Program Overview
The Federation's CDCU Institute™ is the first training program designed specifically for credit unions that serve moderate and low-income communities. We’ll show you new ways to manage a sound, effective, financial institute and provide leadership in community economic development. A rigorous program of instruction will expand your knowledge and sharpen your skills to achieve the highest standards of credit union management.
In 1999, the Federation formed a partnership with two other experienced education and training organizations to plan and implement a state-of-the-art training model that would become the basis for the CDCU Institute™. The first class of students gradutated from the Institute in 2001.
For more than 10 years, the Federation has partnered with some of our nation’s top credit union educators and community economic development specialists, including CUNA’s Center for Professional Development (CPD), Southern New Hampshire University’s School of Community Economic Development, Credit Union Executives Society (CUES) and others, to offer participants with specialized training available nowhere else in the credit union movement.
In 2005, the Institute shifted its operations to Madison, Wisconsin, in order to increase the operational and educational value brought by our various credit union industry partners headquartered in that city, and to make it easier for more CDCU staff and board members to participate in this essential educational program.
The curriculum is currently comprised of three one-week sessions per year, after which time, students that complete all three years receive a certificate in CDCU management. In addition to the training in Madison, the CDCU Institute™ also offers various networking, collaboration, and even exchange opportunities for students and graduates to help them learn from other successful models to improve their credit unions.
Institute Description
The CDCU Institute™ is the only educational program of its kind geared specifically to community development credit unions (CDCUs) and other credit unions serving low-income populations. The Federation has designed the CDCU Institute™ curriculum in collaboration with Southern New Hampshire University, CUNA's Center for Professional Development, and other nationally recognized experts.
Everyone who attends is expected to complete three intensive one-week sessions. Most sessions last 5-6 days; held in the summer. Training for credit union board officials is offered at the end of each week-long session, typically on Friday and Saturday. Students who successfully complete the three-year program receive a Certificate in CDCU Management.
To view a sample first-year curriculum, please click here.
2010 Institute Information & Application
Please note: 2010 CDCU Institute™ applications are currently closed.
To view our 2010 CDCU Institute™ informational brochure, please click here.
To learn more about future CDCU Institute™ dates and for general information, please contact Pamela Owens, Director of Education & Training, at powens@cdcu.coop or (800) 437-8711 x215.
Cost Breakdown
Tuition for professional (credit union) staff is $3,000 per year. The cost for board officer training is $1,500 annually. We encourage credit unions teams of two or more to attend the sessions, and offer a 10% discount on the total tuition costs for additional registrants. Group rates are also available for credit unions sending four or more participants.
The Federation also offers limited scholarships to member-CDCUs who have demonstrated financial need and who would otherwise be unable to attend. For more information on scholarships, please contact Federation Director of Education and Training Pamela Owens at the information provided below.
Previous students have also obtained financial assistance from:
- The National Credit Union Administration’s Community Development Revolving Loan Fund
- The Treasury Department's Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund
- State credit union leagues and credit union foundations
- Local credit unions, foundations, banks, and corporations
Frequently Asked Questions & Additional Information
How do I get to Madison, WI and do I have to find my own hotel?
Once a CDCU Institute™ application form has been received, information regarding travel and lodging will be forwarded to the student. Each Institute student is responsible for making travel arrangements. If you are traveling for a stand-alone session, you should make your own hotel reservations. Please call the Federation for discount room-block information.
Who do I contact for additional information about this program?
For more information, contact Pamela Owens, Director of Education and Training, at (800) 437-8711 x215, or powens@cdcu.coop.
