September 2024

Thanks to the generous support of attendees and sponsors, ICUF raised more than $101,000 at the Benefit Night Fundraiser.

The annual ICUF Benefit Night Fundraiser was held on September 19th in Des Moines. ICUF Executive Director Ena Babic Barnes, ICUF Board Chair Marian Holmes, and Board Vice Chair Jordan Hensley led the program in celebration of the philanthropic achievements of the Iowa credit union movement. Entertainment was provided by Des Moines-based Jeff & the Effects.

Every dollar raised enables ICUF to impact even more lives throughout the state of Iowa. Thank you to all attendees and sponsors for your generous support of ICUF's mission-driven programming!

If you joined us for Benefit Night, please share your feedback about the experience here.

The winners of the 2024 ICUF Impact Award were recognized during the Benefit Night program. The ICUF Community Impact Award is given annually to individuals and organizations who are seeking to improve the financial well-being of members and communities across our state. Congratulations to this year's winners, Jennifer Crimmins and Ryne George!

Jen Crimmins has been with Citizens Community Credit Union since 2013. She currently serves as Chief Administrative Officer and oversees back-office operations for the credit union. She loves coming to work every day and does the best she can to live out the credit union philosophy of “people helping people” - from helping coworkers create efficiencies and building cohesiveness and camaraderie within the organization, to fostering vendor relationships and doing her best to make a positive impact on the communities in which the credit union serves.

Ryne George began his career in professional baseball, working with teams in Arizona and Montana before returning to Iowa, where he became the Director of Community Relations for the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Following this role, he was a fundraiser for two different non-profit organizations.

In 2022, he joined Corda Credit Union as the Community Impact Ambassador. His favorite part of his role at Corda is seeing employees embrace volunteering and discovering their passion in the community.

National Hispanic Heritage Month traditionally honors the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans, celebrating the heritage rooted in all Latin American countries.

Many Iowa communities are home to large Hispanic populations served by credit unions. How are you observing?

Learn more Hispanic Heritage Month here.

Each year, International Credit Union (ICU) Day brings people from credit unions worldwide together to celebrate their cooperative history and achievements while promoting the international credit union movement.

Learn more about ICU days and find ways to celebrate with your credit union here.

Thank you to all who donated to the Friend of the Foundation campaign during the Iowa Credit Union Convention:

• Alejandro Alaniz
• Jodi Allen
• Jim Anderson
• Linda Andry
• Ena Babic Barnes
• Andrew Barriger
• Dave Cale
• Renee Christoffer
• Adam Claypool
• Matthew de Bisschop
• Alicia D'Hont
• Matt Dodds
• Denise Dolan
• Josh Fearnow-Sexton
• Kim Fettkether
• Mark Franke
• Brittany Freeman
• Eric Gilmour
• Elizabeth Grabin
• Greg & Julie Hanshaw
• Joe Hearn
• Jordan Hensley
• Darby Hill
• Marian Holmes

• Lucy Ito
• Brittany Johnson
• Dave Klavitter
• Keisha Knepper
• Amy Lang
• Christian Marcussen
• Jaimie Miller
• Mike Moroney
• Jennifer Naeve
• Paula O'Rourke
• John Parks
• Aaron Plein
• Myranda Reasoner
• Shelly Ridgeway
• Langston Smith
• Kat Sukup
• Megan Tjernagel
• Ashley Vanderheiden
• Jami Weems
• Courtney Williams
• Murray Williams
• Julie Willse
• Scott Zahnle

Thank you to the recent donors, who have supported the ICUF Disaster Relief Fund: