• DEI was added as the eighth cooperative principle of America’s credit unions by CUNA’s board of directors, as well as added into CUNA’s organization strategy, including a mission, vision, and set of goals.
  
  
• We created ERGs and DEI book clubs enabling employees to connect, find support, and continue learning.

• We are centering employee voices and diverse perspectives through a cross-enterprise 12-person DEI Advisory Group, which meets regularly to review and guide our DEI efforts, and ERG groups whose members represent more than 60 percent of staff.
  
  
• Established Inclusive as a core value, defined by employees as "We strive—every day—to create a workplace where everyone feels they belong, are respected and valued." Leadership and staff are expected to demonstrate our core values daily and are held accountable via their performance evaluation.
  
  
• We hold regular heritage, cultural, and identity-based events to raise awareness and build a culture of inclusion and belonging and create allies across the organization.
  
  
• To embed DEI across the enterprise, we developed a DEI Lens and are in the process of training staff and leadership on how to use it in decision-making, planning, and budgeting.
  
  
• Co-created a set of ground rules we use at the start of all our DEI or EEG sessions to create a brave space for folks to participate.

• We completed a baseline assessment of our culture, policies, and practices to identify bias and are implementing a plan to disrupt bias in our policies and practices.

• We regularly measure our progress through staff surveys and analysis of staff representation.

• Co-created a living glossary of terminology and DEI guidelines for the use of images.
  
  
• Created and staffed a DEI Department to lead our efforts internally and externally.

And we have much more in the works!

DEI is at the heart of CUNA’s advocacy. It is not solely a plan of action, a program, or a concept to adopt. It is embedded in who we are and what we do. We are taking specific steps to support credit unions dedicated to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, so their workplaces better reflect the communities they serve.

We know credit unions thrive when they reflect their communities, promote financial inclusion and equity for their members, and foster financial well-being for all—including marginalized and underserved communities. 

 These include:

• Advocacy efforts to tell our DEI story to policymakers and regulators and works to remove barriers that hinder a credit union’s ability to foster financial equity and inclusion for all.
  
  
• Thought leadership on DEI via research, eSchools, publications, webinars, and speaking engagements raising awareness and sharing best practices.
  
  
• Developing products and services that support credit unions on their journey including CPD Online DEI training modules, CUNA’s DEI eSchools, the DEI Roundtable at GAC, and DEI breakouts GAC and other CUNA schools and conferences.  
  
  
• Intentional efforts to increase the diversity of speakers at conferences.
  
  
• Support credit unions as they advance their communities and improve the financial well-being of their more than 130 million members. Co-founded the Credit Union DEI Collective and signed the CU DEI Collective Pledge.  
  
  
• Partnerships and alliances with DEI-focused, diversity-centric credit union organizations and networks, and others committed to DEI goals (e.g., CU DEI Collective, AACUC, NLCUP, Inclusiv, the Leagues, CU Pride, CUWLA, and GWLN).
  
  
• Supporting DEI Tuesday at CUNA GAC. DEI Tuesday is a series of events covering how credit unions can expand their work serving and empowering communities of color and other marginalized and underserved groups, promoting equity for all.