Community Is Our Brand: How Wescom Takes Fundraising to the Next Level
“The credit union movement continues to stay true to our founding principle of people helping people through our support of Children’s Miracle Network (CMN). At Wescom we participate in various fundraising efforts to support CMN that involve our staff and members, to continue to help Southern Californian build better lives.” –Darren Williams, CEO
For more than a decade Pasadena, California-based Wescom Credit Union has been an avid supporter of Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals and Credit Unions for Kids (CU4Kids). What began with participation in Miracle Jeans Day now encompasses multiple initiatives and many layers of involvement. From charity walks to digital fundraising, advisory board involvement and beyond, Wescom’s charitable commitment to CMN is impressive. In 2018, they raised more than $72,000 in donations from their staff and members. Equally impressive: Wescom’s fundraising, sponsorship, and volunteer work also help create a true culture of giving at the organization.
Taking your CMN Hospitals giving to the next level – as Wescom does – has clear benefits for the kids, families, and hospitals that CMN Hospitals supports. But it may also pay dividends for your credit union in the form of stronger employee bonds, a sense of pride among your members and a strong brand mission. Here’s how Wescom is expanding its charitable partnerships with CMN Hospitals and a host of other charitable organizations – and how this fulfillment of their purpose is changing the credit union itself.
IT ALL ADDS UP
Exactly how did Wescom raise $72,000 for CMN in 2018? Here’s a quick snapshot of what they did:
SPONSORSHIPS
- Credit Union Sactown Run $10,000
- Children’s Hospital Orange County (CHOC) Walk in the Park $10,680
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA Walk) and Play in L.A. $ 2,500
MIRACLE JEANS MONTH
- Employee contributions $10,047
- Member online/home banking donations $ 8,775
CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA CREDIT UNION LEAGUE CREDIT UNIONS FOR KIDS WINE AUCTION
- Table sponsorship(s) $30,000
2018 Total $72,002
EMPLOYEES ARE THE ENGINE
Wescom’s size is certainly a contributing factor in its fundraising success. The Credit Union has nearly 200,000 members and nearly $4.2 billion in assets as of March 2019. In prior years, they’ve also taken advantage of Miracle Match dollars from CO-OP® Financial Services to maximize their donations.
But the real engine behind Wescom’s non-profit giving is its staff. Miracle Jeans Day was one of Wescom’s original fundraising efforts with CU4Kids. Employees were so keen to participate that, ultimately, a single day was not enough. “We now celebrate Miracle Jeans Month,” says Wescom’s Senior Vice President, Digital Channels & Payments, Deena Otto. To celebrate Miracle Jeans Day/Month, employees donate $5 for the chance to wear jeans to work. “Pretty regularly, managers will buy a day for their whole team,” Otto says. “Everyone loves it.”
Wescom employees are also enthusiastic participants in the Credit Union Sactown Run in Sacramento and CMN charity walks in Orange County and Los Angeles. “The CHOC Walk [for Children’s Hospital of Orange County] is really popular with our staff,” says Otto. “Often, we have to cap the number of registrations because we get so many staff members who want to participate. The CHOC Walk happens at Disneyland and has become a growing tradition for our staff and their families.”
Wescom’s Executive Team is also active on CMN advisory boards: President and CEO Darren Williams serves on the CU4Kids Advisory Board, Otto chairs the CMN Advisory Board for CHLA, and another senior executive serves on the Advisory Board for CHOC.
CMN Hospitals fundraising is only one of many charitable efforts employees support each year. In 1999, Wescom’s employees formed their own foundation, WeCare, to oversee their non-profit partner giving and volunteer work. In addition to its support of CMN Hospitals, WeCare contributes to the Red Cross, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and a long list of local community groups and events.
The net result is a culture of giving that runs throughout the organization. “Our CEO is fond of pointing out that rarely a weekend goes by without our employees participating in some kind of non-profit or community event,” says Otto. Employees raise money for their colleagues who are participating in races or walks; sometimes departments compete to see who can donate the most. Team members train for events together, creating bonds that extend beyond the office. Moreover, Wescom’spurpose of “helping Southern Californians build better lives” is much more than a slogan for the Credit Union’s staff; it’s a way of doing business.
MEMBERS ARE HAPPY TO GIVE
Wescom is also committed to involving its members in non-profit and community giving. As member relationships have migrated from the branch to digital channels, keeping members engaged has presented new challenges.
Wescom’s answer: creating a new digital fundraising tool that enables members to contribute when they log into digital home banking. During Miracle Jeans Month, members are invited to donate $1, $5, $10, or the amount of their choice to CMN. The money comes directly out of their accounts, so members aren’t constrained by how much cash they have on hand as they would be when donating in a branch. Better still, digital fundraising keeps Wescom’s members plugged into its CMN fundraising efforts. (Learn more about Wescom’s investment in digital fundraising by clicking here.)
“We are always blown away by the generosity of our members,” says Otto. And it’s not just that members are willing to give; they’re happy to do so. “They regularly tell us, ‘Of course I’m going to contribute. You’re my Credit Union.’” Wescom sees the same kind of sentiment when employees volunteer at charity events. “People will run by our booth and flash their Wescom debit cards,” Otto says. “They’re happy to identify with us.”
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Wescom’s non-profit partnerships and community work go beyond mere volunteerism or generosity. It’s become a core strategic value.
“This year, we are taking our commitment even farther and hiring an executive director for WeCare, our non-profit foundation,” says Otto. “We want to be able to give back even more to our Southern California communities and our flagship partners like CMN. Almost 80 percent of our staff contributes to WeCare through payroll deductions. Our new executive director will help make those dollars even bigger and better – and will work on creating a strategy for soliciting member donations, and including members on our volunteer board so that they can be even more involved in what we’re doing.”
To help ensure that Wescom’s multi-faceted involvement is visible to members and the community, the Credit Union is teaching staff how to create great social media posts. Although many staffers are already social media natives, many others appreciate getting a little support with their social media skills. “We want them to feel empowered to post about their WeCare experiences,” says Otto.
Wescom’s support of CMN is part of an exceptionally strong community-giving program – one that helps define the Credit Union’s identity and shape the experiences of both its members and its staff. At a time when trust can be a real differentiator for credit unions, this kind of commitment speaks loudly.
“We updated our purpose, mission, and vision statements earlier this year,” says Otto. “Part of our mission statement is exceeding expectations in everything we do.” Nowhere is this more apparent than in Wescom’s efforts to lift its community and non-profit partners. “Our purpose, mission, and vision statements aren’t just written down on paper; we want to make sure we’re actually living them.”