Posted by:
Steve Dubb
Event takes place in Dallas, June 11-14
The Network of Latino Credit Unions and Professionals is joining forces with the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions to co-organize the nation’s fifth Latino Credit Union Conference, which will focus on ways credit unions can engage the large and growing Latino community.
The conference is being held jointly with the Federation’s own annual conference. This year marks the 34th annual conference of the Federation, which is the leading trade association of community development credit unions. The Social Investment Forum estimates that as of 2005, there were 275 community development credit unions (CDCUs) nationwide that held $5.1 billion in assets, up from only $600 million in assets six years earlier. Information on registering for either or both conferences is available here.
Topics at the Latino Credit Union conference will include:
• State and National Latino Outreach Initiatives
• Connecting with Immigrant Organizations
• Lending to New Americans
• Meeting the Needs of Immigrant Consumers
• Tailoring Financial Education to Latino/Immigrant Communities
• Insurance Needs in the Latino Market
• Overcoming Barriers to Serving Immigrants
• Funding: What’s Out There?
Highlights from past conferences include:
In November 1999, the first-ever National Latino Credit Union Conference was held in San Antonio, Texas. In the period after the conference, the Latino Community Credit Union in Durham, North Carolina was organized, which has since become the fastest growing CDCU in the country. Today it has 45,000 members and over $34 million in assets.
In 2004, the Third Latino Credit Union Conference, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was capped by site visits to three Puerto Rican credit unions, two large faith-based credit unions and one serving the employees of the Puerto Rico Electric Company.
In June 2006, Durham’s West Main Street became the nation’s “Main Street” for credit unions serving people of modest means and Latino populations across the United States. More than 400 representatives from across the United States came together. Credit unions from Mexico were also prominently represented.