The CDCU Institute™ consists of 3 one-week sessions over three years. Students who complete the three-year course graduate with a Certificate in the CDCU Management and may be eligible to receive graduate school credit as well. 

Our curriculum has been developed with support from Southern New Hampshire University, which operates one of the nation's leading community economic development graduate programs, and CUNA's Center for Professional Development (CPD), which is focused on enhancing credit union leadership nationwide.

Below is a course sampling for first-year students.  Our program is designed for both CDCU practitioners as well as for non-CDCU credit unions looking to expand their service to low-income and other underserved communities.

First-Year Course Sampling

Professional Staff Training

• Introduction to Community Economic Development I
• Intro to Community Economic Development I
• Lending: Loan Policies and Loan Granting
• Field Trip & Presentation In the Community
• Regulatory Compliance Overview
• IDA Accounts and Credit Unions
• Intro to Strategic Planning
• Financial Management
• CDFI’s – What are They and How to Become One
• Financial Literacy & CDCUs
• Marketing Overview

Board Leadership Training

• The Roles & Responsibilities of Board Members
• Board Development: Assessing Board Effectiveness & Capacity, Insuring Continuity
• IDA Accounts and Credit Unions