Project Zip Code helps grassroots efforts
WASHINGTON--Credit unions that use CUNA’s Project Zip Code know which congressional and state legislative districts and geographic areas their members live in without compromising their members’ privacy.
Credit unions can contact the Credit Union Association of New Mexico, which has the software, to get started.
“Credit unions are always growing, districts are changing, and members are moving across the county—or the country, even though they keep their credit union membership,” explained CUNA SVP, Political Affairs Richard Gose.
So how do credit unions know which members are in a congressional district where a credit union supporter is being challenged by local bankers?
“Credit unions can easily load the software which will append to their database and show which credit union members are in which state and federal congressional districts.”
The information about congressional districts is especially helpful when credit unions visit their representatives in Congress or their state legislature, according to CUNA VP, Political Affairs Gretchen Drobnyk. “In recent Capitol Hill focus groups, congressional staff said it is very important for them to know their constituents,” she said.
The program will be particularly helpful, Drobnyk added, when redistricting is done in many states, credit unions and their members may end up in a different district than the one they were in before.
Project Zip Code protects the privacy of credit union members. No credit union membership information leaves the database when a credit union participates in Project Zip Code.
“I think credit unions will be surprised with the impact Project Zip Code will have on their elected officials and perhaps their business,” Drobnyk said.