A Win We Needed, and One We Earned

Over the past several months, credit unions across the country have been focused on one major concern: protecting our federal tax-exempt status. And it was, by far, the most serious threat I’ve seen to the tax status during my time in the movement.

Now that the budget (H.R. 1) has passed and been signed by the President, we know that threat has passed. Credit unions will continue operating with their not-for-profit tax status intact. This outcome didn’t happen on its own. It was the result of years of preparation and months of consistent engagement. And like many of my colleagues, I’m proud of how the entire movement responded.

I’m especially grateful to our national partners at America’s Credit Unions. They led a strategy that allowed all of us — state leagues, credit unions and individuals — to contribute in a meaningful way. 

I’m also specifically proud of the role Michigan played in this effort. As a collective, we submitted 26,463 grassroots messages, one of the highest totals in the country. That speaks to the commitment we see here every day to protect the credit union model and serve our members. Also, we had over 100 people in D.C. this past March with “Don’t Tax My Credit Union” t-shirts — some of you even doubling down and taking this to your branches! You are amazing!

One of the things that stood out to me about this campaign was how different it felt. America’s Credit Unions leaned into stronger data, more targeted communication and new tools like influencer outreach and digital ad campaigns. In other words, instead of relying on a broad, one-size-fits-all approach, they thought about where efforts mattered the most. As a result, lawmakers heard from credit unions in D.C., at home in their districts and through platforms and messaging that cut through the noise. That’s not an easy thing to do.

For me, the big takeaway is this: when we evolve how we advocate, we strengthen our message. The credit union difference has always been real, but how we communicate it and how we make it resonate is just as important, and it’s something we need to continue to work on.

That stronger message matters, because what we’re protecting isn’t just an obscure policy detail or a rule buried in a bill. Preserving our tax status is preserving our core identity — the cooperative structure that allows us to be member-owned, mission-driven and focused on people instead of profits. It helps us keep doing the work that people count on us for — 6 million here in Michigan, to be exact.

As we look ahead to Hike the Hill, we have an opportunity to build on this momentum by taking what we’ve learned and applying it. We’ve seen that the one-size-fits-all messaging maybe isn’t always enough. And to be effective, we need to be specific and, importantly, willing to adjust how we communicate to meet legislators where they are.

While this campaign was largely about defense, we have important work ahead that involves playing offense. Issues like data security, board modernization and expanding the CFPB to a five-person board (just to name a few) are already on the horizon, and they’re going to need our attention and our collective advocacy. 

Again, thank you to everyone in Michigan who helped make our voice heard during this effort. This was a team win. And if we carry this urgency and sense of purpose with us, we’ll be ready for whatever comes next and proactive about making needed change.

Thanks for reading.

« Return to "Patty's Desk"