MANCHESTER, N.H. — CUNA is helping America's Credit Union Museum kick off its Legacy Captial Campaign with a pledge of $1 million that will help the museum refurbish and expand.
Located inside the building where the nation's very first CU — St. Mary's Bank — opened for business in 1908, the museum has been working to preserve the credit union movement's history since 2002.
The goal of the three-year capital campaign is to raise $3.3 million to create a new industry research center, add additional exhibit space, and provide renovations to the existing Museum building.
CUNA's $1 million pledge would fund what will be known as the "CUNA Research Center," to be housed in the structure next to the museum's main building. The center will "create a virtual experience that will provide credit unions, consumers, the media, lawmakers, regulators, and others the ability to delve into the history of credit unions," according to a joint statement by CUNA and ACUM.
"Conserving and promulgating credit union history is consistent with our mission of supporting, protecting, unifying and advancing the credit union movement," said CUNA CEO Jim Nussle in a statement. "CUNA is proud to participate in this project, which has the potential to ultimately preserve for future generations the roots and growth of the credit union legacy in America, particularly as we strive to achieve our system vision of 'American's best choice for financial services.'"
America's Credit Union Museum Chairman, Michael L'Ecuyer, thanked CUNA for its pledge and ongoing support. "CUNA has long supported the preservation of the history of the credit union movement in our country," he said in a statement. "Through this generous pledge to the Legacy Campaign, the Museum will be able to continue telling the story of our heritage, principles and values and providing future generations a link to the rich past of credit unions in America."
The ACUM has been working on putting together the capital campaign since the
