inititaive. The network held its fifth annual leadership forum that brought together 114 credit union women from 14 countries. Participants discussed issues affecting them, shared stories and identified recommendations for empowering female leadership in the workplace. In 2013, the network continued to develop its "sister society" program that convenes members on a local basis. Four new chapters were developed in the united states including arizona, nevada, washington, dc, and florida; and internationally two new chapters were created in ontario, canada and trinidad; totaling 13 chapters worldwide. In 2014, 223 women joined the global women's network from around the world. Since the network began in 2009, 724 women from 53 countries have been supported by this initiative. For the first time in network history, global women scholarship winners were asked to design a concept proposal that would increase access to credit, loans, savings, and leadership opportunities for women in their communities. In addition to receiving funds, grant recipients receive technical support, expertise and guidance from their global women network peers worldwide. Scholarship winners elenita san roque, ceo of the association of asian confederation of credit unions (thailand); and kristi lozano, financial education specialist at san mateo credit union (usa), were selected as empowerment grant recipients and will implement their projects during 2014-2015. San roque will work with paglaum multi-purpose cooperative in the philippines to establish a business development center that will help advance women members' entrepreneurial and leadership skill, as well as access to markets and information for micro and small enterprise developments. Lozano's project aims to increase the financial and leadership skills of female high school credit union members, and assist in their preparation to enroll in a college or university. Sister societies are local chapters of the global women's leadership network that are established around the world to further the network's global mission by making a local impact. The purpose is to convene credit union women, discuss credit union issues, exchange ideas, network with neighboring credit union leaders, and share lessons learned with network members worldwide. In 2014, the network established two new sister societies in los angeles and colorado. Currently, there are 16 chapters worldwide and in six countries. The network held it's annual leadership forum in australia during the world credit union conference. More than 130 women from 19 countries were brought together and learned new communication skills including presentation techniques and body language behaviors.

disaster relief following typhoon haiyan that struck the phillipines in november 2013, world council partnered with the credit union foundation of australia and the irish league of credit unions foundation to rebuild nine credit unions and two cooperatives affiliated with visayas cooperative development centre(victo). These financial cooperatives, located in the provinces of leyte and tacloban city, used project funds in 2014 to repair critically damaged building structures, equipment and furniture; and recover savings and credit functions to members.