Washington, D.C. (July 16, 2026) — Credit unions working with CUCollaborate won 11 of 13 grant applications in the National Credit Union Administration's latest Community Development Revolving Loan Fund round, securing $550,000 in award funds. That is an 85% success rate.
The NCUA announced the awards on June 29. The agency awarded $3.47 million to 97 low-income designated credit unions across 36 states and Puerto Rico. Grants ranged from $1,800 to $100,000.
CUCollaborate's client awards came in the Underserved Outreach category, which funds efforts by small credit unions to reach underserved populations. The NCUA made 42 Underserved Outreach grants totaling $1,959,000 this round. CUCollaborate clients won 11 of them, more than a quarter of the category. Every winning application secured the category's maximum award of $50,000.
The 11 winning credit unions are:
- Central Credit Union of Illinois (Bellwood, IL)
- Community Focus Federal Credit Union (Brownstown, MI)
- Finger Lakes Health Care Federal Credit Union (Elmira, NY)
- I AM Federal Credit Union (New York, NY)
- Mid-Tex Federal Credit Union (Brownwood, TX)
- Pathfinder Federal Credit Union (Casper, WY)
- Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union (Lakewood, NY)
- Stepping Stones Community Federal Credit Union (Wilmington, DE)
- Tennessee Employees Credit Union (Nashville, TN)
- UNO Federal Credit Union (New Orleans, LA)
- Urban Empowerment Federal Credit Union (New York, NY)
The awards will fund new and expanded outreach efforts, financial education programs, and financial products for underserved communities.
The NCUA has not yet released applicant data for this round. Across the previous two rounds, in 2023 and 2024, the industry-wide success rate was 49%, with 274 winners out of 561 applicants. CUCollaborate's 85% rate is well above that benchmark.
"These grants put real money into small credit unions serving people who need affordable financial services most. Our job is to make sure a strong application does not stand between a credit union and that funding," said Sam Brownell, CEO of CUCollaborate.
CDRLF grants help low-income designated credit unions expand services, build capacity, and reach more members. Credit unions interested in pursuing CDRLF funding in future rounds can learn more at cucollaborate.com.
About CUCollaborate
CUCollaborate is a data and analytics CUSO that helps credit unions maximize growth, impact, and performance. We empower credit unions to adapt and thrive by combining proprietary data and technology with deep subject matter expertise to drive smarter strategic decision-making. Our creative strategies, rooted in our unique technical approach powered by data-driven insights, enable credit unions to stay competitive, optimize performance, and expand their impact in an evolving financial landscape.
Media Contact
Lucas McCanna Director of Marketing, CUCollaborate
lmccanna@cucollaborate.com
